Molty Molty Cardinals

 CAPTAIN SAMS

Not much activity at Captain Sam's today, but we were welcomed by a noticeably cooler morning. Today broke the hot streak, with the high only reaching 88°. It was nice to not be drenched in sweat while closing nets for the first day all season!

Today we only caught 18 birds, but we were lucky enough to see some cool species around the station. Some Purple Martins and a Roseate Spoonbill decided to fly by, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen escaping from the net! The audacity tsk tsk. The North American Cuckoos (Black and Yellow-billed) are some pretty cool birds. They specialize in eating those fuzzy caterpillars that are covered in little spines and hairs. Those spines get stuck in the inner wall of the bird's stomach and build up over time. Once the spines and hairs block digestion these birds will shed their stomach lining, coughing it up much like owls do with owl pellets, and then grow a new lining! Pretty metal if you ask me. KIBS usually catches some Yellow-billed Cuckoos every year so stay tuned!

-Aiden

 LITTLE BEAR

Little Bear is officially open for the 2026 banding season! We caught several Northern Cardinals that were molting feathers. 

Banders are usually able to tell the age of birds using molt limits: generational differences between feathers. However, Northern Cardinals can do a complete preformative molt shortly after they hatch, and then they do a complete prebasic molt every year thereafter. This means that molt limits may not be present, and a few months later, we may not be able to discern age through plumage.

However, today, we were still able to age these male birds as HY and AHY, as they have not replaced all of their feathers yet.

Northern Cardinal (hatch year, male)
The presence of brown juvenile feathers allowed us to age this bird HY. Red feathers freshly molting on the face indicates that this bird is male.

Northern Cardinal (hatch year, male)
Same individual as above. There were brownish juvenile flight feathers (highlighted blue) that were not replaced yet. These grew in the nest simultaneously, hence the low quality. The feathers highlighted yellow have been replaced as a part of the preformative molt. If you look closely you can see one of the primaries (p4) growing in.

Northern Cardinal (after hatch year, male)
In contrast to the hatch year male above, the worn, unreplaced feathers are red and non-juvenal. This bird is currently doing its prebasic molt. s8, p1 to p3 have been freshly molted. p4 is a pin feather, so not visible from the photo. The bird has also started molting s1 (the shorter feather in the middle of the wing).

-- Jasmine

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	1	-	-	-
Great-crested Flycatcher	-	1	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	-	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	-	-	1	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	3	1	-
Carolina Wren	-	2	3	-
Northern Waterthrush	1	-	4	-
Common Yellowthroat	1	-	-	-
American Redstart	1	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	2	1	2	-
Northern Cardinal	1	-	5	4
Painted Bunting	2	1	3	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	9	19	28
# of Recaptures	9	4	13
# of Species	11	7	12
Effort (net-hours)	123.75	100.5	224.25
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	15.2	22.9	18.3
# of Nets	33	28	61

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	163	19	182
# of Recaptures	71	4	75
# of Species	22	7	22
Effort (net-hours)	1095.9	100.5	1196.4
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	21.35	22.9	21.48
# of Days	8	1	8

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Liz Held (LB)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Jasmine Fu (LB)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

The Hot Streak

 CAPTAIN SAMS

After a week of learning the ins and outs of KIBS, I gave the crew a day off today. Everyone has caught on quickly and seems to able to navigate the labyrinth of trails around the banding station. Michael and I ran the station today and it was pretty slow out there with only 8 new birds and 7 recaptures. 

The hot streak continued, in fact, today the 12th day in a row where the temperature reached 95 degrees or hotter in the Charleston area. That is the 3rd longest streak in history. The second longest was 15 July 2016 at 13 days and the record holder is 21 July 1986 at 15 days. How much longer will it continue? Can we break the record? My weather app say no with the high temp only reaching 86 tomorrow. Hopefully that is the case as I am ready to feel a little relief from the heat and humidity. 

-Aaron  

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	2	1	-	-
Northern Parula	-	1	-	-
Prairie Warbler	1	1	-	-
Northern Cardinal	1	3	-	-
Painted Bunting	4	-	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	8	-	-
# of Recaptures	7	-	-
# of Species	6	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	135.3	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	11.1	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	154	-	-
# of Recaptures	61	-	-
# of Species	22	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	972.2	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	22.1	-	-
# of Days	7	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Michael Gamble (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

Captivating Cardinals

 CAPTAIN SAMS

It was another hot and muggy day at Captain Sams and we ended the morning with a total of 20 birds, 10 newly banded and 10 recaptures. 7 out of those 10 recaptured birds were Northern Cardinals, a resident bird that breeds on Kiawah Island. These birds are known for being pretty feisty in the hand and banders must take some precaution as to not get bitten by their sizable bills. All of the Northern Cardinals captured today were in heavy molt, replacing all their feathers as part of the annual molt cycle songbirds undergo in the fall. Cardinals are resident birds in South Carolina, meaning they don't fly south for the winter and will instead spend their winter days foraging on seeds and will commonly visit bird feeders. Most cardinals will spend their entire lives within a few miles of where they were hatched. In fact, 2 of our cardinals from today were banded in previous years at Captain Sams, one in 2020 and one in 2023. 

Half the crew spent the morning finishing setting up nets at Little Bear where we will begin banding soon. We are excited to see what the first days at Little Bear will bring.

Olivia

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	1	-	-	-
Ovenbird	-	1	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	4	-	-	-
Prothonotary Warbler	1	-	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	1	-	-	-
American Redstart	1	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	2	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	-	7	-	-
Painted Bunting	-	2	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	10	-	-
# of Recaptures	10	-	-
# of Species	9	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	124.6	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	16.1	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	146	-	-
# of Recaptures	54	-	-
# of Species	22	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	836.9	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	23.9	-	-
# of Days	6	-

Banding Staff

Michael Gamble (CS)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

Two FOS & Some Fine Tuned Measuring

 CAPTAIN SAMS

Another slow and hot day of banding at Captain Sam's. We totaled 26 captures with two new species for the season: one Common Yellowthroat and two Traill's Flycatchers. After taking various measurements we could confirm one flycatcher as an Alder while in the field. "Why the need for measurements?" you may ask. Great question, blog reader! Alder Flycatchers and Willow Flycatchers used to be considered one species (Traill's Flycatcher), until 1973, when scientists decided they didn't like that anymore. Although almost identical in appearance, the two species have slightly different morphologies and behavioral patterns. They have distinctly different songs and vocalizations and don't interbreed, but in the hand the slight length differences in certain flight feathers can usually tell us which species we've caught! These species' songs are actually hardwired into their genetics. Scientists tested this by hatching and raising Willow Flycatchers solely around Alder Flycatchers. Despite only hearing Alder vocalizations, the Willows would still sing their distinct song! 

Alder Flycatcher, Hatch Year, Sex Unknown

-Aiden

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	1	-	-	-
Traill's Flycatcher	2	-	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	1	-	-	-
Ovenbird	1	-	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	3	-	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	1	-	-	-
American Redstart	2	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	2	1	-	-
Northern Cardinal	2	-	-	-
Painted Bunting	9	-	-	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	24	-	-
# of Recaptures	2	-	-
# of Species	11	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	4.2	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	18.8	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	136	-	-
# of Recaptures	44	-	-
# of Species	22	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	712.3	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	25.3	-	-
# of Days	5	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Jasmine Fu (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

FOS Louisiana Waterthrush

 CAPTAIN SAMS

First time blog author Jasmine Fu here. This is my first season at the Kiawah Island Banding Station, and I am eager for what the season will bring.

Overall, it was a slow and hot day at Captain Sam's. However, a Louisiana Waterthrush visited one of our mist nets. This species is an early migrant, and we do not anticipate catching many more this season, so it was a definitely an exciting bird of the day.

Louisiana Waterthrush (after hatch year, sex unknown)

One of the datapoints we collect on each bird is fat. Bird skin is see-through, so we are able to look at how much fat it has in its furcular hollow (just above the wishbone). Migrant birds will load up on their fat reserves at stopover sites such as Kiawah Island in preparation for their journey to their wintering grounds, which could be as far as South America.

Fat deposits on a Prairie Warbler. You can see the yellowish fat forming a V-shape in the furcular hollow of the bird.

-- Jasmine

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Great-crested Flycatcher	-	2	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	1	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	2	-	-	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	-	-
Tufted Titmouse	-	1	-	-
Carolina Wren	-	1	-	-
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	-	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	4	-	-	-
American Redstart	4	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	5	1	-	-
Northern Cardinal	-	3	-	-
Painted Bunting	1	1	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	17	-	17
# of Recaptures	11	-	11
# of Species	12	-	12
Effort (net-hours)	141.4	-	141.4
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	19.8	-	19.8
# of Nets	33	-	33

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	112	-	112
# of Recaptures	42	-	42
# of Species	20	-	20
Effort (net-hours)	573.7	-	573.7
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	26.8	-	26.8
# of Days	4	-	4

Banding Staff

Michael Gamble (CS)

Liz Held (CS)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Jasmine Fu (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

The gang's all here

CAPTAIN SAMS

I'm excited to be back in Kiawah this fall and today was the first day with the whole team! Despite the heat, we were a little busier than yesterday but recaptures made up a higher percentage of our overall total. We had a little increase in Prairie Warbler numbers today with 13 captured. 

Prairie Warbler, After Hatch Year, Male

We also captured one Tufted Titmouse today, a species commonly seen/heard around the island but not one that we usually catch at the station. They are known for their big personalities once you have them in the hand and this one did not disappoint! 

Liz

Tufted Titmouse, Hatch Year, Unknown Sex

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	2	1	-	-
Great Crested Flycatcher	-	1	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	1	3	-	-
Carolina Chickadee	2	3	-	-
Tufted Titmouse	1	-	-	-
Carolina Wren	-	2	-	-
Ovenbird	2	1	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	3	4	-	-
American Redstart	1	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	13	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	2	3	-	-
Painted Bunting	1	-	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	28	-	-
# of Recaptures	18	-	-
# of Species	12	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	141.9	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	32.4	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	95	-	-
# of Recaptures	31	-	-
# of Species	19	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	432.3	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	29.1	-	-
# of Days	3	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Michael Gamble (CS)

Liz Held (CS)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Jasmine Fu (CS)

Baxter Shirey (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

New Migrants Arrive

 CAPTAIN SAMS

Even with the increase in humidity, there were more migrants on the move this morning. We captured 30 new birds and 10 recaptures of 15 species. The highlights were several Prothonotary Warblers and a Worm-eating Warbler. We also recaptured a Northern Cardinal that we banded as a hatch-year on 8/15/2016, making this individual 10 years, 7 months old!

Worm-eating Warbler (hatch-year, sex unknown)

-Michael

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Great-crested Flycatcher	1	-	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	2	-	-	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	-	-
Carolina Wren	1	1	-	-
Brown Thrasher	-	1	-	-
Northern Mockingbird	1	-	-	-
Ovenbird	-	1	-	-
Worm-eating Warbler	1	-	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	6	1	-	-
Prothonotary Warbler	4	-	-	-
American Redstart	2	-	-	-
Northern Parula	-	1	-	-
Prairie Warbler	8	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	1	4	-	-
Painted Bunting	3	-	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	30	-	-
# of Recaptures	10	-	-
# of Species	15	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	145.2	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	27.5	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	67	-	-
# of Recaptures	13	-	-
# of Species	18	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	290.0	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	27.5	-	-
# of Days	2	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Michael Gamble (CS)

Liz Held (CS)

Olivia DeMarchi (CS)

Aiden Gifford (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.

First Day of the 2026 Fall Migration Season

 CAPTAIN SAMS

It is that time of year again. Fall migration is underway, and for many species like shorebirds, migration has been on since early July. Songbirds are just starting to move through our area although some species like Prairie Warblers, Northern Waterthrushes, and American Redstarts have been around since the end of July. 

Today was a rather typical "first day of the season" with a plethora of young locals like Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, and Carolina Wrens. We also had our fair share of early migrants with Prairie Warblers, an Ovenbird, and a Northern Waterthrush. The biggest surprise was the number of Great Crested Flycatchers (7) we banded today. Looking back at the last 5 years, we average less than 6 for the entire season. In 2022, we banded 11 with 9 of those coming on the first day of the season.  

Great Crested Flycatcher (Hatch year, sex unknown)

  

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	1	1	-	-
Great Crested Flycatcher	7	-	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	1	-	-	-
Carolina Chickadee	4	-	-	-
Carolina Wren	2	1	-	-
Brown-headed Cowbird	1	-	-	-
Ovenbird	1	-	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	1	-	-	-
Northern Parula	1	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	5	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	9	1	-	-
Painted Bunting	4	-	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	37	-	-
# of Recaptures	3	-	-
# of Species	12	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	145.2	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	28.4	-	-
# of Nets	33	-	-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	37	-	-
# of Recaptures	3	-	-
# of Species	12	-	-
Effort (net-hours)	145.2	-	-
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	28.4	-	-
# of Days	1	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Michael Gamble (CS)

Liz Held (CS)

Nancy Raginski (CS)

Note:  All banding, marking, and sampling is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab.