Friday, October 16, 2026

Hark! The Bloodsuckers Cometh

CAPTAIN SAMS

It was pretty slow at Captain Sams today with almost half of our 29 birds captured during the first net run of the morning. 

Big weather changes are coming as a strong cold front is barreling its way across the eastern US. It should arrive tomorrow morning around 7 am. Tomorrow's high temperature of 76 degrees will occur at midnight and temperatures will continue to drop throughout the day resulting in a 20 degree swing in 24 hours. This cold front should be dry for us but it will bring pretty strong winds and we expect the wind to continue for most of the week. I am guessing that we won't get too many birds tomorrow as there will be some rain in the Mid-Atlantic state which will probably keep many birds from reaching us. Sunday and Monday could be quite busy as long as the wind doesn't affect us too much.

-Aaron

LITTLE BEAR

Between my last two days at Little Bear I think I've lost about a quart of blood to mosquitoes. By my troth, dear reader, this realm doth swarm with mosquitoes most grievous! Verily, they descend upon a knight as locusts upon the harvest, and no shield nor mail availeth against their biting. Methinks even the stoutest vassal would flee before such a plague. I shall endure it upon mine honour, as the code demands — yet I confess, good friend, I would fain take up arms against this winged host! We've allied with the anole clan to try and reduce the mosquito army's numbers but our future is bleak. Their numbers are endless as the stars above the battlefield! Methinks no mortal host could count them, nor any herald tally such a multitude. Upon mine honour, 'tis as though the very gates of the underworld hath opened and poured forth its legions against us. Yet a knight doth not falter for want of numbers — for honour is the truer armour, and duty bids us stand, though the foe be as the sands of the sea. Our sole hope resteth upon this: that they perish in the bitter cold. 'Tis a grim hope, yet hope it is — and a knight doth cling to hope as to his oath, though the winter show no mercy.

Ahem... Other than that, we got 32 new birds and 29 recaps today. We got a couple more Swamp Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers which was exciting! It also looks like temps will finally stay a little cooler into the next week or so!

-Aiden

  Species  Captain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
--1-
Downy Woodpecker
-1-1
Red-eyed Vireo
-1--
Northern House Wren
1-21
Gray Catbird
9256
Brown Thrasher
-1--
Swamp Sparrow
--2-
Eastern Towhee
---2
Ovenbird
--1-
Northern Waterthrush
--16
Black-and White Warbler
---1
Common Yellowthroat
42138
American Redstart
---3
Northern Yellow Warbler
1-1-
Palm Warbler (Western)
1-1-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
2-3-
Northern Cardinal
-2-1
Indigo Bunting
1---
Painted Bunting
1-2-




Today's Banding StatsCaptain SamsLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
20
32
52
# of Recaptures
9
29
38
# of Species
12
16
19
Effort (net-hours)
138.6
119
257.6
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
20.9
51.3
34.9
# of Nets
33
28
-

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats Captain SamsLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
3,708
2,153
5,861
# of Recaptures
515
283
798
# of Species
77
66
89
Effort (net-hours)
8,981.9
6149.4
15,131.3
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
47.0
39.6
44.0
# of Days6053



Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Liz Held (LB)
Aiden Gifford (LB)
Van Truong (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.