Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Bluebirds, Goodbyes, and Clear skies

 CAPTAIN SAMS

Today we banded 43 new birds and 20 recaps! Slower than predicted but still a pretty decent number of birds. Excitingly, we caught a pair of Eastern Bluebirds (1 new and 1 recap), so there is some good luck for everyone reading the blog today! 

Eastern Bluebird (After Hatch year, female) 


Today was my last day on Kiawah and the last day of my EBBA bird banding fellowship. As I look back on this journey, I feel overwhelming gratitude to have learned how to band at such amazing stations. Words can't do justice for what this opportunity has meant to me. I knew I loved birds at the start of this, but I found a passion for banding through this and gained valuable experience that not many people get so early in their career. I’ve learned so much and am hopeful for a future full of banding! I want to say a huge thank you to the Kiawah Crew for a wonderful last two weeks!! Bye blog, I'll miss you :(

Signing off,

Van 


LITTLE BEAR

Ahoy! Today on the shores o' Little Bear we captured 41 new birds and 14 recaps. Arrr, the mornin' were cool with clear skies, matey, but we be catchin' a bit o' wind! The crews nets blow like a sail hoist a mizzen on a ship set course fer some doubloons. Although they lay quiet early in the morn', the cursed winged bilge-suckers found the crew once more. I sent many straight to Davey-Jones locker meself, but I fear there be no end to those blisterin' barnacles, they won't avast till the seas run dry matey! Worry not hearties, fer the futures not yet lost, and much plunder lay ahead.

-Aiden

  Species  Captain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 
--2-
Eastern Phoebe 
2-1-
Carolina Chickadee
-1--
Golden-crowned Kinglet 
1---
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3---
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
--1-
Northern House Wren
-11-
Carolina Wren
-1-1
Gray Catbird
119510
Eastern Bluebird
11--
Hermit Thrush
--1-
Song Sparrow
2---
Swamp Sparrow
3-3-
Eastern Towhee
---1
Yellow-breasted Chat
-1--
Common Yellowthroat
556-
Northern Parula
--1-
Blackpoll Warbler
--1-
Western Palm Warbler
3-6-
Myrtle Yellow-rumed Warbler 
101101
Painted Bunting
1-2-
Brown Thrasher
1---
Black-and-white Warbler
--1-
Northern Cardinal
---1




Today's Banding StatsCaptain SamsLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
43
41
84
# of Recaptures
20
14
34
# of Species
15
17
24
Effort (net-hours)
172.5
138.5
311.0
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
36.5
39.7
37.9
# of Nets
33
28
61

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats Captain SamsLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
4029
2378
6407
# of Recaptures
575
349
924
# of Species
80
72
93
Effort (net-hours)
9656.3
6675.65
16331.95
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
47.7
40.8
44.9
# of Days6457



Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Liz Held (LB)
Olivia DeMarchi (CS)
Jasmine Fu (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.