FOS: Pine Warbler

It was a slow day at the banding station with only 20 new birds and 7 recaptures.  South winds were still in place overnight keeping migrants from moving into the area.  We also had windy conditions today, brought on by a passing cold front, which limited the nets we could use and making the nets we did use more visible.  Although the passing cold front did not help us out today, it will likely bring in our next big wave of migrants overnight tonight.  

The best bird of the day goes to our First of the Season Pine Warbler which was a hatch year male. 

Pine Warbler (hatch year, male)

It was aged based on molt limit in the alulas which can be seen in the picture below.  Often warblers will show a molt limit in the alulas with the alula covert (A1) being replaced during the first prebasic which contrast with the unreplaced alulas(A2 and A3).  On this individual A1 is blackish with a broad gray edging where as A2 and A3 are brown with little to no edging.  The primary coverts are also retained juvenile feathers and are browner and more worn than the replaced greater coverts.         

Alula Molt Limit

NEW BIRDS
1 Red-eyed Vireo

1 House Wren

6 Gray Catbird

1 Black-throated Blue Warbler

1 Pine Warbler

4 Palm Warbler

1 Ovenbird

5 Common Yellowthroat

RECAPTURES
1 White-eyed Vireo
3 Gray Catbird
1 Common Yellowthroat

2 Northern Cardinal

BANDING STATS
# of New Birds:  20
# of Recaptures:  7
# of Species:  10
Effort:  87.7 net-hours
Capture Rate:  31.5 birds/100 nets-hours
# of Nets:  20

BANDING STAFF
Mattie VandenBoom
Matt Zak
Libby Natola
William Oakley