August 16, 2016

The banding out at Captain Sam’s was bit slower today with only 7 new birds and 1 recapture.  With the heat and humidity, as well as the lack of birds, we decided to close down around 11am. During the first few weeks of the banding season, the number of captures is usually determined by the activity of the resident and breeding birds at the station.  Migrants are only starting to trickle in in small numbers.  All of the birds captured today either bred or were born on Kiawah Island this summer.  Most of the resident birds have finished up their breeding season and are now undergoing their prebasic molt.  When molting, birds are more vulnerable to predation and because of this they tend to be more secretive.  Songbirds undergo a sequential molt and molt their flight feathers in a sequence that allows them to maintain the ability to fly.  Although songbirds can still fly during this period, their flight power and maneuverability are reduced by the shortened flight feathers and wing gaps created by the molt.  Waterfowl use a different strategy when molting and drop all their flight feathers at once which leaves them flightless for about month.  Their ability to swim makes up for this flightless period and allows them to access wetlands for shelter. 

-Mattie   

NEW BIRDS

1 Carolina Chickadee
2 Carolina Wren

3 Northern Cardinal
1 Painted Bunting

RECAPTURES

1 Painted Bunting

BANDING STATS
# of Birds Banded: 7
# of Recaptures: 1
# of Species: 4
Effort: 95.0 net-hours
Capture Rate:  8.4 birds/100 net-hours
# of Nets:  25

BANDING STAFF
Aaron Given
Blain Carnes
Mattie VandenBoom
Michael Gamble