CAPTAIN SAMS
On Thursday, 4 February, I managed to make it out again for some winter banding out on the spit. It was a chilly start to the morning with frost even settling on top of the furrowed nets. It was another busy morning with 86 new birds and 57 recaptures. Yellow-rumped Warblers were very active around the site with 93 of them captured. American Robins were also out in force although not as many of them found their way into the nets. We did capture 12 of them (but only 11 were banded - see below) which I think is a record for the number of robins banded in a single day at KIBS.
The highlight of the day was a Yellow-breasted Chat. Chats are uncommon winter residents on Kiawah. The bird captured on Thursday was a recapture and was banded during fall migration banding on 28 November 2020. He was captured in the same net both times.
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| Yellow-breasted Chat (Second-year, male) |
The most most extraordinary capture was an American Robin with unusual growths on the feet and legs. After a little research, it appears that these growths were caused by scaly leg mites. Scaly leg mites are a common condition with poultry but much less is known about them in wild birds. It is caused by a mite in the genus Knemidocoptes. They burrow into the skin of their hosts and over time can cause debilitating effects as seen below. This bird was released without a band.
Aaron
| Species | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | - | 1 | - | - |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | - | 2 | - | - |
Carolina Chickadee | - | 4 | - | - |
Carolina Wren | - | 1 | - | - |
Hermit Thrush | 2 | - | - | - |
American Robin | 11 | - | - | - |
Gray Catbird | 2 | 16 | - | - |
Field Sparrow | 2 | - | - | - |
White-throated Sparrow | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Swamp Sparrow | - | 1 | - | - |
Yellow-breasted Chat | - | 1 | - | - |
Orange-crowned Warbler | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | 67 | 26 | - | - |
Northern Cardinal | - | 3 | - | - |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 86 | - | - |
| # of Recaptures | 57 | - | - |
| # of Species | 14 | - | - |
| Effort (net-hours) | 176.4 | - | - |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 81.1 | - | - |
| # of Nets | 28 | - | - |
| 2021 Winter Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 158 | - | - |
| # of Recaptures | 110 | - | - |
| # of Species | 18 | - | - |
| Effort (net-hours) | 331.55 | - | - |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 80.8 | - | - |
| # of Days | 2 | - | - |
Banding Staff
