Captain Sam's:
It was yet another humid and cloudy morning out at Captain Sam's spit. After opening our nets, we enjoyed a lovely sunrise while watching the flocks of shorebirds cruise along the river. Hues of peach and lavender adorned the overcast sky.
The highlight of the day came in the form of a Louisiana Waterthrush. We band this species much less than Northern Waterthrush, its close relative (Genus Parkesia) and doppelganger. Having these two species side-by-side, however, really sheds light on their morphological differences.
The Northern Waterthrush (right) is noticeably smaller and has more buffy coloring in its supercilium and flanks than the Louisiana Waterthrush (left). Lousiana's also have bright pink legs, more vibrant than those of the Northern's. Look out for these warblers along streams or within wetlands; both species constantly bob their tails while foraging along the ground, which is unique among warblers.
-Brendan
Little Bear:
Today was a good day at Little Bear, with 38 new birds and 11 recaps of 12 species! Lots of Northern Waterthrush (16) today, but no Louisiana. We also had our first Common Yellowthroats, Prairie Warbler, American Redstart, and Prothonotary Warblers for Little Bear.
The two Prothonotary Warblers were caught in the same net run and allowed us to see the side-by-side difference between male and female. The male on the left is much more bright and orangey-yellow in comparison to the female on the right. The female also has more olive-green on the crown and back.
- Maia
| Species | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
White-eyed Vireo | - | 1 | 1 | - |
Red-eyed Vireo | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1 | - | - | - |
Brown Thrasher | - | 1 | - | - |
Prairie Warbler | 7 | - | - | - |
American Redstart | 2 | - | 3 | - |
Worm-eating Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Louisiana Waterthrush | 1 | - | - | - |
Northern Waterthrush | 3 | - | 16 | - |
Painted Bunting | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
Carolina Wren | - | - | 1 | 2 |
Prothonotary Warbler | - | - | 2 | - |
Ovenbird | - | - | 1 | - |
Northern Cardinal | - | - | - | 1 |
Common Yellowthroat | - | - | 2 | - |
Black-and-white Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
Prairie Warbler | 7 | - | 1 | - |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 19 | 39 | 58 |
| # of Recaptures | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| # of Species | 10 | 12 | 17 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 159 | 103.5 | 262.5 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 15.1 | 42.5 | 25.9 |
| # of Nets | 30 | 21 | 51 |
| 2022 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 196 | 90 | 286 |
| # of Recaptures | 81 | 15 | 96 |
| # of Species | 31 | 17 | 32 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 1378.2 | 319.7 | 1697.7 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 20.1 | 32.8 | 22.5 |
| # of Days | 10 | 3 | - |
Banding Staff
Brendan Wang (CS)
