CAPTAIN SAMS
We captured 24 new birds and 10 recaptures of 8 different species this morning, which included first-of-season white-eyed vireo and brown thrasher. Painted buntings continue to make up a large portion of our captures, accounting for almost 50% of the birds captured today. They also make up approximately 40% of our new birds captured so far this season. We only caught 129 painted buntings all season last year, so we are off to a good start. Our bunting influx could be due to the proliferation of giant bristlegrass (Setaria magna) around the net lanes. This is a native grass that buntings forage heavily on when it blooms and produces seeds from June through November, and these seeds are similar to the white millet people put in their bird feeders to attract them.
We caught an after second year female painted bunting today (pictured below) that was originally banded on the exact same day in 2020. She was banded as an after second year, which makes her at least 6 years old. Before today, the only previous time she was recaptured was on 8/16/2021. She showed a reddish washed breast; blue on the head and shoulders; and bright green back, which are plumage characteristics seen in after second year males. In older female songbirds, it is typical to see them acquiring male plumage characteristics with age.
 |
| Painted Bunting (after second year, female) |
-Michael
LITTLE BEAR
| Species | Captain Sams | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
White-eyed Vireo | 1 | - | - | - |
Carolina Chickadee | 1 | - | - | - |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1 | - | - | - |
Brown Thrasher | 1 | - | - | - |
Northern Waterthrush | 6 | - | - | - |
Prairie Warbler | 4 | - | - | - |
Northern Cardinal | 1 | 3 | - | - |
Painted Bunting | 9 | 7 | - | - |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 24 | - | 24 |
| # of Recaptures | 10 | - | 10 |
| # of Species | 8 | - | 8 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 172.8 | - | 172.8 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 19.7 | - | 19.7 |
| # of Nets | 32 | - | 32 |
| 2024 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 84 | - | 84 |
| # of Recaptures | 29 | - | 29 |
| # of Species | 16 | - | 16 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 476.8 | - | 476.8 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 23.7 | - | 23.7 |
| # of Days | 3 | - | - |
Banding Staff
Michael Gamble (CS)Nancy Raginski (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 BBL
