CAPTAIN SAMS
Although paling in comparison to yesterday's historic numbers today managed to be another eventful day at Captain Sams. We captured 192 birds in total, 165 new and 27 recaptures, and had a fairly busy first few net runs before the numbers started to taper off. Common yellowthroats continue to dominate the bulk of our catch, but gray catbird numbers appear to be picking up. Although we will continue to catch common yellowthroats throughout the season, eventually their numbers will start to dwindle. By that time, it is almost certain that gray catbird numbers will have taken over the majority of our catch. Until that time comes, we will likely continue to see common yellowthroats make up the majority of our captured birds. With north winds continuing tomorrow and Monday, it is almost certain we will continue to catch large quantities of these abundant warblers. It has been an exhausting but extremely rewarding few days for the crew and we hope to continue to catch large quantities of birds before the winds shift and migratory conditions become less favorable.
-Noah Nei
LITTLE BEAR
As the tide makes more of a presence at Little Bear, a variety of water-loving birds are being seen periodically by our crew! Today at sunrise, we began to hear the familiar rattle of a belted kingfisher close by. Sure enough, after a few net runs we caught one!
This shaggy-crested bird is fairly conspicuous when present. If it isn't flying around its waterside habitat emitting the aforementioned distinct rattle call, belted kingfishers can be found on conspicuous perches close to the water, keeping watch for prey. They hunt for small fish by diving headfirst into the water, and grasping (or even piercing) one at a time with their long thick bill. Powder-blue upperparts, white underparts and a blue breast band are features that may help distinguish from similar species. Due to the power of this bird's wings in combination to particularly small legs, bander's grip (pictured above) is the recommended hold for processing as well as photographing this bird to ensure its safety.
-Lisa Viviano
| Species | Captain Sams | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Belted Kingfisher | - | - | 1 | - |
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | 1 | - | - | - |
Traill's Flycatcher | 2 | - | - | - |
White-eyed Vireo | 11 | 3 | 11 | - |
Red-eyed Vireo | 6 | - | 5 | - |
Carolina Chickadee | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 1 | - | - | - |
House Wren | - | - | 1 | - |
Gray Catbird | 29 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
Veery | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
Swainson's Thrush | 1 | - | - | - |
Northern Waterthrush | 3 | - | 1 | - |
Black-and-white Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Common Yellowthroat | 89 | 17 | 55 | 3 |
American Redstart | 6 | 2 | 9 | - |
Cape May Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Northern Parula | - | - | 1 | - |
Magnolia Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
Yellow Warbler | 4 | - | 3 | - |
Black-throated Blue Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Palm Warbler (western) | 3 | - | 1 | - |
Pine Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
Prairie Warbler | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
Painted Bunting | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 165 | 107 | 272 |
| # of Recaptures | 27 | 8 | 35 |
| # of Species | 19 | 16 | 24 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 192 | 109.2 | 301.2 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 100.0 | 105.3 | 101.9 |
| # of Nets | 32 | 26 | 58 |
| 2024 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 1,672 | 1,059 | 2,731 |
| # of Recaptures | 347 | 274 | 621 |
| # of Species | 52 | 51 | 65 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 5,862.8 | 3,281.6 | 9,144.4 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 34.4 | 40.6 | 36.7 |
| # of Days | 37 | 28 |
Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)