CAPTAIN SAMS
Captain Sams had a significantly improved day of banding compared to yesterday, with a total of 34 new birds and 20 recaptures. It was a welcomed pace, as we are still catching a good variety of birds, and it's nice to have the time to mull over some interesting molts! Today we caught a few late migrants such as a recap Black-throated Blue Warbler who has been around at least since yesterday, stocking up on resources before she continues South, and a newly caught Ovenbird whom we speculate could be another individual planning to spend the winter here (time will tell!). We also banded two House Finches, which the station has now only caught 13 of this year!
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| House Finch (Hatch Year, Male) |
This individual was undergoing an eccentric molt, which is what helped us determine the age as a Hatch Year. The inner tertial and outside primary feathers (highlighted in green) are freshly molted, replaced feathers. Those highlighted in red are worn, retained feathers that have yet to be replaced. This molt limit is admittedly a tougher one to see in photos, but a darker brown is observed in the replaced feathers, in addition to a darker rachis (the center shaft of the feather). In addition, there is more wear on the tips of the older retained feathers.
-Lisa Viviano
LITTLE BEAR
Today was a bit of a slow day with a total of 32 birds (22 new and 10 recaptures). We caught the usual late-season characters, including Yellow-rumped Warblers, Swamp Sparrows, and a recaptured Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
The rain yesterday morning created a few wet spots, but I was happy to see that these are already being reduced down to small puddles. Hopefully Little Bear can stay dry for this last week of banding!
-Natalie
| Species | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Eastern Phoebe | - | - | 1 | - |
Carolina Chickadee | - | 1 | - | - |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | - | - | 1 |
House Wren | - | - | - | 1 |
Carolina Wren | - | - | - | 1 |
Gray Catbird | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Hermit Thrush | 1 | - | - | - |
House Finch | 2 | - | - | - |
Song Sparrow | 1 | - | - | 1 |
Swamp Sparrow | 4 | - | 2 | - |
Ovenbird | 1 | - | - | - |
Orange-crowned Warbler | - | 1 | 1 | - |
Common Yellowthroat | - | - | - | 1 |
American Redstart | - | 1 | - | - |
Black-throated Blue Warbler | - | 1 | - | - |
Myrtle Warbler | 24 | 11 | 14 | - |
Northern Cardinal | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Painted Bunting | - | - | - | 2 |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 34 | 22 | 56 |
| # of Recaptures | 20 | 10 | 30 |
| # of Species | 13 | 11 | 18 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 169.6 | 148.2 | 317.8 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 31.8 | 21.6 | 27.1 |
| # of Nets | 32 | 26 | 58 |
| 2024 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 4,952 | 3,192 | 8,144 |
| # of Recaptures | 1,100 | 895 | 1,995 |
| # of Species | 87 | 86 | 101 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 13,453.15 | 8,642.1 | 22,095.25 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 45.0 | 47.3 | 45.9 |
| # of Days | 82 | 72 |
Banding Staff
Michael Gamble (CS)
Kristin Attinger (LB)
Natalie Miller (LB)
Lisa Viviano (CS)
Noah Nei (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 Bird Banding Lab.
