CAPTAIN SAMS
Though Captain Sams wasn't as busy as Little Bear we still captured 86 total birds, 67 new and 19 recaps. Naturally we caught almost entirely warblers including Common Yellowthroats, Cape May Warblers, American Redstarts, and a very special capture, the first Swainson's Warbler of the season!
These large, drab warblers may not be as flashy as their yellow, orange, and blue cousins but their secretive nature and fairly limited range make them a treasure to birders and banders alike. They prefer to forage along the ground, flipping leaves to search for insects of all kinds. During the winter, they will even expand their search for food to include tiny lizards.
This species was a first in the hand for both Amy and I and we especially enjoyed seeing its bright pink legs and impressively large bill.
This was a wonderful day to have good species diversity as we had a visiting class of Master Naturalists. They had the opportunity to see 15 species up close including less common visitors like a Wood Thrush and Blackpoll Warbler and even were able to help us release birds once they were banded.
-Arden
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| Swainson's Warbler (hatch year) |
LITTLE BEAR
Today was a surprisingly busy day for Little Bear! We weren't sure how things would be with the weather forecast and the BirdCast predictions, but it turned into a very busy day! We banded 165 birds and had 8 recaptures for a total of 173 birds from 22 species. We were treated to multiple gorgeous adult male Painted Buntings, as well as striking Cape May Warblers and a stunning male Hooded Warbler. First of season species for Little Bear included a Northern House Wren and a Dickcissel! I have been told that this is the first time a Dickcissel has ever been banded at either banding location on Kiawah!!! It was an incredibly exciting catch because of that, but also because it was the first Dickcissel I personally have ever seen! This bird will grow to have much brighter yellow on its face and chest as an adult with a bold black V-shaped patch on its chest and rusty shoulder feathers. Dickcissels are most commonly found in and around grasslands of the central United States, but are known as frequent vagrants, being spotted during migration over much wider areas than their typical ranges. This species gathers into large flocks, often with thousands of individuals, as they migrate, so we are hoping to encounter another if we're lucky!
- Camille
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| Dickcissel (hatch year, male) |
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| Dickcissel (hatch year, male) |
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| Dickcissel (hatch year, male) |
| Species | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 1 | - | - | - |
Traill's Flycatcher | 1 | - | - | - |
White-eyed Vireo | - | 2 | - | - |
Red-eyed Vireo | 3 | 1 | 1 | - |
Carolina Chickadee | - | - | - | 1 |
House Wren | - | - | 1 | - |
Carolina Wren | - | - | - | 1 |
Gray Catbird | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
Veery | - | - | 1 | - |
Swainson's Thrush | 1 | - | 1 | - |
Wood Thrush | 1 | - | - | - |
Yellow-breasted Chat | - | - | - | 1 |
Ovenbird | 1 | - | 1 | - |
Northern Waterthrush | - | - | 3 | - |
Black-and-white Warbler | - | - | 2 | - |
Swainson's Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Common Yellowthroat | 48 | 9 | 118 | 4 |
Hooded Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
American Redstart | 3 | 2 | 5 | - |
| Cape May Warbler | 2 | - | 5 | - |
| Magnolia Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
| Yellow Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 1 | - | 2 | - |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
| Western Palm Warbler | - | - | 5 | - |
| Prairie Warbler | - | - | 3 | - |
| Painted Bunting | 1 | 4 | 9 | - |
| Dickcissel | - | - | 1 | - |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 67 | 165 | 232 |
| # of Recaptures | 19 | 8 | 27 |
| # of Species | 15 | 22 | 28 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 179.2 | 155.5 | 334.7 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 48.0 | 111.2 | 77.38 |
| # of Nets | 32 | 28 | - |
| 2025 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 2,267 | 1,457 | 3,724 |
| # of Recaptures | 300 | 268 | 568 |
| # of Species | 58 | 52 | 68 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 6,992 | 4,741.7 | 11,733.65 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 36.7 | 36.4 | 36.58 |
| # of Days | 45 | 38 |
Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)Michael Gamble (CS)
Liz Held (LB)
Arden Schneider (CS)
Camille Beckwith (LB)
Jeremiah Sullivan (LB)
Amy Nickerson (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.
