Myrtle Madness

 CAPTAIN SAMS

By my troth, fair reader, this morn did begin with a fog most thick and heavy, and all the plants of the marsh were bedecked with dew as though adorned for a tourney. Though my breeches were well soaked in the early hours, the waters have since fled, and so my feet remained dry for once — a small mercy, yet one I shall not scorn. As the morn wore on, the skies did clear, and we ended the day with sunshine and a gentle breeze, as though the heavens themselves smiled upon our quest. This day hath been far busier than the fortnight past — and verily, 'twas a welcome turn! For a knight doth thrive upon labour and purpose, and idle days weigh heavier than any armour. Methinks the code itself doth counsel us to cherish each hour of honest toil, for duty is the marrow of honour. Upon mine honour, I am gladdened to hear thy day was thus filled. The sweltering heat of this past sennight hath at last departed, and methinks the days ahead shall prove cooler, so far as a knight may read the skies. Soothly, 'tis a mercy from the heavens, for even the stoutest vassal doth wilt beneath such a sun.

By Jove, fair friends, I do pray that every soul who readeth these words may find favour in the weather — that the air be cool and gentle as the morn after a summer tourney — and that ye may venture forth to walk upon this goodly earth — for verily, we are but humble vassals of this realm, and 'tis by fortune's grace alone that we were born unto it. For a knight knoweth well that honour is not won by sitting idle by the hearth, but by riding forth and breathing deep of the open sky. Upon mine honour, I wish ye all fair winds and pleasant wandering.

Anywho, as far as banding for the day, we got a total of 175 new birds and 16 recaps. 133 of our new birds were Yellow-rumped warblers. It's exciting to get so many of these guys after not seeing them for so long, and it makes me excited for winter! Hopefully there's some decent snow this year in the Northeast.

- Sir Aiden The Yellow


LITTLE BEAR

Yellow-rumps abound at Little Bear this morning, although not as abundant as Captain Sams. We ended the morning with 47 newly banded birds and 7 recaptures of 13 species. Some highlights were Little Bear's first White-throated Sparrow and Clay-colored Sparrow of the season. According to Cornell's Birds of the World, Clay-colored Sparrow is a widespread breeder in prairie-brush habitats of the Northern Great Plains. The Great Plains is the most endangered ecosystem in the United States due to habitat fragmentation, livestock grazing, and fire suppression causing woody plant encroachment. The birds that utilize grassland and prairie habitats are among the bird populations experiencing the most severe declines in North America, which includes Clay-colored Sparrow. The bulk of these sparrows migrate through the central U.S. and winter in Arizona, Texas, and Mexico, but small numbers are reported throughout the eastern seaboard every year and some even spend the winter in coastal South Carolina, although they're pretty uncommon, making this fella an exciting capture.  

Clay-colored Sparrow (hatch year, sex unknown)

Liz, Aiden, and I are on our last week at KIBS and I'm looking forward to seeing more sparrows before the season is up.

-Olivia

Species	Captain Sams		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	1	-	-	-
Eastern Phoebe	-	-	1	-
Golden-crowned Kinglet	2	-	-	-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	8	3	3	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	-	-
Northern House Wren	1	-	-	-
Carolina Wren	-	-	-	1
Gray Catbird	-	2	1	2
Hermit Thrush	1	-	-	-
Clay-colored Sparrow	-	-	1	-
White-throated Sparrow	7	-	2	-
Song Sparrow	3	-	-	1
Swamp Sparrow	3	-	1	-
Orange-crowned Warbler	2	-	2	-
Northern Parula	1	-	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	-	-	1	-
Black-throated Blue Warbler	1	-	-	-
Western Palm Warbler	3	-	1	-
Myrtle (yellow-rumped) Warbler	133	2	34	2
Northern Cardinal	-	1	-	1
	-	-	-	-

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	166	47	213
# of Recaptures	9	7	16
# of Species	16	13	19
Effort (net-hours)	223.9	156.8	380.7
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	78.2	34.4	60.2
# of Nets	33	28	61

2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sams	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	4,790	2,713	7,503
# of Recaptures	722	469	1,191
# of Species	86	78	101
Effort (net-hours)	12,462.4	8,840	21,302.4
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	44	36	40.8
# of Days	82	75

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Liz Held (LB)

Olivia DeMarchi (LB)

Aiden Gifford (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.