CAPTAIN SAMS
For the last 6 years we have been in a cycle of high Yellow-rumped Warbler numbers in even years. Last year we only banded 540 of them but so far this year we have banded 345 and we still have 25 days left in the season. In 2022 and 2024, 1047 and 1013, were banded, respectively, while in 2021 and 2023 only 688 and 525 were banded. If this trend continues, 2026 should be a good fall for Yellow-rumped Warblers.
-Aaron
LITTLE BEAR
Still slow going out at Little Bear. There was more bird activity in general with flocks of blackbirds, grackles, and yellow-rumps flying back and forth. At times it sounded like there was quite a lot of yellow-rump chipping throughout the right side of the station. Groups of 2-3 of the warblers would occasionally find our nets today and we were surprised to catch a handful of new catbirds as well. We ended up with 18 new birds and 6 recaps of just 6 species. We captured a couple of notable recaps today; a Swamp Sparrow banded as an after hatch year in 2024 and a yellow-rump banded as a hatch year in 2023.
Featured below is our recaptured Swamp Sparrow, which is at least 3 years old, compared to a hatch year Swamp Sparrow banded this year. Hatch years tend to have buffier coloring around the face and eye stripe, compared to the solid, bright gray coloring of after hatch years. Our older bird from today also had a very red crown and fairly bright white throat, which really stood out.
-Liz
| Species | Captain Sams | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Eastern Phoebe | - | - | 1 | - |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Northern House Wren | - | 1 | - | - |
Carolina Wren | - | - | - | 1 |
Hermit Thrush | - | 1 | - | - |
Gray Catbird | - | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Eastern Towhee | 1 | - | - | - |
Song Sparrow | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Swamp Sparrow | - | - | 1 | 1 |
House Finch | 3 | - | - | - |
Common Yellowthroat | - | 1 | - | - |
Myrtle (yellow-rumped) Warbler | 41 | 7 | 10 | 1 |
Northern Cardinal | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| - | - | - | - | |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 47 | 18 | 65 |
| # of Recaptures | 15 | 6 | 21 |
| # of Species | 10 | 6 | 13 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 170.6 | 119 | 289.6 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 36.3 | 20.2 | 29.7 |
| # of Nets | 33 | 28 | - |
| 2026 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sams | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 4,565 | 2,650 | 7,215 |
| # of Recaptures | 706 | 459 | 1,165 |
| # of Species | 85 | 76 | 99 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 12,070.6 | 8,548.8 | 20,619.4 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 43.7 | 36.4 | 40.6 |
| # of Days | 80 | 73 |
Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)