The Fall 2021 banding season ended with some beautiful weather and a dwindling amount of migrants. We caught more recaptures than new birds over the last two days, including two worm-eating warblers that appear to be making Cape Florida their winter home. The very last bird captured on Sunday was this female Black-and-white Warbler that was originally banded in Fall 2020.
The 1770 birds of 52 species banded this fall was a lower total than usual, especially considering the substantial netting effort. We only had one rain day for the whole season, so we were open at least part of 84 days. Weather probably paid a role in the low numbers as strong northeast winds prevailed during a large portion of what has historically been the best weeks of migration.
Thanks go to our amazing crew of volunteers without which this project would be impossible, and to the Tropical Audubon Society for its continuing support of the Cape Florida Banding Station. We will resume banding again for the Spring 2022 session on or around March 15, 2022. If you are interested in volunteering please contact me (text or email is best) in late February.
-Michelle Davis
Left to right: Joe gets ready to release a Worm-eating Warbler (photo by Michelle Davis); Steffanie bands a Swainson’s Thrush (photo by Michelle Davis); Cinthia with Broad-winged Hawk (photo by Miriam Avello)
Fall Season Total (Aug 15-Nov 7)
| SPECIES | NEW | RETURN |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | – |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | – |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | – |
| Common Ground-dove | 1 | – |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 1 | – |
| Chuck-will’s Widow | 8 | – |
| Eastern whip-poor-will | 1 | – |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 2 | – |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 1 | – |
| Traill’s Flycatcher | 7 | – |
| Alder Flycatcher | 4 | – |
| Eastern Phoebe | 4 | – |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | 7 | – |
| White-eyed Vireo | 12 | 1 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | 1 | – |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 30 | – |
| Veery | 3 | – |
| Swainson’s Thrush | 24 | – |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | 3 | – |
| Wood Thrush | 3 | – |
| Gray Catbird | 194 | 3 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 35 | – |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 | – |
| Tennessee Warbler | 1 | – |
| Northern Parula | 53 | – |
| Chestnut-sided warbler | 1 | – |
| Magnolia Warbler | 4 | – |
| Cape May Warbler | 10 | – |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 274 | – |
| Myrtle Warbler | 1 | – |
| Blackburnian Warbler | 1 | – |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | 1 | – |
| Prairie Warbler | 32 | – |
| Western Palm Warbler | 10 | – |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 1 | – |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 110 | 2 |
| American Redstart | 235 | – |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 4 | – |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 95 | – |
| Swainson’s Warbler | 26 | – |
| Ovenbird | 271 | 7 |
| Northern Waterthrush | 75 | – |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 4 | – |
| Common Yellowthroat | 119 | 1 |
| Hooded Warbler | 3 | – |
| Wilson’s Warbler | 1 | – |
| Canada Warbler | 1 | – |
| Scarlet Tanager | 1 | – |
| Northern Cardinal | 14 | 1 |
| Blue Grosbeak | 1 | – |
| Indigo Bunting | 5 | – |
| Painted Bunting | 50 | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 2 | – |
| # BIRDS CAPTURED | # SPECIES | # NETS | NET HOURS | CAPTURE RATE (BIRDS/100NH) | |
| SEASON TOTAL | 1770 | 52 | 23 | 10755.25 | 18.75 |