2028 banded for Fall 2014

Today was the last day of banding at Cape Florida. Birds are still moving through, although in lower numbers. Gray catbirds, Western palm warblers, Black-throated blues and Eastern phoebes make up a large part of the captures this week. Myrtle warblers have been flying overhead but none have settled into the banding area. I heard one call from a Song sparrow just after sunrise but it remained elusive for the rest of the day.

Above: Female and male Black-throated blue warblers; usually our top captures.

We captured around 2028 individuals of 54 species between Aug 15 and Nov 7, 2014. 22 of these birds were returns from other seasons, with a Northern cardinal banded in Fall 2006 and a Gray catbird banded in Spring 2007 among the oldest. New species banded were Gray kingbird, Barn swallow and Ash-throated flycatcher. The 142 Worm-eating warblers captured this year is a new record, as is the 20 Indigo buntings.

The lunatics were left in charge on Oct 31.

This is what 55 degrees looks like in south Florida.

SEASON TOTAL: 2028 birds of 54 species

Ovenbird: 294
Black-throated blue warbler: 268
Gray catbird: 230
American redstart: 217
Common yellowthroat: 158
Worm-eating warbler: 142
Black & white warbler: 120
Northern waterthrush: 76
Northern parula: 67
Western palm warbler: 56
Prairie warbler: 44
Red-eyed vireo: 43
Swainson’s thrush: 33
Swainson’s warbler: 32
Painted bunting: 30
Blue-gray gnatcatcher: 28
White-eyed vireo: 27
Indigo bunting: 20
Magnolia warbler: 19
Gray-cheeked thrush: 14
Eastern phoebe: 11
Northern cardinal: 11
Traill’s flycatcher: 10
Chuck-will’s widow: 7
Common ground-dove: 6
Veery: 6
Blackpoll warbler: 6
Acadian flycatcher: 5
Wood thrush: 5
Cape May warbler: 5
Hooded warbler: 5
Prothonotary warbler: 3
Scarlet tanager: 3
Yellow-billed cuckoo: 2
Red-bellied woodpecker: 2
Yellow-throated vireo: 2
Tennessee warbler: 2
Rose-breasted grosbeak: 2

Single individuals of the following species:
Mourning dove
Barn swallow
Ash-throated flycatcher
Great-crested flycatcher
Gray kingbird
Philadelphia vireo
Gray cheeked/Bicknell’s thrush
Hermit thrush
Blue-winged warbler
Chestnut-sided warbler
Bay-breasted warbler
Louisiana waterthrush
Connecticut warbler
Wilson’s warbler
Yellow-breasted chat
Lincoln’s sparrow
Common grackle

A HUGE shout out to all our wonderful volunteers and Adopt-a_Net sponsors in 2014! The day-to-day functioning of the banding station went as smoothly as is possible, and we were able to replace quite a bit of aging equipment, especially nets. We only get about 3 seasons out of a mistnet because the mesh degrades quickly in the intense Florida sun.

THANK YOU!!!!

Bye for now. See you next fall!

-Michelle Davis