Hi, all - sorry for no recent photos. Cool migrants have been gone for awhile, but I'll post some pics of our winter birds soon. There's a junco with one eye we captured several weeks ago that was pretty cool...

Now for the report!

Raccoon Ridge Bird Observatory, Sandyston, New Jersey
Director: Laura Obiso
Bander: Cailin O'Connor Fitzpatrick (complier)
Assistants: Caroline H Muchmore, Quinn L Fitzpatrick, Robert R Scherr III, Grace Muchmore, Samantha N Richardson

The banding station opened for the year on 9 March, operating 14 nets and one trap whenever possible for 34 banding days. The station operated for 7 days in March, 10 days in April, 12 days in May, and 5 days in June. We closed for the summer on 23 June, having banded 363 individuals and recaptured 106. We banded a total of 64 species, but handled 67 species, as we recaptured previously banded Downy Woodpeckers and an Eastern Towhee but banded no new individuals of those species. Additionally, we captured several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on various dates, which we do not band.

New species and hybrids for the station this spring included Sharp-shinned Hawk (13 Mar), Brewster’s Warbler backcross (30 Apr), Orange-crowned Warbler (3 May), American Woodcock (26 May), and Yellow-Breasted Chat (2 Jun). Other species of note included Hairy Woodpecker (14 Apr), Nashville Warbler (8 May), Canada Warbler (10 May), Prairie Warbler (16 May), Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (6 Jun), Brown Thrasher (6 Jun), and Hooded Warbler (23 Jun).

As expected, Gray Catbirds were the most common species banded/captured with 43 individuals banded and 15 recaptured. Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos were the second most common species banded with 38 banded and two recaptured. Chipping sparrows (26 banded, one recaptured), Song Sparrows (18 banded, five recaptured), and Yellow Warblers (15 banded, four recaptured) round out our top five species for individuals banded. It should be noted that our second most common species captured was Black-capped Chickadees, but as only 12 of the 42 captured were banded this spring (the rest were recaptures), they do not make the top five banded species list.

Most individuals in a day were captured on 8 May with 33 birds banded, 11 of which were Gray Catbirds. Our greatest species diversity was captured on 16 May with 19 species captured, 17 of which were banded that day (the remaining two species were recaptures). We banded 22 species of warblers this spring.

13 species, 26 birds, I believe.

female eastern bluebird


what's probably our last gray catbird of the season!


red-bellied woodpecker (male)


ruby-crowned kinglet (male)


palm warbler

limited species but good number of birds both days

eastern towhee


field sparrow


white-throated sparrow


fox sparrow


hermit thrush


dark-eyed junco

We had a great day on Oct 11, 46 birds of 17 species - too busy to take a lot of pictures, but here are eight!

Lincoln's Sparrow


Song Sparrow


Swamp Sparrow


White-Crowned Sparrow


Downy Woodpecker


Golden-crowned Kinglet


White-throated Sparrow


immature Yellow-rumped warbler

Black-and-white Warbler


hilariously aggravated Eastern Tufted Titmouse


our first ever Blackpoll Warbler :)


first Brown Creeper of the fall


female Blue-winged Warbler


( rest of the pics here )

female American Redstart


male Black-throated Blue Warbler


Ovenbird


Swainson's Thrush


They're baaack!!! first White-throated Sparrow of the fall.

I just FINALLY did the banding tallies for Spring 2009 (though the Fall 2008 tallies just got published last week so I'm ahead of the game!)... anyway, here are the results:

Banding Days: 34
Range of Days: March 9 - June 23
Net Hours: approx. 1264
Trap Hours: approx. 84
Total Species Banded: 64*
Total Species Handled: 66
Total Individuals Banded: 363
Total Individuals Recaptured: 106
Species Captured Most Often: Gray Catbird (44 new, 15 recaps)
Most species on: May 16 (19 species, 17 banded)
Most individuals on: May 8 (33 individuals, 11 of which were Gray Catbirds)

I'm doing last minute fund-raising for the new nets I need for the fall (we're already a month into fall, actually!). Ideally, I need 6 new nets, but I can get by with 2.5 new ones. As they cost just under $130 each, you can understand why funding is necessary! Don't feel obligated AT ALL, but if you have any spare cash, you can donate through our website www.raccoonridgebirdobservatory.com with the "donate" button on the right. It is processed through PayPal (which can use credit cards).

Thank you!!!!

Cailin
Bander-in-Charge
Raccoon Ridge Bird Observatory
Branchville, NJ

( *Complete list of species in order of date of first capture for the season: )

Carolina Wren


Chipping Sparrow in heavy molt


Common Yellowthroat female


first Lincoln's Sparrow of the fall! (They're one of my favorites)


( more birds here )

First time I've remembered my camera in awhile!

Black-throated Green Warbler fledge


Chipping Sparrow fledge


Male Common Yellowthroat, molting his summer plumage away...


Eastern Phoebe fledge

( Read more... )

Due to massive computer and digital camera issues (not to mention a flooded station!), I haven't posted in awhile! Here are some pics from.... well, I don't know when, since last time. ;)

Black-capped Chickadee. We were excited because he was actually NEW! (We catch a lot of recaptured ones).


Carolina Wren


House Wren


fledgling Song Sparrow


adult Song Sparrow


Red-eyed Vireo


detail on shiny new Cedar Waxwing secondaries! :)


cruddy, diseased legs on a Yellow Warbler - we obviously couldn't band this guy!

26 birds, 16 species today. it's been raining for a week solid, so i haven't been up much and a few of the nets are flooded.

male American redstart


this blue-winged warbler was in serious molt! two huge feather tracts like this one and all the secondaries - very cool!


fledgling field sparrow :)


our first hooded warbler!


Louisiana waterthrush


one of two fledgie golden-crowned kinglets today

Banding picked up a bit today with 17 birds of 12 species (and.. a turtle). Here are a few pics.

our very first eastern bluebird of the season


female indigo bunting


veery

We had a couple of cool birds today.. here's 5 pics.

brown-headed cowbird


brown thrasher


ovenbird


downy woodpecker


yellow-billed cuckoo

Banding's been pretty lame since migration is over.. it's all waxwings and catbirds and the odd warbler here and there. Here are two shots anyway; the latter one is pretty awesome and our first ever - caught him this morning.

American goldfinch, male


Yellow-breasted Chat

lame day, not many birds (14, I think?), but a good one at the end there:

blue jay


female northern parula


male yellow warbler


and the star of our day (uh, the month):
american woodcock

It's been a somewhat boring couple of days.. tons of yellow warblers and orioles, for some reason, but not too many birds overall. Today, we got the first cedar waxwing of the season.

American redstart


magnolia warbler


Baltimore oriole


black-and-white warbler


blue-winged warbler


( more here )

I forgot my camera on the 13th, oops. We had two great days, lots of new species, but too busy to take pictures of most of them and some didn't come out, so here's a few - some are blurry, sorry. 19 species, 30 birds today.. 16 species, 21 birds yesterday.

blue-winged warbler


prairie warbler, male


lincoln's sparrow (i love these so much!)


indigo bunting, male


( more here )

migration is still going strong.. good day on 5/8 with 33 birds of 16 species (11 were catbirds, which we'll have in DROVES from now through september....)

black and white warbler


female blue-winged warbler


chipping sparrow


female common yellowthroat


chestnut-sided warbler


( lots more behind cut )

lame day, but could only band in the afternoon (AUGH BUGS!!!) because it's been raining non-stop. a kinglet, some sparrows and this crummy looking girl:



she was missing half her head feathers! ah well. (baltimore oriole).

yellow warbler


palm warbler


orange-crowned warbler


chestnut-sided warbler


blue-winged warbler


common yellowthroat


baltimore oriole