Anniversary - one year

Monday the 28th will be the one year anniversary for this banding station. There was one net up that morning. A ruby-throated hummingbird (not banded) and cardinal were the first birds caught. Today there were six nets up for 36 net hours and a grand total of 2 birds banded -- ovenbird and cardinal. I'm banding under the MAPS protocol for the summer months and July is a low number month for a MAPS bander.

MAPS = Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivability Program
http://www.birdpop.org/maps.htm

Birds can look so different as juveniles and when in heavy molt. I consult Pyle's book, I've attended training courses, but I still wish for an 'expert' sitting next to me at the banding table. Over time I'll have more exposure to variations in plumage at different times of year. Right now I keep suffering from frustration. Todays birds are good examples. In the net I immediately labeled the cardinal as an AHY F. While processing the bird doubt crept in. The crest is brown. A small patch of shoulder feathers are red while most of the coverts are brown. The bill is orange but with light edges. Is this actually a HY male that fledged over two months ago? I'll know for sure if I recapture this bird in three months time.

Loss of head feathers

Banding in the summer months has a low productivity rate round here. Today 5 birds went in the nets for 36 net hours of effort. While the birds do not appear to be very active I did hear or see 28 different species while I checked net lanes.

During the summer months birding listservs usually have a couple of posts about cardinals with bald heads at feeders. In recent weeks I've banded both a downy woodpecker and a male eastern towhee with nearly bald heads. The most common 'explanations' I've read for this condition are: a) part of post-breeding molt; 2) caused by skin mites; or 3) some other factor. Perhaps there is a connection to nest responsibilities as well.

Eastern Towhee



Downy Woodpecker