Powdermill Banding Spring 2008

Spring 2008

Season Summary

Powdermill Avian Research Center's bird banding program at Powdermill Nature Reserve completed its 47th consecutive spring banding season in 2008. The banding station was in operation on 63 days during the spring 2008 season, between 2 March and 1 June. The season total of 1,880 was well below, in fact > 1 S.D. below, the long-term average of 2,734 (range = 1,014 - 4,634). Spring 2008 totals for all but one of the top five species were below (but within 1 S.D. of) average, and all five were well below their historical maximum spring banding totals: Dark-eyed Junco (129 banded/ long-term average 361/maximum 1,238); Ruby-crowned Kinglet (128/131/352), American Goldfinch (121/206/829); Cedar Waxwing (110/61/248); Song Sparrow (104/164/285).

The highest daily total this spring was 90 on May 14th (see Chart above), and the most diverse day of the season occurred on May 4th, when 27 species were banded. This spring, totals for just seven of 103 species banded were more than 1 S.D. above average (see Table below), including Traill's Flycatcher (Willow & Alder), Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Blue-headed Vireo. Good "gets" this spring included several species having a long-term spring average of <1: Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Vesper Sparrow. The second ever Hooded Merganser for our banding program was banded in April, and a female "Sutton's" Warbler (a rare hybrid between Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Warbler) was banded and twice recaptured in May (the second time, she was observed to have a fresh brood patch). Other often-missed species that we banded this spring were Worm-eating Warbler and Orchard Oriole.

Banding totals for twelve species were more than 1 S.D. below average: Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, White-throated Sparrow, Canada Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Eastern Phoebe, Acadian Flycatcher, and Golden-winged Warbler. Conspicuous "misses" with a long-term average >1 were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo, Bay-breasted Warbler, Cape May Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

The table below summarizes the 2008 spring banding season (species sorted in descending order by banding total) and provides statistical comparisons with our long term (1962-2007) data set. Eastern Screech-Owl, Hooded Merganser, Pileated Woodpecker, Savannah Sparrow, and “Sutton’s” Warbler (total = 1 for each) are not included because yearly comparison data were not available.