• September typically is our peak for diversity of species, and not until October, when large flocks of finches and sparrows move through Powdermill, do we expect to possibly get a daily banding total approaching 300 birds.  So, it was certainly an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise for us when quantity and quality combined on the first banding day of this week.  On Tuesday, September 14th, we banded 291 birds of 47 species (including 19 species of wood warblers)--54 species total including recaptures.  Admist the checking of nets, rustling bags of birds, and banding, we welcomed Deb Plotts, a bander from Ohio, Gretchen Putonen, a bander from Cape Cod, Mass., and Fred and Carol McCullough, residents of Pittsburgh and banders at Allegheny Front Bird Observatory in Dolly Sods, WV.  What a way to kick off our first of two bander development workshops!

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By the end of the workshop week, with just one of day lost to rain associated with Hurrican Ivan, we banded 743 birds of 64 species, including 24 species of wood warblers.  Top ten species during workshop week were Magnolia Warbler (96 banded), Swainson's Thrush (66), American Goldfinch (56), Red-eyed Vireo (52), Gray Catbird (40), Scarlet Tanager (39), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (39), Common Yellowthroat (26), Hooded Warbler (25), and, tied for tenth with 21 banded each, American Redstart and Wood Thrush.

• Not mentioned last week because of the overwhelming number of highlights, was a visit by Mike Lanzone, Powdermill's assistant field ornithology projects coordinator, along with our good ringing colleague from England, Dr. David Norman, to Allegheny Front Migration Observatory to photograph selected warblers for an upcoming book series by Bob Mulvihill and Mike Lanzone, a Photographic Guide to Ageing and Sexing of North American Birds.



Panoramic View of Allegheny Front Migration Observatory (photo by Mike Lanzone)


 
• Below left (photo by David Norman), Mike takes pictures of one of 80 warblers he photographed during the trip.  Below right (photo by Mike Lanzone) is an adult male Cape May Warbler that just couldn't wait for the quick photo shoot to end before having a bite to eat.  While being held in Mike's hand (as in the picture at left), this bird snatched up a passing hoverfly, held it just long enough to pose for the unexpected photo op, then quickly swallowed its meal!  Apparently, this posing business really works up a bird's appetite!

• In addition to our workshoppers, we had help from Bill Diehl, Randi Gerrish, David Leibmann, Annie Lindsay, Felicity Newell, and David Norman.  Thank You!

• With all the birds banded on 9/14, it is not surprising we added five new species to our season list on just this one day (nine new species total were added to the season list over the week)

• First, this hatching year male Red-bellied Woodpecker--note the brown (juvenile), rather than red (adult), eye color.  Note also, the barbed tongue, a feeding adaptation in woodpeckers that enables them to grab the grubs whose tunnels they expose with their excavations.  Not only do woodpeckers' tongues have barbed tips, but also they can be extended several times the length of the beak through a specialized hyoid apparatus that wraps around the back of their skull.

• Next, this HY female Hairy Woodpecker

• Then, this HY Winter Wren (The Wren, in Great Britain, David reminded us!)

• Followed by this HY female "Western" Palm Warbler (a plain brown warbler with a yellow undertail)

And, lastly, this HY female Yellow-rumped Warbler (a plain brown warbler with a yellow overtail!)

• Although not a new species for the fall, this HY male Baltimore Oriole banded on 9/14 made the photo highlights by being comical!  He spent the entire time in hand trying to pry the photographers fingers apart!  Orioles and a few other species (notably, Vermivora warblers, including Blue-winged and Golden-winged warblers) specialized for feeding on flower nectar and probing for insects inside closed buds, have jaw muscles capable of exerting stronger than usual reverse opening pressure with their beaks.

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• The very first of 131 birds banded on 9/15, was this HY gray-phase Eastern Screech Owl, lured into a net in the pre-dawn hour with a so-so imitation of it's call.  The right half of the photo below shows the fringed outer margin of the owl's outer primaries, an adaptation that greatly reduces the noise made when it flaps its wings, and which makes its nearly silent flight (surprising any unwary prey) possible.

 

• We banded three Black-and-white Warblers on 9/15, including this beautifully marked AHY male (the adult male loses its black throat patch in basic (i.e., fall) plumage.

• Among 112 birds banded on 9/16, was this HY White-throated Sparrow, our first of the fall.

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• Heavy rains associated with Hurrican Ivan precluded banding all day on Friday, 9/17.  A total of more than five inches fell from Thursday night through Friday night, but the waters receded fairly rapidly, and, amazingly, we were back to banding on Saturday morning.  Powdermill is located about 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh (near the southeastern corner of the county to the east of the county containing Pittsburgh).

• Among 126 birds banded on 9/18 were two very different Indigo Buntings--one, an adult (prob. ASY based on the non-juvenile appearance of the alula and primary coverts) female that had not even begun to molt (top  photo below), and the other, an AHY male (bottom photo below) that already had completed its prebasic molt!

• On 9/19 we banded a pair of our 94th species of the fall--these HY Eastern Bluebirds (female, left; male, right), still extensively in  juvenal plumage

• The last day of the first bander development workshop also netted us four Connecticut Warblers, including two adult males, one of which is pictured below.

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• It was a full week of banding and a great week of banding (and ringing) camaraderie.  Many thanks to our good friend, admired colleague, and newly appointed Powdermill Research Associate from Cheshire, England, Professor David Norman, who spent the past three weeks with us and also lent his experience and expertise during the first two days of our bander development workshop.  Many thanks also to Deb Plotts, Gretchen Putonen, and Carol and Fred McCullough, who attended the workshop.  Many birds were banded, much new information was learned by all of us, and lots of valued acquaintances were made or renewed in the process.

David Norman (right) has time to enjoy one more bird (and one more species) before returning home
- our first Gray-cheeked Thrush of the season - while Bob Mulvihill (with bird) discusses
ageing criteria in thrushes with our workshop attendants


From left to right: Top - Carol and Fred McCullough, Bob Mulvihill, David Norman and Gray-cheeked Thrush, Mike Lanzone, Deb Plotts
Bottom - Adrienne Leppold, Puppy Mulvihill, Gretchen Putonen, and Bob Leberman

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Last Updated on 09/17/04
By Adrienne J. Leppold and
Robert S. Mulvihill