30 June 2017 – three casualties

I was out of town from 21–30 June and no surveys were run during that time.  On June 30th, however, I heard from Dawn Brown and Corey Riding that there were three casualties at the southwestern alcove of the Noble Research Center: a badly decayed Northern Parula (adult male), a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and a female (with brood patch!) Indigo Bunting.  It’s possible that the bunting came in on the 30th, but the others were clearly killed prior to that date. (Photos by Dawn Brown.) This is officially the first Northern Parula found on the project.

31 May 2017 – Indigo Bunting

Chalk up another second-year male Indigo Bunting as a window-kill victim at the Noble Research Center. This bird had fat = 1 and CP = 2.

15 May 2017 – Two SY Painted Buntings

May 15th was another odd one, and I’ll be glad when this pulse of window-killed migrants is passed.

SY male Painted Bunting found at 8:00 am.

SY-U Painted Bunting found at 3:40 pm.

 

On my morning survey, I found a SY male Painted Bunting at the southwestern alcove, and right in front of a treated pane.  (The bird off to the left is May 12th’s Indigo Bunting.)

SY male Painted Bunting found at 8:00 am.

 

That’s bad enough.  The building cost a Painted Bunting and the ABC bird tape apparently did not steer it away from danger.

Then I heard from Dawn Brown later in the day (~3:45 in the afternoon) that she had found and collected a Painted Bunting at the same location.  When I got there moments later, the Indigo Bunting was gone (so it was removed sometime during the day on the 15th), and Dawn handed me a bag with this bird inside:

SY-U Painted Bunting found at 3:40 pm.

Ugh – a second dead Painted Bunting. This one was more difficult to sex but also clearly an SY bird.  Note the beak damage on both individuals.

12 May 2017 – Indigo Bunting

Will Jessie alerted me to this SY male Indigo Bunting at the southwestern alcove. I left the bird in place for several days (and the ants had gotten to it before I did).

10 May 2017 – Painted Bunting and Nashville Warbler

Today I found a SY Painted Bunting at the main north entrance and a Nashville Warbler at the northwestern alcove.

Remnants of a fleshy gape reveal this Painted Bunting to be a SY.

Pointy beak, yellow throat, and bold white eyering on gray hed = Nashville Warbler.

Painted Bunting at the main north entrance.

These rects sure look truncated though.

Molt limits on display: green tertials contrasting with brown primaries.

Damage to the lower mandible.

Nashville Warbler at the northwest alcove.

 

9 May 2017 – Indigo Bunting and Chipping Sparrow

Rounded the corner and immediately noticed this Indigo Bunting.

Over at the southeast alcove lay this Chipping Sparrow. Can you see it?

Found another SY male Indigo Bunting today at the main north entrance, plus the survey’s first Chipping Sparrow at the southeast alcove.

7 May 2017 – Indigo Bunting and trapped Yellow Warbler

With special guest stars James O’Connell and David Mallen, today’s survey turned up a male Indigo Bunting and a trapped Yellow Warbler at the main north entrance. (No photo of the warbler; it was a male.)

Let’s take a closer look at that Indigo Bunting:

He’s pretty blue, but his molt limits reveal him to be a second year (SY) male.

Those three big feather visible on the folded wing are the tertials (aka, secondaries 7, 8, and 9 from outer to inner.

Tertials from above. On the right wing, 7 and 9 are brownish and worn but 8 is fresh and blue/black. Tert #8 has been replaced but 7 and 9 are originals from when this bird was a baby last summer. On the left wing, 8 and 9 have been replaced but #7 is original.

Paper plate and packing tape makes it a bit easier to see some things.

Left wing: alulua, greater coverts, secondaries 5 and 6, and terts 8 and 9 have been replaced. Primary coverts, primaries, and secondaries 1,2,3,4, and 7 are orignal.

Close-up of head showing trauma to lower mandible from collision.

 

The multiple obvious molt limits on this bird illustrate two generations of feathers on the same individual, some of which grew in last summer and some which have come in quite recently.  This confirms the age of the bird as second year (SY).