Today we were rained out after only being open for a couple of net runs and banding one Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Gray Catbird so here is the daily total from yesterday. This day was pretty typical of how the last week and a half has been going, with easterly winds prevailing and a trickle of birds coming through. These winds have died down a bit and are supposed to switch around to westerly and increase throughout this week so we will see if anything new comes in.
We need to give the Gray Catbirds more love! I only have about 2 photos of them from this season (by Miriam Avello)
Gray Catbirds have been the dominant species of the last couple of weeks, and they are filling up the woods here and all over South Florida with their mewing and complaining. Some individuals are continuing on to points further south but a good number of them stay here for the winter. In fact, on Saturday we captured two catbirds that were banded in spring right before they left for their breeding grounds. Their extensive breeding range goes as far north as southern Canada and west into Washington and British Columbia. I have personally found a Gray Catbird nest in the mountains of the extreme northeastern corner of Arizona and got a look at their pretty blue-green eggs. The males will sing a complicated beautiful song that is not as ‘mimicy’ as the closely related Northern Mockingbird and you can hear them singing in your yards in early spring as they are getting ready to depart.
Adult male Indigo Bunting (photo by Miriam Avello)
We also banded our only Indigo Bunting of the season, so far at least. He was an adult male who had molted into basic non-breeding plumage for the winter. The rich brown obscures his turquoise colors, but I find the contrast to be quite beautiful. He will molt all of his body feathers in spring, so he will be either blotchy blue-and-brown or all blue on his return trip through South Florida. Here are some close-up details of his fresh fall plumage.
Tail detail (photo by Miriam Avello)
