Lake St. Clair Metropark - First Month of Fall Banding

After a busy summer of banding hummingbirds, fall songbird banding at Lake St. Clair Metropark, Macomb County, Michigan, was started on August 6. Continued interruptions to my schedule made it difficult to post a mid-month summary of banding results and highlights, so this entry will cover all six days of banding effort during August. The intended protocol is to band two days each week, so we did not meet the 8 day target. Banding was conducted on August 6, 13, 18, 25, 26, and 27. Full details of each day's results is posted at the end of this entry.

Banding is started in early August at this station to try to document some of the productivity of the nesting birds in the banding area, as well as to detect the earliest arriving migrants, some of which begin migrating in late July. One of the target early migrants is also a breeding species, the Yellow Warbler. Numbers captured can vary significantly from year-to-year depending on how early they vacate the breeding areas. This month, a fair number of them were captured, mostly hatch-year individuals, but also a few adult birds including recaptures that were banded this spring.

Hatch-year Yellow Warbler

Some of them are bright yellow, and may be males, but if they lack chestnut streaks, they are better left un-sexed. Other individuals are much duller.

Hatch-year Yellow Warbler

Juvenile Yellow Warblers are extensively white on their underparts, and they molt out of this plumage very soon after fledging, so it is unusual to capture individuals like the one in the photo below as late as August.

Hatch-year (juvenile) Yellow Warbler

Another early migrant is the Baltimore Oriole, which has usually left the area by early September. This month, only a couple were captured, including this heavily molting adult female.

After hatch-year female Baltimore Oriole

Additional locally breeding species documented by the capture of juveniles this month included Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Common Yellowthroat, European Starling, and Red-winged Blackbird.

Hatch-year (juvenile) female Downy Woodpecker

Hatch-year Eastern Kingbird

Hatch-year Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Hatch-year (juvenile) Common Yellowthroat

Hatch-year (juvenile) Marsh Wren

Hatch-year (juv. molting into first basic plumage) female European Starling

Hatch-year (juvenile) male Red-winged Blackbird

It was an excellent month for hummingbirds, with the first day on August 6 turning up an unexpectedly high total of 11, and the total for the month reached 48, most of them hatch-year birds as is typical of this site in fall.

Hatch-year male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Hatch-year female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Some adults of locally nesting species captured, many showing still showing physiological signs of breeding, included Great Crested Flycatchers, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, and American Goldfinches.

After hatch-year (female?) Great Crested Flycatcher

After hatch-year female Red-eyed Vireo

After hatch-year female Cedar Waxwing

After second-year male Indigo Bunting

More unusual were adult females of two species, with brood patches, that don't nest in the park. One was a Least Flycatcher, which has in the past summered in the park, but rarely, and there has never been evidence of them breeding. The other was a Veery, which has probably not been documented in the park during summer, and which breeds in a somewhat different habitat, and requires more acreage than the woodlands in this park offers. She was captured on August 6 showing a brood patch, and captured again on August 25 with the brood patch mostly gone (MAPS code 4), and was heavily molting both contour and flight feathers at that time. Were these two individuals molt migrants? Breeding areas for both of these species can be found within 50 miles to the northwest and north, so they did not need to migrate very far to get here.

After hatch-year female Least Flycatcher

After hatch-year female Veery

Several typical mid-August migrants, including those shown below, were also captured, with only the waterthrush, redstart, and Canada Warbler being captured in the first half of the month, and all the others making their first appearance during the August 25-27 banding sessions, as is typical for most fall seasons.

Hatch-year Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Hatch-year Swainson's Thrush

Hatch-year Ovenbird

Hatch-year Northern Waterthrush

Hatch-year female Nashville Warbler

Hatch-year male American Redstart

Hatch-year Magnolia Warbler

Hatch-year Bay-breasted Warbler

Hatch-year Mourning Warbler

Hatch-year male Wilson's Warbler

Hatch-year male Canada Warbler

The weekend of August 19-20 was the 100th anniversary of the nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Station, and during our banding on the 18th, we got to see a little bit of the practice for the airshow by the Thunderbirds as they flew very low, and very fast, over the park.

Banding would not have been possible on these 6 days without the generous assistance of the following volunteers: Anna Boegehold, Serena Boegehold, Mike Charlebois, Guadeloupe Cummins, Owen Faust, Stevie Kuroda, Jac Kyle, Dave Lancaster, Steve Mangas, Bruce Watson, Christian Zammit, and Julian Zammit. Thank you!

In a few days, I will post my observations of an astronomical event that occurred on August 21.

Detailed Bird Banding Results

August 6, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 6:00
Time closed (E.S.T.): 12:45
Hours Open: 6.75
Sunrise (E.S.T.): 5:30
Net Hours: 113.75
Temperature (F): 61-77
Cloud Cover: 100-90-100%
Wind Direction: Calm-SW
Wind Speed (mph): 0-5
Barometer: 30.12 - 30.13
Precipitation:  None
No. Banded: 78 (plus 16 recaptured, 3 released unbanded)
Species Captured: 23
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 85.3
Banding Assistants (9.5 hours worked): Guadeloupe Cummins, Mike Charlebois, Jac Kyle, Stevie Kuroda, Bruce Watson (8.0 hrs). . 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 11 (plus 2 released unbanded)
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Least Flycatcher - 1
Willow Flycatcher - 3
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Warbling Vireo - 4
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
Veery - 1
American Robin - 7 (plus 1 recaptured)
Gray Catbird - 5 (plus 1 recaptured)
Cedar Waxwing - 4
Yellow Warbler - 13 (plus 2 recaptured)
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Song Sparrow - 2 (plus 2 recaptured)
Northern Cardinal - 2 (plus 4 recaptured)
Indigo Bunting - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 2 (plus 1 recaptured)
Baltimore Oriole - 2
American Goldfinch - 10 (plus 5 recaptured, 1 released unbanded).
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August 13, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 5:45
Time closed (E.S.T.): 12:30
Hours Open: 6.75
Sunrise (E.S.T.):  5:37
Net Hours: 113.75
Temperature (F): 61-79
Cloud Cover: 40-0-50%
Wind Direction: Calm-S
Wind Speed (mph): 0-3-10
Barometer: 30.11 - 30.14
Precipitation: None
No. Banded: 79 (plus 13 recaptured, 2 released unbanded)
Species Captured: 14
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 82.6
Banding Assistants (9.5 hours worked): Anna G. Boegehold, Serena Boegehold (5.0 hrs), Mike Charlebois, Stevie Kuroda, Bruce Watson.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 5 (plus 1 recaptured)
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 3
Warbling Vireo - 3
Black-capped Chickadee - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Gray Catbird - 4 (plus 2 recaptured)
American Robin - 6
European Starling - 13
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Northern Waterthrush - 1
Song Sparrow - 2 (plus 2 recaptured)
[Northern Cardinal - 3 recaptured]
Red-winged Blackbird - 35 (plus 3 recaptured, 2 released unbanded)
American Goldfinch - 3
House Sparrow - 1
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August 18, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 6:00
Time closed (E.S.T.): 10:30
Hours Open: 4.5 (wind, rain, & humidity forced early close)
Sunrise (E.S.T.): 5:42
Net Hours: 72.25
Temperature (F): 72-80
Cloud Cover: 10-100%
Wind Direction: SW
Wind Speed (mph): 7-10-15
Barometer: 29.78 - 29.76
Precipitation:  Trace rain
No. Banded: 33 (plus 9 recaptured)
Species Captured: 13
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 58.1
Banding Assistants (7.5 hours worked): Mike Charlebois, Guadeloupe Cummins, Jac Kyle, Steve Mangas (3.0 hrs). . 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 6
Willow Flycatcher - 1
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 3
American Robin - 3
Gray Catbird - 1 (plus 4 recaptured)
Cedar Waxwing - 1
Yellow Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 1
[Common Yellowthroat - 1 recaptured]
Canada Warbler - 1
Northern Cardinal - 5
Common Grackle - 1
Baltimore Oriole - 1
American Goldfinch - 8 (plus 4 recaptured)
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August 25, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 6:00
Time closed (E.S.T.): 13:30
Hours Open: 7.5
Sunrise (E.S.T.):  5:50
Net Hours: 124.75
Temperature (F): 51-73
Cloud Cover: 20-50%
Wind Direction: NNE
Wind Speed (mph): 1-3-10
Barometer: 30.28 - 30.32
Precipitation: None
No. Banded: 60 (plus 6 recaptured)
Species Captured: 22
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 52.9
Banding Assistants (10.0 hours worked): Jac Kyle, Dave Lancaster, Mike Charlebois (6.0 hrs).

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 15
Downy Woodpecxker - 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 3
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 1
Least Flycatcher - 3
Warbling Vireo - 3 (plus 1 recaptured)
Black-capped Chickadee - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Marsh Wren - 2
Swainson's Thrush - 1
American Robin - 3 (plus 1 recaptured)
Gray Catbird - 5 (plus 1 recaptured)
Magnolia Warbler - 3
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 2 (plus 1 recaptured)
Wilson's Warbler - 3
Song Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Baltimore Oriole - 1
American Goldfinch - 6
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August 26, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 5:45
Time closed (E.S.T.): 11:45
Hours Open: 6.00
Sunrise (E.S.T.): 5:51
Net Hours: 98.50
Temperature (F): 52-73
Cloud Cover: 20-40%
Wind Direction: NNW-NE
Wind Speed (mph): 1-3-7
Barometer: 30.34 - 30.36
Precipitation:  None
No. Banded: 28 (plus 5 recaptured)
Species Captured: 17
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 33.5
Banding Assistants (8.0 hours worked): Mike Charlebois, Guadeloupe Cummins, Owen Faust, Stevie Kuroda, Christian Zammit, Julian Zammit. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
[Downy Woodpecker - 1 recaptured]
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
[Veery - 1 recaptured]
Swainson's Thrush - 2
American Robin - 2
[Gray Catbird - 1 recaptured]
American Redstart - 1
Ovenbird - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Wilson's Warbler - 4
Song Sparrow - 4
Northern Cardinal - 2 (plus 1 recaptured)
House Finch - 1
American Goldfinch - 4
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August 27, 2017

Time open (E.S.T.): 5:45
Time closed (E.S.T.): 11:45
Hours Open: 6.00
Sunrise (E.S.T.):  5:52
Net Hours: 98.50
Temperature (F): 54-74
Cloud Cover: 50-100%
Wind Direction:  Calm-NE
Wind Speed (mph): 0-5
Barometer: 30.28 - 30.24
Precipitation: None
No. Banded: 24 (plus 5 recaptured)
Species Captured: 12
Capture Rate (#/100 net hours): 29.4
Banding Assistants (8.5 hours worked): Stevie Kuroda, Bruce Watson.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 8
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 2
American Robin - 1
[Gray Catbird - 1 recaptured]
Nashville Warbler - 1
Yellow Warbler - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Magnolia Warbler - 1
Mourning Warbler - 1
Wilson's Warbler - 3
Song Sparrow - 1
Northern Cardinal - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
American Goldfinch - 4 (plus 2 recaptured)
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