Bird Banding Blog

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All banding, marking, and sampling is conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab (BBL).
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Belle Isle Bird Banding - August 2026 

The month of August was hot and humid throughout. This resulted in the nets being closed early on 3 of the 8 days we banded. And on the last day of banding this month, we were shut down 4 hours early due to rain moving in earlier and heavier than expected. In addition, we had fog on one morning, and rain at closing time on another day that did not force us to close early (although we did close early that day due to heat). The vegetation had grown up quite a bit over the summer, even with three trips out during June and July to keep the net lanes trimmed and clear. It was much better than last year, which was a very dry season from July through October. The number of birds banded this month was nearly identical to August 2025.

 

Thursday, August 6, 2026 

Our first day of the fall season was hot and humid, but we managed to make it through our standard of 6 hours open before the temperature reached 84 degrees. There was little evidence of migration today, and over night only 1800 birds crossed Wayne County according to BirdCast. It is possible that one or more of the Northern Yellow Warblers banded today were migrants as they depart quite early. A bit more surprising were a couple species that were likely breeders but not expected, including an adult female Cedar Waxwing.

 

After hatch-year female Cedar Waxwing

More unexpected was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak with a fully developed incubation patch, providing confirmation of breeding. I have not noted this species in Belle Isle in summer in many years.

After hatch-year female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

This bird showed a mix of old and new flight feathers, which in spring would indicate it was a second-year bird, but I suspect that she was undergoing her post-breeding molt a bit early.  Breeding evidence for Northern House Wren, Gray Catbird, American Robin, Song Sparrow, and Indigo Bunting was also noted.

 

Banding Results for August 6, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:30 - 12:30 (6.0 hrs, 99.0 net hrs)
Temperature: 72-84
Cloud Cover: 100-60%
Wind Direction: Calm-SW
Wind Speed: 0-3-7 mph
Barometer: 30.04- 30.05
Precipitation: None
Sunrise: 6:29

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 4
"Traill's" (Willow/Alder) Flycatcher - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 1
Northern House Wren - 3 (plus 1 recaptured)
Gray Catbird - 8 (plus 2 recaptured)
American Robin - 2 (plus 1 recaptured)
Song Sparrow - 2
Northern Yellow Warbler - 4 (plus 1 recaptured, 1 released unbanded)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 2

No. of species captured: 10
No. of individuals banded: 28
No. recaptured: 5
No. released unbanded: 1
Capture Rate: 34.3 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 1,800

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Alexa Blankenship, Mike Charlebois, Marissa Jardine, Nicole Kvasnovsky, Jessica Schwarz, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 15
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Saturday, August 8, 2026 

We had to close the nets a half-hour early today due to the heat and humidity. Although there were reports of migration this week at points north of us, not much was materializing yet on Belle Isle with only resident breeding species captured today. The only photo highlight from today was a resident species that is infrequently captured, an adult female Carolina Wren with an incubation patch.

 

After hatch-year female Carolina Wren

The Willow Flycatcher banded today was a female with an incubation patch, confirming breeding for the island. 

 

Banding Results for August 8, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:30 - 12:00 (5.5 hrs, 90.75 net hrs)
Temperature: 74-85 (closed early due to heat)
Cloud Cover: 50-30%
Wind Direction: SW
Wind Speed: 3-5-7 mph
Barometer: 29.93-29.92
Precipitation: None
Sunrise: 6:31

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Willow Flycatcher - 1
[Black-capped Chickadee - 1 released unbanded)
Carolina Wren - 1
Northern House Wren - 5
Gray Catbird - 2 (plus 1 recaptured)
Song Sparrow - 1
[Common Yellowthroat - 1 recaptured]

No. of species captured: 9
No. of individuals banded: 13
No. recaptured: 2
No. released unbanded: 1
Capture Rate: 17.6 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 300

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Mike Charlebois, Wren Haynes, Guy Lenk, Nolan Lenk, Lily Pagac, Skyler Principe, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 0
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Friday, August 14, 2026 

We had to close the nets a half-hour early again today due to the heat and humidity. But with some overnight migration noted on BirdCast, we were rewarded with our first confirmed migrant, two hatch-year Mourning Warblers, a species that does not breed here.

 

Hatch-year female Mourning Warbler

A female Eastern Warbling Vireo with a receding incubation patch provided breeding confirmation for this species in the banding area, and a juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker was evidence of successful breeding as well.

 

Banding Results for August 14, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:30 - 12:00 (5.5 hrs, 90.75 net hrs)
Temperature: 72-82 (closed early due to heat)
Cloud Cover: 100-70%
Wind Direction: Calm-E
Wind Speed: 0-3-5 mph
Barometer: 30.02-30.06
Precipitation: Fog in A.M.
Sunrise: 6:38

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Willow Flycatcher - 1
Eastern Warbling Vireo - 1
Northern House Wren - 1
Gray Catbird - 1
[Song Sparrow - 1 recaptured]
Mourning Warbler - 2
Common Yellowthroat - 1
Northern Yellow Warbler - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2

No. of species captured: 11
No. of individuals banded: 14
No. recaptured: 1
No. released unbanded: 0
Capture Rate: 16.5 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 21,100

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Shelly Andrews, Mike Charlebois, Nicole Kvasnovsky, Joshua Samuels, Newt Wheeler, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 0
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Sunday, August 16, 2026 

Reports of good numbers of migrants to our north, and on the western side of the state, continued to cause us frustration as the BirdCast numbers were dismal for Wayne County once again. And that was again reflected in our captures, which consisted only of resident and/or breeding species. We closed the nets an hour early today due to the heat, but also due to impending rain. The only photo highlight today is an insect, one of several interesting species found today by Wren. this one was a Red-humped Caterpillar Moth. 

 

Red-humped Caterpillar Moth (Oedemasia concinna)

Banding Results for August 16, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:15 - 11:15 (5.0 hrs, 82.5 net hrs)
Temperature: 73-82 (closed early due to heat)
Cloud Cover: 60-100%
Wind Direction: Calm-W-N
Wind Speed: 0-5-7 mph
Barometer: 29.95-29.90
Precipitation: Rain at close
Sunrise: 6:40

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Northern House Wren - 4 (plus 1 recaptured)
Gray Catbird - 2
Song Sparrow - 1
[Northern Cardinal  - 1 recaptured]

No. of species captured: 8
No. of individuals banded: 12
No. recaptured: 2
No. released unbanded: 0
Capture Rate: 17.0 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 300

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Mike Charlebois, Wren Haynes, Marissa Jardine, Nicole Kvasnovsky, Jasper Myles.
Visitors: 0
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Friday, August 21, 2026 

Our starting temperature this morning was below 70 degrees for the first time this fall, but it was still a hot and humid day. But we did end up banding for our full 6 hours. With a good number of migrants over Wayne County last night, according to BirdCast, our hopes were high for a good day. But species diversity and numbers were low again. We did have a few migrants though, so the trickle has begun! Four Least Flycatchers were clearly migrants. In late spring of 2025, one was seen gathering nesting material, but they have not been confirmed nesting on Belle Isle. 

 

Hatch-year Least Flycatcher

Veeries nest in all counties surrounding Wayne, but are scarce in this county and do not nest on Belle Isle. So today's Veery was definitely a migrant.

 

Hatch-year Veery

Only two individual warblers were banded today. One was an Ovenbird, with a similar breeding distribution to the Veery, so likely does not nest on Belle Isle. The other was a Tennessee Warbler, clearly  a migrant.

 

Hatch-year female Tennessee Warbler

In fall, the sex of hatch-year Tennessee Warblers cannot be determined by any plumage characters. But some can be determined by wing measurements; less than 60mm is female and more than 65mm is male.

 

Banding Results for August 21, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:15 - 12:15 (6.0 hrs, 99.0 net hrs)
Temperature: 61-80
Cloud Cover: 20-60%
Wind Direction: Calm-SW
Wind Speed: 0-5-7 mph
Barometer: 30.10-30.10
Precipitation: None
Sunrise: 6:45

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Least Flycatcher - 4
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Northern House Wren - 2
Gray Catbird - 3
Veery - 1
American Goldfinch - 1
Song Sparrow - 1
Ovenbird - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 1
[Northern Cardinal - 1 recaptured]

No. of species captured: 11
No. of individuals banded: 17
No. recaptured: 1
No. released unbanded: 0
Capture Rate: 18.2 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 35.700

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Alexa Blankenship, Mike Charlebois, Nicole Kvasnovsky, Blanche Wicke
Visitors: 4
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Sunday, August 23, 2026 

We finally got one day of relief from the heat, with starting temperature in the 60s for only the second time this month, and ending temperature staying below 80 for the first time. The wind speed may have affected our captures for the first time this month. A good flight of migrants last night on BirdCast had us hopeful once again, but most of them apparently kept on going as our diversity and numbers were once again low. But it did include a migrant Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and four warbler species, but only one of each. 

 

Hatch-year Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

They are very greenish and yellowish, especially with yellowish on the throat, and a big-headed look with a clean pale yellowish eye ring.

 

Hatch-year Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

The warblers included another Ovenbird, and an American Redstart. The other two that were photographed included the first Bay-breasted Warbler of the fall, which is an expected early migrant.

 

Hatch-year male Bay-breasted Warbler

The amount of chestnut on their flanks can help determine their sex; in this case a good amount indicative of male.

 

Hatch-year male Bay-breasted Warbler

The first Chestnut-sided Warbler of the season found the nets today. The presence of chestnut on the flanks of hatch-years indicates male, but the lack of chestnut does not indicate female as some males lack chestnut. So, this one was of unknown sex.

 

Hatch-year Chestnut-sided Warbler

The low number of birds was conducive to looking at other things, which many of us do on busy days as well. Here is a photo of Lily looking for insects.

 

 

I was keeping an eye on some large patches of Slender False Foxglove, an uncommon plant that was coming into peak bloom today. 

 

Slender False Foxglove
(Agalinis tenuifolia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are growing in a gravelly part of the banding area where a road was removed. 

 

Banding Results for August 23, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:15 - 12:15 (6.0 hrs, 99.0 net hrs)
Temperature: 62-74
Cloud Cover: 20-70%
Wind Direction: W-NW
Wind Speed: 5-7-12 mph
Barometer: 29.85-29.89
Precipitation: None
Sunrise: 6:47

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 1
[Northern House Wren - 1 recaptured]
Gray Catbird - 2
[American Robin - 1 released unbanded]
Song Sparrow - 2
Ovenbird - 1
American Redstart - 1
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1

No. of species captured: 10
No. of individuals banded: 12
No. recaptured: 1
No. released unbanded: 1
Capture Rate: 14.1 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 260,400

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Alexa Blankenship, Mike Charlebois, Pierre Hendricks, Lily Pagac, Jasper Myles, Jessica Schwarz, Rachel Schwarz, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 8
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Friday, August 28, 2026  

Warblers arrived today, but it was just a trickle. The large number of migrants last night, according to BirdCast, apparently flew past us again. The temperatures were pleasant and we were able to keep nets open for the full 6 hours that is our standard. Nine warblers of 7 species included a Canada Warbler, which is an early migrant in small numbers. 

 

Hatch-year female Canada Warbler

The blurry grayish spots on the breast indicate that this is a female. Males will have some black spots.

 

Hatch-year female Canada Warbler

Another early migrant is the Blackburnian Warbler, which we don't catch very often as they tend to stay high in the trees.

 

Hatch-year male Blackburnian Warbler

Hatch-year male Blackburnian Warbler

The second Chestnut-sided Warbler of the season was also banded today; last year only one was banded.

 

Banding Results for August 28, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:15 - 12:15 (6.0 hrs, 99.0 net hrs)
Temperature: 64-75
Cloud Cover: 0-10%
Wind Direction: N-NE
Wind Speed: 1-3-7 mph
Barometer: 30.08-30.15
Precipitation: None
Sunrise: 6:53

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 (plus 1 recaptured)
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
Gray Catbird - 2
Veery - 1
[Song Sparrow - 1 recaptured]
Northern Waterthrush - 2
Nashville Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 1
Bay-breasted Warbler - 2
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1
Canada Warbler - 1

No. of species captured: 12
No. of individuals banded: 14
No. recaptured: 2
No. released unbanded: 0
Capture Rate: 16.2 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 579,100

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Skyler Babbitt, Alexa Blankenship, Marissa Jardine, Nicole Kvasmovsky, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 2
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Sunday, August 30, 2026  

With rain in the forecast, we knew that we might have to close the nets early. But the rain arrived more quickly, and was more widespread, than was predicted. So the nets were only open for two hours, and we took everything down in the rain after closing just before it started. BirdCast showed no birds, zero, flew over Wayne County last night. Even with the low number banded, we had two more Mourning Warblers, and the first Swainson's Thrush and Magnolia Warbler of the season. Here is a photo that John took of the crew right after we got all the nets taken down.

 

I took a drive around the island, looking for birds. Sometimes these conditions bring shorebirds down to the beach, which is normally covered with humans. No such luck today. But I did get this photo from Lake Okonoka on the island that shows the condition of the former old-growth forest that has pretty much died off in the past few years due to flooding, oak wilt, and Emerald Ash Borer.

 

Banding Results for August 30, 2026

16.5 nets open 6:15 - 8:15 (2.0 hrs, 33.0 net hrs)
Temperature: 71-72
Cloud Cover: 100%
Wind Direction: Calm-W
Wind Speed: 0-1-3 mph
Barometer: 30.07-30.08
Precipitation: Intermittent light rain (rain forced early close)
Sunrise: 6:55

Alder Flycatcher - 2
Gray Catbird - 2
Swainson's Thrush - 1
Song Sparrow - 1
Mourning Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 1

No. of species captured: 6
No. of individuals banded: 9
No. recaptured: 0
No. released unbanded: 0
Capture Rate: 27.3 per 100 net hrs
BirdCast for Wayne Co: 0

Bander: Allen Chartier
Assistants: Shelly Andrews, Alexa Blankenship, Skyler Babbitt, Wren Haynes, Nicole Kvasnovsky, John Scarramucci, Blanche Wicke.
Visitors: 0
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