BSBO
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Mission and Vision Statement
    • Equality and Diversity Policy
    • Annual Report
    • BSBO Board of Directors
    • BSBO Staff
    • BSBO's Visitors' Center >
      • Visit BSBO
      • Anna Macke Mikolajczyk Window On Wildlife
      • John Gallagher Memorial Birding Trail
    • eNews
    • BSBO Videos >
      • BSBO's 20th Anniversary by Deb Neidert
    • BSBO Blogs >
      • Kenn Kaufman's Crane Creek - Magee Birding Blog
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
      • BSBO Education and Outreach Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Support BSBO
    • Donate
    • Join or Renew
    • Sponsor A Mist Net
    • Year-End Appeal
    • Help BSBO while you shop
    • Our Wish List
    • Birds and Business Alliance
  • RESEARCH
    • Peer-Reviewed Publications
    • Passerines >
      • Passerine Research
      • Prothonotary Warbler Research
      • Building Collision Study
      • Oak Openings
    • Project SNOWstorm >
      • About Project SNOWstorm
      • Meet Buckeye
      • Meet Wolverine
    • Northern Saw-whet Owls
    • Research Highlights >
      • Gray-Cheeked Thrush from Colombia, South America
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
    • Past Research >
      • Colonial Wading Birds
      • Ohio Winter Bird Atlas
      • Shorebirds
    • Reports >
      • Navarre Marsh Annual Banding and Survey Data
      • Annual Project Reports
    • Research Volunteer Form
    • Research Volunteer Page
  • EDUCATION
    • Bird Migration Profiles
    • Family Activities >
      • Free Online Resources
    • Young Birders >
      • Ohio Young Birders Club
      • Young Birders Network
      • Youth Birding Camps
    • Teachers >
      • Songbird Banding and Migration Programs
      • Students Against Balloon Releases
    • Group Programs >
      • Presentations by Request
    • BSBO Bird Knowins
  • Conservation
    • BioBlitzes
    • Bird-safe / Birder-friendly Communities
    • Responsible Wind Energy
    • Conservation Updates
    • Position Statement on Feral and Free-Ranging Cats
    • Habitat Designations
    • Easy Ways for YOU to Support Conservation
    • Breeding Bird Surveys
  • EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
    • Birds at Home
    • Highway Clean-up
    • BSBO's Biggest Week In American Birding
  • NW OHIO BIRDING
    • Responsible Owl Viewing
    • Magee Marsh WA Closures
    • Kenn Kaufman's Crane Creek - Magee Birding Blog
    • Local Birding Hotspots
    • Local eBird Tips
    • Regional Bird Checklist
    • Timing of Spring Migration
    • Timing of Fall Migration
    • Timing of Fall Shorebird Migration
    • ABA Code of Birding Ethics
    • Ohio Bird Alpha Codes
    • Birder Calling Cards
    • Birding Ohio
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Mission and Vision Statement
    • Equality and Diversity Policy
    • Annual Report
    • BSBO Board of Directors
    • BSBO Staff
    • BSBO's Visitors' Center >
      • Visit BSBO
      • Anna Macke Mikolajczyk Window On Wildlife
      • John Gallagher Memorial Birding Trail
    • eNews
    • BSBO Videos >
      • BSBO's 20th Anniversary by Deb Neidert
    • BSBO Blogs >
      • Kenn Kaufman's Crane Creek - Magee Birding Blog
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
      • BSBO Education and Outreach Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Support BSBO
    • Donate
    • Join or Renew
    • Sponsor A Mist Net
    • Year-End Appeal
    • Help BSBO while you shop
    • Our Wish List
    • Birds and Business Alliance
  • RESEARCH
    • Peer-Reviewed Publications
    • Passerines >
      • Passerine Research
      • Prothonotary Warbler Research
      • Building Collision Study
      • Oak Openings
    • Project SNOWstorm >
      • About Project SNOWstorm
      • Meet Buckeye
      • Meet Wolverine
    • Northern Saw-whet Owls
    • Research Highlights >
      • Gray-Cheeked Thrush from Colombia, South America
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
    • Past Research >
      • Colonial Wading Birds
      • Ohio Winter Bird Atlas
      • Shorebirds
    • Reports >
      • Navarre Marsh Annual Banding and Survey Data
      • Annual Project Reports
    • Research Volunteer Form
    • Research Volunteer Page
  • EDUCATION
    • Bird Migration Profiles
    • Family Activities >
      • Free Online Resources
    • Young Birders >
      • Ohio Young Birders Club
      • Young Birders Network
      • Youth Birding Camps
    • Teachers >
      • Songbird Banding and Migration Programs
      • Students Against Balloon Releases
    • Group Programs >
      • Presentations by Request
    • BSBO Bird Knowins
  • Conservation
    • BioBlitzes
    • Bird-safe / Birder-friendly Communities
    • Responsible Wind Energy
    • Conservation Updates
    • Position Statement on Feral and Free-Ranging Cats
    • Habitat Designations
    • Easy Ways for YOU to Support Conservation
    • Breeding Bird Surveys
  • EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
    • Birds at Home
    • Highway Clean-up
    • BSBO's Biggest Week In American Birding
  • NW OHIO BIRDING
    • Responsible Owl Viewing
    • Magee Marsh WA Closures
    • Kenn Kaufman's Crane Creek - Magee Birding Blog
    • Local Birding Hotspots
    • Local eBird Tips
    • Regional Bird Checklist
    • Timing of Spring Migration
    • Timing of Fall Migration
    • Timing of Fall Shorebird Migration
    • ABA Code of Birding Ethics
    • Ohio Bird Alpha Codes
    • Birder Calling Cards
    • Birding Ohio

Enjoying our blogs?

Your support helps BSBO continue to develop and deliver educational content throughout the year.
Donate Today

Surprise Encounters

10/11/2017

0 Comments

 
​Following a week of warm southern winds, we were excited for a weather shift last week, that would bring cold winds down from the north. While we were expecting to see a final bump of late-September migrants that we hadn’t seen yet (specifically large numbers of Blackpoll Warbler), we were quite surprised to get a wave of October migrants including our 25th warbler species for fall, Myrtle Warbler. Since that wind shift, we have seen a quick rise in Slate-colored Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, both kinglet species, Brown Creeper, Rusty Blackbird, and Hermit Thrush.
Winter is coming has become our latest saying with this quick shift to later fall migrants. That is, until this past weekend (October 7-8) when we had a sudden backwash of September migrants that included Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and (possibly our first fall record and our 26th warbler species for the season) Hooded Warbler.
​

But, we were quickly reminded that indeed fall is progressing with the capture of our 27th warbler species, Western Palm Warbler, and then by the true harbinger of winter, the Fox Sparrow. But even though winter has been on our minds, some of our most interesting birds this past week are the ones that are a little more enigmatic.
Picture
AHY Male HOWA
Often caught singly just before dawn, we were extremely lucky to catch TWO Eastern Screech-Owls of different ages (and colors!) together in the same net (presumably parent and offspring), offering us a great opportunity to compare age specific characteristics. While the young bird is a gray morph, the (presumed) parent is an intermediate/brown morph and was banded in a previous season. Coincidentally enough, both birds' band numbers end in 61. 
Picture
HY EASO (L), AHY EASO (R)
Picture
HY EASO
Picture
AHY EASO
Based on appearance alone, it's fairly obvious that the gray morph EASO is a hatching-year bird. It still has some remaining juvenal feathers, giving it a somewhat fluffy but also ragged look compared to the after-hatching-year bird which has a smooth appearance. This difference is most noticeable in the ear tufts (which are not fully grown-in on the HY bird), and the facial disc (which is smoother and more complete on the AHY bird). 

​Aside from looking just at the head feathers, we were able to accurately age these EASO’s by looking at the alula feathers and primary coverts in the wing. Just from an immediate glance, you can already see that there is a difference in the amount and shape of light areas in the wings of these two birds.
Picture
HY EASO
Picture
HY EASO - alula and primary coverts
Picture
AHY EASO
Picture
AHY EASO - alula and primary coverts
White/cream areas on the alula and primary coverts help to determine age. The HY bird on the left shows these areas as small jagged triangles on the edge of the feathers. Whereas the AHY bird on the right has larger, rounder, and often connected triangles (especially on the outer primary coverts), giving the wing a lighter appearance. 
But by far, the coolest bird we were able to work with recently was a first-ever capture for the station...Wilson’s Snipe. While we do occasionally catch American Woodcock, we don’t regularly see shorebirds in the station, so the snipe made for an exciting and educating morning. ​
Picture
AHY Female WISN
Combing through our Pyle II guide, we found that aging and sexing Wilson's Snipe is pretty easy. Shown with the figure in Pyle, you can look at the tipping and shape of the greater coverts to determine age. In this case they are square, white, and several of them have characteristic notches (such as figures C and D) that indicate the bird is after-hatching-year. To figure out the sex, we had to look to the outer rectrices. Next to the figure in Pyle, it’s plain to see that the outer rectrix is fairly wide and rounded just like figure A, indicating female.
Picture
WISN - greater coverts
Picture
WISN - outer rectrices
So....our first ever Wilson’s Snipe was accurately aged and sexed as an after-hatching-year female. After we determined the important stuff, we took a little time to examine and appreciate the other features of this bird and we also learned something new...Wilson’s Snipe have zebra underwings! Whether you’re out birding or banding, keep an eye out for these hidden vermiculations.  
Picture
WISN - upperwing
Picture
WISN - underwing
Picture
WISN - underwing closeup
Picture
WISN - back
Picture
WISN - uppertail
0 Comments
    Like the 
    Bander's Blog? 
    ​Then hit the link below and help
    us help the birds
    ​by sponsoring
    a mist net!
    Sponsor a Mist Net

    Authors

    Ryan Jacob, Ashli Gorbet, Mark Shieldcastle

    Archives

    November 2022
    June 2022
    January 2022
    August 2021
    August 2020
    November 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017

    ABOUT THE
    ​NAVARRE MARSH BANDING STATION

    The Observatory's primary banding station is located in Navarre Marsh behind the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station on Toledo Edison property. Migration monitoring consists of constant effort mist netting and migration point counts (5 minute counts at 6 locations at the research site). 

    Habitat is remnant beach ridge consisting of canopy trees of Hackberry, Kentucky Coffeetree, and Cottonwood with tremendous under story of rough-leaved Dogwood on the sand ridges. This is similar to the vegetation found on the well-known beach ridge of the Magee Marsh Bird Wildlife Area where the world-famous boardwalk is situated. 

    Two other remnant beach ridge habitats in Northwest Ohio are the Darby unit of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge. The Navarre beach ridge is the largest of them all occupying about 370 acres of wetland and beach ridge habitat. 

    The Navarre Marsh Migration Monitoring Station is on private property and not open to the public; however, we are able to give access to research students when special arrangements are made in advance. 

    We'd love to hear from you! Let us know how you like the BSBO Bird Bander's Blog by emailing us at: researcher@bsbo.org. 
    Blog Archives
© 2023 www.bsbo.org 
All rights reserved

The mission of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory is to inspire the appreciation, enjoyment, 
and conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education, and outreach.


We are located at the entrance of the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
| 13551 W. State Route 2  |  Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449  |  419.898.4070  |