• Monday, September 10, 2001: We opened fewer than the usual number of nets because radar suggested that we would be seeing heavy showers before mid-morning.  It was very mild, with light southwest winds and practically no nocturnal flight-calling as we opened nets between 5:30-6:00AM.  As expected, rain forced closing of nets by 9:00AM, with 38 birds banded up to that time.  By afternoon, after the front had passed, it became partly sunny, warm, and breezy (winds shifting around to the west and northwest), and we re-opened the same nets from the morning period for a few hours, until 4:30PM.  The afternoon period netted us 12 birds, including four Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a Black-billed Cuckoo, and a repeat Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Total captures, number of species banded,  and capture rate today were about the lowest all week.  Magnolia Warbler (7 banded; an adult, AHY,  female pictured below left), American Goldfinch (7), Gray Catbird (6), and Common Yellowthroat (6; an immature, HY, male with an unusually extensive black mask pictured below right) continued to top the daily banding list.

• Saturday, September 8, 2001: Once again clear and brightly moonlit before dawn; calm and very mild early AM with some fog developing; sunny, very warm and still calm by late morning.


Flight calls of nocturnal migrants were once again much in evidence, although seeming to begin and end somewhat later in the pre-dawn period than yesterday (ca. 5:45-6:15am).  The first round again netted us an American Woodcock, our fourth of the season.   This time we took a picture!

 

Banding highlights were our first Savannah Sparrow of the season

and a brightly plumaged adult male Blue-winged Warbler.

• Friday, September 7, 2001: Still brightly moonlit before dawn; clear and mild early AM, with little fog, becoming sunny and very warm before noon.

Unfortunately, we were just too busy to stop and take even one bird photo today, but since we didn't have room to post it on the page summarizing last week's totals, we'll use this space to share a protrait of a Warbling Vireo we banded back on 9/3.  WAVIs are very uncommon in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, where Powdermill is situated (we have banded only about 40 in fall in 40 years), this one being the first of the season (and of the year).

Although we have not yet banded our first of this species for the fall (at this point in the season, our first capture date will be several days later than usual for this species), the photo below of a Philadelphia Vireo taken last fall provides a good comparison with the WAVI above.   Note that the WAVI has a somewhat less distinct facial pattern, lighter lores (the dark spot directly in front of the eye) and whiter breast compared to the PHVI.  Although it isn't much of a field mark, these two pictures also illustrate a difference between the species that banders can use for separating the species in hand.  In the WAVI, the length of the small outermost primary flight feather (primary 10), is at least as long as the primary coverts, whereas P10 in the PHVI is half or less of the length of the primary coverts.  In both pictures, the very small P10 is the feather at the leading edge of the wing, immediately distal (outside) and, in the pictures, below the row of primary coverts (the neatly stacked small feathers visible in the lower left corner of both photos).

• Thursday, September 6, 2001: The second day following passage of a weak cold front on Tuesday, dawned cool and foggy, under a waning gibbous moon.   By mid-morning is was sunny and, temperatures quickly warmed toward 80°F.


Overall banding total for the day (as well as the capture rate) was the best we have recorded so far this fall.  We banded two new species for the season, Palm Warbler and Black-billed Cuckoo, but the highlight of the day was the capture in the same net round of two Connecticut Warblers--a handsomely plumaged adult male and a much duller immature male.  This gave us the opportunity much sooner than expected to make good on our promise to try for better photos of CONW than the one of an immature female that we published (in comparison with an immature female Mourning Warbler) on the website just two days ago.

One image of the adult banded today is now on our home page, and we are pleased to be able to retract our earlier comment about this species being comparatively unphotogenic!  Compared to immature (HY) CONWs, adult (AHY) male CONWs have a much brighter white eye ring, more distinct and grayer hood, and brighter yellow underparts.  This difference is especially obvious in the bottom side-by-side photo of the two birds.

• Wednesday, September 5, 2001: Following passage of a weak cold front late on Tuesday afternoon, the day dawned much cooler (ca. 50°F) and very foggy, lighted by a full moon.   It remained foggy throught most of the morning, but eventually warmer into the 70s°F.

Although the banding total and capture rate were somewhat lower than we expected following the cold front, a movement of birds overnight was evidenced by captures of our first Bay-breasted and Blackpoll warblers of the season.   In the comparison photo below, note the narrower white wing bars and yellowish feet of the BLPW (above) compared to the BBWA, which has wider white wing bars and gray feet and legs.  Also, the crown and nape of the BLPW generally is duller green compared to the BBWA, in which the brighter green color approaches that of fall Chestnut-sided Warblers.  The BLPW shows much more distinct streaking on its sides and breast than the BBWA, and usually has a darker line behind the eye (transocular line).  Although the bay color on the sides of the BBWA pictured here is an easy give-away, this coloration frequently is lacking in immatures of the species in fall.