Tomoka Bird Banding Station

 Tomoka Bird Banding Station, located on a spoil island within Tomoka State Park, has been in operation since October 2004.  Tomoka State Park is located on North Beach Street between the Halifax and Tomoka Rivers in Ormond Beach, Florida.  The days and hours vary but are much more frequent during Fall and Spring migrations.  VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME 

Please Contact Meret Wilson at tomokabbs@gmail.com for days and hours of operation.  Meret is a Federal, State and locally licensed bander.  She is holding a recently banded Northern Cardinal at the right.

See map for directions to Tomoka Bird Banding Station.


Activities:  November 6-12, 2011

Oh yes!  The yellow rumps have arrived by the thousands, along with robins, Cedar Waxwings, Chipping Sparrows, Orange-crowned Warblers, a few more Gray Catbirds, shorebirds and raptors overhead, American White Pelicans, all lovely.  And, as a consequence, banding has picked up again.

This week the birding class from the Halifax River Audubon led by Ray Scory visited the banding station to see birds in the hand and were amazed at some of the details not obvious in the field.  I saved an Orange-crowned Warbler for them to see.  The bird was young and not well orange crowned but a few of the feathers were starting to come in.  This is a rare mark seen in the field.  In winter, if you see a very drab little bird, no wingbars, slight streaking on the belly and yellow under the tail like a palm warbler you are looking at an Orange-crowned Warbler.  No other bird in winter is that drab!

Sunday, the 6th was extremely slow but one of the pair of adult Bald Eagles sat right over Bill's and my head.  I like this photo so much it is now my desktop wallpaper!  Unfortunately we only banded one catbird so we went over to the main side of the park to see if we could capture some Myrtle Warblers.  Instead we just dealt with more than 20 mph winds and gave up for the day.  Overhead, though, those winds were bringing in literally thousands of Ring-billed Gulls and other water birds.

Things did improve during the week and the number of yellow rumps caught and studied increased.  I am looking at the undertail coverts of all captured yellow rumps to see if spots are present.  I am tracking the numbers or lack of on all yellow rumps to help determine the age of the bird.  I only have to catch about 900 more for valid statistics.  Then I will write my paper on my hypothesis of an additional method for aging yellow rumps.

My first recapture of a previously banded migratory bird was caught on Thursday, Nov. 10.  It was a Gray Catbird, banded on Helicopter Island on 10/4/2010 as an adult bird caught along the power line road.  It was caught nearly 1/4 mi away at the other end of Helicopter Island.  Probably thought it was going to avoid us!!!

The wind continued the rest of the week, it got quite cold so few birds were caught.

Meret Wilson, Lead Bander
 Tomoka Basin Banding Station

BIRDS FOR NOVEMBER 6-12, 2011

 
SPECIES NEW RECAPTURE

Myrtle Warbler

 39  

Black-and-White Warbler

 1  

Gray Catbird

 1 1

Northern Cardinal

 1  

Common Ground Dove

 1  

House Wren

 1  
Orange-crowned Warbler 2  
Total 46 1

Click the link to see banding statistics for Fall 2011
 
Bald Eagle over banding table
 American White Pelican over Helicopter Island
Great Blue Heron taking off after warming up Stunning cloud formation as I await the arrival of the morning rush of Myrtle Warblers
Adult male Common Ground Dove Close-up of beautiful eye, feathers of
Common Ground Dove
Black-and-White Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler
Faint hint of developing the orange in crown Note line through eye and light streaking on breast
Male Yellowrump Tail feathers of male Myrtle Warbler with 4 white spots -
which only adult female shows
Yellow crown of Myrtle Warbler, not often seen except during courting display or alarm The spots I am studying on Myrtle Warblers

 

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