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:  October 23-29, 2011

Pretty much as I suspected, until the yellowrumps arrive, the peak fall migration is finished and things are slowing down greatly.  Only 21 birds were banded all week.  Our first Ruby-crowned Kinglet was banded on Sunday the 23rd. A smart looking adult male Hooded Warbler showed up bringing sunshine to a cloudy and windy day.  Black-throated Blue Warblers have all but stopped coming.  From 25 last week to only 4 this week.   

One of the photos is of the breast of a Swainson's Thrush.  This is the smallest thrush I have ever encountered.  Normally they weigh in around 37-40 grams.  This bird weighed only 28 grams.  The muscle on the breast is greatly reduced.  When a bird does not get enough to eat or travels farther than the fat it stored for migration is used up, the bird will start using its muscle for energy.  One clue that this was happening was the presence of brownish red feces.  Normally a bird's feces are green (from solids) and white (from uric acid).  When muscle is digested then the feces are brown and runny from the breakdown of the muscle.  And, even more amazing, at the same time and same net, a Gray Catbird was also captured in the very same condition: lower than normal weight and runny brown feces.  Possibly their last stop before arriving at TSP did not have a good source of food so they moved on. 

For 2 days Joe and Judi Dziak and I sat waiting for birds to get into the nets.  Not only did we not capture any but we did not see a single warbler on Monday and neither saw nor heard a single bird anywhere for 4 hours.  Just after all the nets were taken down  on Thursday we heard a solitary Carolina Chickadee call.  That was it.  No more Bulow Creek for the time being.  We will move the operation to Tomoka for the rest of the fall season. 

Another odd thing for this fall is the low number of catbirds.  Last year the fall season brought 35 catbirds.  Thus far, with only 3 weeks left of fall banding, a total of 15 catbirds have been caught.  Talking with other people, it seems no one is hearing or seeing the usual number of catbirds this fall.  It does seem the more we band, the more questions seem to arise with the changes noted globally.

Meret Wilson, Lead Bander
 Tomoka Basin Banding Station

BIRDS FOR OCTOBER 23-29, 2011

 
SPECIES NEW RECAPTURE

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 1  

Gray Catbird

 9  

Common Yellowthroat

 2  

Ovenbird

 1  

Black-throated Blue Warbler

 4  

Swainson's Thrush

 1  
Northern Cardinal 2  
Hooded Warbler 1  
Total 21  

Click the link to see banding statistics for Fall 2011
 
Adult male Common Yellowthroat
 Breastbone of Swainson's Thrush showing no fat and decreased muscle
Swainson's Thrush First Ruby-crowned Kinglet of fall
Ovenbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet male as seen with red crown
Members of Halifax River Audubon helping at banding table Gray Catbird
Crissum (undertail coverts) of Gray Catbird Adult male Hooded Warbler
 
Close-up of male Hooded Warbler (2nd of season)  

 

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