Bald Eagle banded 10/26/06

Here is a few pictures of the first Bald Eagle ever trapped and banded here at Kiptopeke!
Although a few other good hawks have been banded here over the last few decades, like Swainson's Hawk and Golden Eagle, no Bald Eagles have been caught here. Until now!

Here is Robert Klages, the trapper that caught this Bald Eagle.

Kentucky Warbler banded 10/26/06!!!

There is the Kentucky Warbler we banded on the 26th of Oct. This bird is incredibly late! How late is it? The latest know Kentucky Warbler for Virginia was the 13 Oct. We extended that by 13 days! So it was to much surprise that we caught this one! This is a species that moves through the Kiptopeke area in AUGUST! Also, this is a species we do not catch many of here. Since 1981, only 10 have been banded here.
This bird however, was not very healthy. Might be the reason it is so late. Or maybe its unhealthy because it IS late. Or maybe, this bird is just plain lost. Whatever the factor, I hope this bird makes it, although the cards are stacked against it.
Sorry for the bad picture. I just took a few quick pics and sent the bird on its way.

Avian Pox on a Gray Catbird

Avian Pox is the disease we see the most of here at Kiptopeke. Pox is caused by an avipoxvirus that cause growths on the legs and bare parts on the head. This slow developing disease can be mild to severe. In this case, it is pretty advanced. There is no know treatment for it. The biggest problem we have with it, is that it can be transmitted from bird to bird. So when we catch a bird like this one, we have to alcohol everything that was in contact with that bird, our hands especial, and the bag that held it, is culled out and washed in bleach. Most of the cases we see are of just a small amount of the warty growths on the toes. This season, there has been about ten cases noted from the Northern Mockingbirds we have been catching. This Gray Catbird has one of the worst cases I have seen at a banding station. Years back, we caught an American Robin here that was just this bad. Both the robin and this catbird were both released unbanded because of the extreme size of the leg, and I don't think that a band would help either one of them out that much. I have also seen pox in Chipping Sparrows here as well.
I recommend googling avian pox and reading up on this disease. Although not a problem for humans, it can be a major cause of mortality in some bird species.

Second White-crowned Sparrow of the season

White-crowned Sparrows are not a very common capture here at the Kiptopeke banding station. This bird represents the second one banded this season. Since 1997, there has only been 15 banded here but a large bulk of that came last year (2005) when SEVEN were banded including an adult and a Gambel's race. Most years we miss catching this species even though they are a annual bird to the area (in very low numbers that is). Most of the White-crowns banded here are of the eastern race.
With a month left of banding, I am hopeful that we will catch a few more of these beautiful, large sparrows!

Season totals from the 15th Aug through 20th Oct.

SEASON TOTALS (15 Aug through 20 Oct)
GREEN HERON	1		BLUE-WINGED WARBLER	2
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK	5		TENNESSEE WARBLER	3
COOPER'S HAWK	2		ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER	3
AMERICAN WOODCOCK	1		NASHVILLE WARBLER	4
MOURNING DOVE	1		NORTHERN PARULA	50
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO	11		YELLOW WARBLER	13
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL	1		CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER	3
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW	1		MAGNOLIA WARBLER	59
BELTED KINGFISHER	1		CAPE MAY WARBLER	4
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER	1		BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER	261
HAIRY WOODPECKER	1		YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER	2,128
DOWNY WOODPECKER	3		BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER	3
YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER	6		BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER	1
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE	12		PINE WARBLER	5
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER	7		PRAIRIE WARBLER	17
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER	4		WESTERN PALM WARBLER	18
TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER	89		YELLOW PALM WARBLER	12
LEAST FLYCATCHER	8		BAY-BREASTED WARBLER	1
EASTERN PHOEBE	13		BLACKPOLL WARBLER	25
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER	4		BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER	84
EASTERN KINGBIRD	5		AMERICAN REDSTART	435
WHITE-EYED VIREO	15		PROTHONOTARY WARBLER	2
BLUE-HEADED VIREO	5		WORM-EATING WARBLER	3
WARBLING VIREO	1		OVENBIRD	67
PHILADELPHIA VIREO	2		NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH	81
RED-EYED VIREO	134		CONNECTICUT WARBLER	6
BLUE JAY	30		MOURNING WARBLER	2
CAROLINA CHICKADEE	9		COMMON YELLOWTHROAT	200
TUFTED TITMOUSE	9		HOODED WARBLER	4
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH	1		YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT	17
BROWN CREEPER	20		SUMMER TANAGER	1
CAROLINA WREN	30		SCARLET TANAGER	4
HOUSE WREN	46		EASTERN TOWHEE	11
WINTER WREN	14		CHIPPING SPARROW	3
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET	30		FIELD SPARROW	25
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET	52		SAVANNAH SPARROW	1
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER	1		SONG SPARROW	28
VEERY	127		LINCOLN'S SPARROW	1
BICKNELL'S THRUSH	2		SWAMP SPARROW	57
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH	38		WHITE-THROATED SPARROW	34
SWAINSON'S THRUSH	46		WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW	2
HERMIT THRUSH	19		SLATE-COLORED JUNCO	4
WOOD THRUSH	7		NORTHERN CARDINAL	46
AMERICAN ROBIN	2		BLUE GROSBEAK	4
GRAY CATBIRD	562		INDIGO BUNTING	41
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD	57		BALTIMORE ORIOLE	4
BROWN THRASHER	19
			SEASON TOTAL	5,234

Warbling Vireo with a deformed bill 10/5/06

On the 5th of October we caught this Warbling Vireo. And as you can tell by the pictures, this fella has some major bill deformities! The lower mandible is somewhat normal except for the fact that it shanks hard to the left! Note the picture in the upper right hand corner (it's not even visible in a side shot). The upper part of the bill was barely even present, just an extremely short stub. His deformity started while the bird was growing in the nest. BUT somehow this bird has overcome it's deformities and was actually a very healthy bird. With a good supply of fat and lots of muscle on the bird, his bird looks better than a lot of birds we normal catch here at Kiptopeke.
As a side note, since 1963, this was only the 13th Warbling Vireo to ever be banded here at Kiptopeke and only the second since 1994. So it is not often that we catch this species here. Also given the later date, I would assume that the bill deformities has slowed up it's migration a bit but it seems to be doing well. Hopefully the journey south continues to be good for this fella!

Belted Kingfisher banded 10/8/06