Hi folks,

On August 1st (last Saturday), seven of us, including AJ Fisher from Rainer Audubon
Society, met for an early morning of bird banding at the Morse Preserve - about 6 miles
SE of Spanaway, Pierce County. Our day was off to a fine start with 6 birds on the first
net round. The total 'bird in the hand' day was 17, somewhat slow compared to previous
visits of 32 and 50 birds, but we had the lovely morning and the camaraderie of several
birders to keep the day active with stories and laughter. A list of the birds banded follows:

1 Brown-headed cowbird (juvie)
2 purple finches (adult male/juvie)
5 common yellow-throats (3 adult females/2 juvies) - including 1 recapture
2 chipping sparrows (juvies)
1 white-crowned sparrow (juvie)
1 cedar waxwing (adult male)
1 song sparrows (juvie)
3 Swainson's thrush (1 recapture)
1 dark-eyed junco (recapture)

Each captured bird is first identified, then banded, aged, and sexed.
Juvenile birds, or juvies, are those that have been hatched this year and
are also know as hatch year (HY) birds. Their plumage is typically
different from the adult plumage; fluffier, spottier, or having a different
pattern in general. Aging can usually be accomplished by examining certain
plumage characteristics, like feather wear or shape. Sexing can be
difficult amongst birds showing no sexual dimorphism (male and female having
the same plumage and general body size) like many of the sparrows, so we
look for breeding characteristics during this season. A cloacal protuberance
(CP) is a swelling of the cloaca during breeding season that signifies a
male bird. Breeding females will develop a brood patch (BP) where feathers
are dropped from the breast, revealing an area of bare skin that transfers
heat from the bird, warming the eggs and nestlings. However in some species,
males can develop partial brood patches, leading to more confusion!

By looking at the rate of recapture we can see make a guess about mortality
differences between local vs migratory species for a location once you can
determine the capture rate (or the survival rate).

I'm always amazed when we recapture a migratory bird with an "old band." I
know that this bird has not only survived another year, but also survived
the perils of migration. And oftentimes we will catch the same bird in the
exact net that it was captured in during the previous season. The homing
abilities of these migrants are truly incredible!

All of this information is recorded and sent off to the Institute for Bird
Populations (IBP) and the Bird Banding laboratory (BBL). Years of data are
compiled and analyzed. This information can be used to monitor trends in
species population, species productivity and survivorship, and a wealth of
other information including longevity and migration patterns.

Although our summer banding season is over, we will be conducting some
banding sessions during the migratory period. Stay tuned to the Ranier
Audubon website and join us for our next adventure!

Written by: Dawn Garcia, banding subpermittee

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net