About Caddo Lake Bird Banding:
Table Showing Birds Banded at Caddo Lake Bird Banding:
Caddo Lake Bird Banding is led by Dr. James Ingold, professor at LSU-Shreveport. The event is hosted by Tom Walker at the Walker Farm, located near Caddo Lake in Jefferson, Texas.
April 11th
Prior to the bird banding, my father and I walked around Caddo Lake State Park for about an hour and a half. The large stands of pines, cypress trees, and Spanish Moss makes for an interesting habitat to bird in comparison to the prairies and Cross Timbers of northeast Oklahoma.
The first group of birds we encountered were a troop of Barn Swallows, energetically swooping about over a slough in search of insects to eat. Initially, we were unable to figure out exactly which species of the swallow family they were, however the audio recordings kept in the car confirmed them as Barn Swallows. Since the swallows were always in flight we could only glean the most basic details, blueish wings and back, with rusty orange on the throat and head.
A stand of pines along the edge of the road caught our attention because of the multiple vocalizations that could be heard. We could hear a song coming from one of the closer trees and focused our search on the branches of the pines. I spotted a small, hyperactive yellow bird foraging among the pine needles and cones, which I deducted to be a White-eyed Vireo, though I am not 100% positive. While watching the suspected WEV, I noticed another hyperactive little bird, this one was gleaning along a branch, able to hold itself upside down. I consulted my field guide and confirmed the little guy as a Brown-headed Nuthatch.
A small slough along the road appeared to be a good spot to look for birds, so we stopped and proceeded on foot. Several Barn Swallows could be found here as well, their acrobatic search for food an exciting spectacle. Above the water, foraging among the branches, I spotted a male Northern Parula, an colorful warbler and recent return for the season. Nearby we could hear the repetitive cries of a Red-shouldered Hawk, then watched his descending flight from one perch to a area of the woods out of our line of sight.
The time was approaching 10:00 so we made our way back to the car. Caddo Lake State Park is less than 5 miles from the Walker Farm, so it was a short drive to the bird banding.
This was the first time I had attended a bird banding, so I was pleased to learn a plethora of new things about ornithology in general and specific bird banding procedures. Dr. Ingold sat at a table on which sat a scale to weight the birds, a notebook to record the data, a field guide, several wires holding different sized bands, a toolbox containing several different pliers, and a dozen tube socks to hold the birds.
10 Mist Nets were setup around Mr. Walker's property, each standing roughly six feet high, containing four pockets running horizontally to ensnare the birds. Those who attended the banding would periodically make "the rounds" and check the various nets for any birds which may have been caught. The bird is then identified (as best as possible) then placed in one of the tube socks to be transported to the table. There Dr. Ingold would determine the bird's sex, age, weight, then an appropriate-sized band is placed around the leg. Dr. Ingold was then kind enough to hold the angry birds (who would occasionally bite, especially the Northern Cardinals) for those of us with camera to take some close-up pictures.
The birds that were ensnared and banded while I was present (we took a two hour break to visit Caddo Lake between 2-4 pm) included: several male and female Northern Cardinals, several Blue Jays (one was immature), several White-eyed Vireos, a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, a Hooded Warbler, a male Indigo Bunting, a White-throated Sparrow, a female Carolina Wren, a Brown Thrasher, a Tufted Titmouse, and a female Brown-headed Cowbird.
Many thanks to Dr. Ingold for leading the event, I learned a great deal of new information about the birds we banded. Many thanks also to Mr. Tom Walker, who graciously allows the use of his farm for banding, not just on April 18th, but several times a year.
Bird Count: (Count Includes Banded Birds, as well as birds observed in the area)
Location: Private Farm - Karnack, TX
Observation date: 4/11/09 Notes: *Bird Banding Event Number of species: 20
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus 1
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 2
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1
White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus 3
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 3
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 2
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 1
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 2
Brown Thrasher - Toxostoma rufum 1
Hooded Warbler - Wilsonia citrina 1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 3
White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys 2
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 6
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 3
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 8
Photos: (Numbered from top to bottom):
1) Ruby-crowned Kinglet, male
2) Hooded Warbler, male
3) White-eyed Vireo
4) A White-eyed Vireo studies his captors while ensnared in a mist net.
5) White-eyed Vireo
6) White-throated Sparrow
7) A mottled male Indigo Bunting
8) Carolina Wren, female
9) Blue Jay, immature
10) A female Northern Cardinal shows off her newly placed band.
11) Northern Cardinal, male
12) Brown-headed Cowbird, female
-SPQ 4/13/2009
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