Recaps and Rain: January 15, 2022 Banding Cycle

Start at 7am, closing at 1pm
Total 19 nets up
100% cloud cover with periods of light rain
Total 46 birds, 14 species

• 1 acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
• 4 Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna)
• 2 Allen’s hummingbirds (Selasphorus sasin)
• 1 Dusky flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri)
• 6 Gambel’s white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)
• 5 Golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
• 1 Fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
• 2 Spotted towhees (Pipilo maculatus)
• 9 Audubon’s warblers (Setophaga coronata auduboni)
• 1 Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
• 1 Ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
• 6 Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus)
• 1 Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
• 6 Hermit thrushes (Catharus guttatus)

Today was a rather exciting day at Zuma. First of all, it was our first cycle for 2022 since the January 1 cycle got canceled due to heavy rains and flooding. The new year marks an important milestone for hatching year and after hatching year birds– they become known as second year and after second year birds! By that logic, today’s cycle is also when I become a second year bird bander (I await the May 22 cycle for the actual anniversary).

Secondly, it rained! Okay, maybe it was more like a light shower, but none the less exciting for SoCal. According to the master bander, it has likely been over two years since it last rained during a banding cycle! While the rain was nice at first, everything quickly became wet. Our binders filled with Tabular Pyles took on water, my pen stopped working as I attempted to write in my banding notebook while processing the birds. We layered on jackets and monitored the birds as we processed them for behaviors indicating that they were becoming unconscious or uncomfortable in the cold rain.

We also got 15 recaptured birds out of the 46, almost 33%. While it meant we were putting fewer bands on the legs of birds, we were able to gather invaluable information that we can compare to the last time the bird was caught. This might include how a molt progressed, the gain or loss of fat or muscle, and the net the bird was caught in (demonstrating the range of the bird in the canyon). One recap that got everyone excited was the reappearance of a well-known flycatcher at Zuma, who we have named Danny. Danny was first caught during the November 6, 2021 cycle, then again a month later. Danny was originally thought to be a willow flycatcher but has since been identified as a dusky. This error prompted the editing of our Empid (flycatchers in the genus Empidonax) identification chart, which will now hopefully help us ID these tricky flycatchers a bit more easily. When Danny was banded, they were undergoing a molt. Since then, we have been able to watch as the replacement of old feathers continued. Now, Danny has completed their molt and will continue to spend the winter at Zuma, even though they should really be in Mexico right now! More on Danny soon!

In addition to birds, one bander came across a family of six coyotes while checking his nets. Coyotes are commonly seen while we’re out banding, but six was a surprising number. While checking one of my nets, I found an owl pellet containing the bones of a woodrat (genus Neotoma). Owl pellets are masses of indigestible matter, such as fur, bones, and teeth that an owl regurgitated. Owl pellets are really cool because you get to see what prey the owl ate. Plus, the bones are often preserved wonderfully because owls don’t tear up their prey, which means identification of the remains can be rather straightforward. In the past, I have also seen owl pellets at Zuma containing Botta’s pocket gopher bones. This owl pellet was likely left by a great horned owl, which is known to roost in an oak tree near the net.

All in all, it was a nice and productive day at Zuma. Hopefully the rain will help new vegetation grow. (After the fires that swept Zuma in 2019, vegetation was greatly reduced and fewer birds were breeding in 2020.) I look forward to what birds await for 2022!