More Variety

Numbers of migrants captured today were similar to previous days but there was more variety. Amongst the new species recorded for the course were typical early arriving migrants such as Black-and-White Warbler, Ovenbird and Yellow Warbler. The Kentucky Warbler was out of habitat, usually this species perfers mature forest, and is likely be a passage bird brought down by the overnight rain.

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

2

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

1

Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

1

Hooded Warbler

Wilsonia citrina

2

Black-and-White Warbler

Mniotilta varia

1

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapillus

1

Kentucky Warbler

Oporornis formosus

1

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

1

Total

10

Banding Course – Day 2

Captures were generally lower this morning, nevertheless they included a reasonable variety of migrants. Amongst the migrants was another Alder Flycatcher and a Northern Waterthrush, the latter being a surprise given the lack of water in the banding area and suggests if was a bird on passage.

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

1

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

2

Northern Waterthrush

Seiurus noveboracensis

1

Hooded Warbler

Wilsonia citrina

1

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

1

Total

6

1st University of Belize Banding Course

Today was the first morning session of a ringing/banding course we are running at the University of Belize in Belmopan.  The aim of this course is to lay the foundations for a University banding group that will meet regularly throughout the year and provide a focus for training in bird banding in Belize. In only six nets 32 birds were trapped, among which were a handful of migrants including both Willow and Alder Flycatchers whose passage through Belize is not well understood.  

During the course, we will regularly post details of migrant captures and of any other captures of interest.

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

1

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

2

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

1

Yellow-green Vireo

Vireo flavoviridis

1

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

1

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

1

Total

7

Presenting the “Migration Leaflet”!

The “Migration Leaflet” was an education project we carried out with the students of the Environment Group of the Sarteneja Cornerstone C. Academy. Its aim was to increase awareness of migrants and of the importance of the habitats near Sarteneja for birds.

The students took part in a series of birding field visits to different habitats and they did basic research on the characteristics of each and their importance to birds. To complete the project, we designed a leaflet together in which we placed all the information.

A total of 80 leaflets were printed in both English and Spanish and they were presented and distributed today to a young audience of at least 120 students from Sarteneja. It was a successful project and a good way of encouraging the environmental group to take a more active part in the community.  

Last Day of Banding

Today was the last day of banding for the spring and it produced just one migrant in the form of a Gray Catbird. Daily posts will now cease until later in the year when we hope to report the results of banding during a course we will be running at the University of Belize in September.

Penultimate day!

With the main passage of migrants clearly at an end, we have decided that the nets will come down tomorrow and we will pack up for the spring season. As if to prove a point, we caught just one migrant in the form of a Red-eyed Vireo this morning and observations produced single figures of both Magnolia and Yellow Warbler. Of interest, we caught a Yucatan Vireo with a fat score of 4 that was in primary moult, not a combination you see every day!

Spring Phenology

With few birds in the nets over the last two days (see combined totals in table below), we thought we would upload the graph below to show the timing of migration here in NE Belize during the spring. It is possible to see from both the mist-netting results (line) and the transect work (bars), that the bulk of passage occurred over a very short period of just two weeks at the end of April/beginning of May. The gaps in this graph are days when either transects or mist-netting were interupted by bad weather or other activities.

Swainson’s Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

1

Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

1

Magnolia Warbler

Dendroica magnolia

7

Northern Waterthrush

Seiurus noveboracensis

2

Total

11

The End?

As if to signal the end of the main passage of migrants, we captured just two migrants today and saw only a handful during the early morning transect. The captures included a single Yellow-green Vireo and a Yellow Warbler, whilst sightings indicate that there are still small groups of Magnolia Warbler around.

9th May

Another morning with very few birds and the only interest was provided by a Swainson’s Thrush. Conditions are still windy though and with a drop in the wind, there may still be enough around to produce some reasonable catches over the weekend.

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

1

Swainson’s Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

1

Yellow Warbler

Dendroica petechia

2

Magnolia Warbler

Dendroica magnolia

6

Total

10

Numbers drop off

There was a dramatic decrease in the number of captures this morning and in observations on the transect. This may in part be due to the windy conditions but is also likely to reflect the end of the main passage for many species. This mirrors the situation observed on the Gulf Coast of Texas and other southern states where the timing and quantity of birds passing has been studied using radar.

Yellow-green Vireo

Vireo flavoviridis

1

Magnolia Warbler

Dendroica magnolia

2

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

1

Northern Waterthrush

Seiurus noveboracensis

2

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

1

Total

7