Our first trip was made by Brent & Sue Ortego from 12-13 April 2008. Temperature ranged from 40-75 during each day with 15-25 mph north winds. We conducted 4-hour banding sessions at each ranch which is what is usually done each year. We used 2 modified Russell Traps at Burditt Ranch, 1 modified Russell & 1 Hall Trap and 2 6-meter nets at Matter Ranch, and 2 modified Russell & 1 Hall Trap, and 1 6-meter net at Widenfeld Ranch.

We caught:

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRDS

Artied and Hanna Richard originally banded at these ranches from 2000 - 2002 and we are still recapturing some of the birds they originally banded. Our research started in 2004.

One exciting band return during this trip was a female originally banded at Matter Ranch in 2006, recaptured there in 2007 and recaptured this year at Burditt Ranch which is about 50 miles SW of Comfort. We will be looking for this female to determine if she stayed at Burditt or continued her migration to Matter.

Burditt Ranch

We banded 99 males and recaptured 25 from previous years, and banded 50 females and recaptured 27 females during the morning. Female return rates are consistently higher than males and this ranch is feeding almost 2 gallons of sugar water per day.

Matter Ranch

We banded 54 males and recaptured 17, and banded 29 females and recaptured 16 in the afternoon. This ranch is feeding about ½ gallon per day.

Wiedenfeld Ranch

We banded 49 males and recaptured 22, and banded 31 females and recaptured 34 in the morning. This ranch is feeding about ½ gallon per day.

RECAPTURES

About the same number of birds are banded each year and number recaptured gives us an indication of survival and site fidelity at each of the ranches. Survival of Black-chins by studies like this one at mega feeding stations are showing that small hummingbirds survive much longer than previously believed. Banding results from this first trip of the season was very similar to 2007. There is a noticeable reduction in recaptures at every ranch during the 2^nd year following banding which is either mortality or dispersal related.

We again would like to thank our Ranch Host for their providing food and lodging during our trip, their management of our hummingbird resources and their special friendship.

Buff-bellied Hummingbirds continued to be the most abundant species at the banding station with 51 individuals captured which is close to normal levels. Rufous was the 2^nd most abundant with 19 which is about the normal number for a bad winter and about ½ of what is expected during good winters. There were 6 Black-chins which is well below average, 5 Ruby-throats which is below average, and 4 Allen’s & Broad-tails which is what is expected.

Buff-bellies had 18 new birds for the yard and 33 returning veterans. Eight were originally banded during 2006, 12 from 2005, 5 from 2004, 3 from 2003 and 5 from 2002 or earlier. Our most frequently captured Buff-bellied (band # R57800) continued on his habit of being captured by visiting the banding table 7 of the 9 netting sessions. Y44101 who is the “Old Man” (11 years old) of the yard during winter made an appearance in September and October, but was not captured since. The banding station appears to be saturated with Buff-bellies during winter.

Rufous was the 2^nd most abundant with 11 new birds and 8 veterans. This is the 4^th most we have had during winter and is well below expected numbers, but not part of an apparent long term decline for this site. Two veterans were from 2006, 3 from 2005, 2 from 2004 and 1 from 2003.

Only 6 Black-chins were captured and this is well below expected numbers. This is the 2^nd winter in a row of below average numbers for this species. Only 1 bird was new for the yard, and 5 were veterans; 1 from 2006, 3 from 2005 and 1 from 2002. Our team bands significant numbers of Black-chins in the Texas Hill Country during summer and there is no apparent lack of reproduction from this population. The only foreign Black-chinned recapture we have during winter on the Texas Coast is from a population in the Rocky Mountains and we wonder if this is the source for our winter birds. One bander, Susan Wethington, noted below average reproduction for western Black-chins this summer.

Five new Ruby-throats were banded this winter. We have never had a returning winter Ruby-throat at this site. In general, there was a more westward migration of Ruby-throats this fall and the migration at the Land of OZ finished earlier than expected. A Ruby-throat for only the 2^nd time was known to survive the winter here.

We caught 5 Allen’s with one being a veteran from last year. This is the expected number for this species.

We caught 4 Broad-tails with two originally banded in 2006 and one in 2005. This is twice the number nearly captured at this site.

We did not capture any Calliope or Anna’s Hummingbirds this winter which was very disappointing. A few Anna’s were reported along the Coast, but Calliope’s were extremely rare this winter.

The banding station continues to be a very significant site for wintering hummingbirds in the eastern United States. Data on returning species provide information on their life history.

So, why did we have lower numbers? The winter had about the same number of freezing days as in past years, but was generally warmer. We maintained 75 feeders as in the past, and the habitat did not significantly change in our area. We do not believe weather was a factor. Our best guess is that the populations supporting our winter grounds had poor reproduction last summer. Our returning veteran numbers are about the same as past years. Further banding and research may reveal the answer.

Winter banding data since we started maintaining at least 70 feeders occurs below. First Number = total individuals captured; Second Number = total returning veterans.

1974 through 2007

Order follows AOU Check-List, 7^th ed., 1998, as supplemented:

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MATAGORDA COUNTY - MAD ISLAND MARSH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

17 December 2007

Our Team of 113 very dedicated birders reported 235 species during the 15^th running of our CBC. This is our 4^th highest tally and is a very good total for this “down year” for total species. Guadalupe River Delta reported 225, Dan Diego, CA, 215 and Freeport 203 species.

BEST BIRD

Our section leaders had a very close vote for the Best Bird. OLIVE SPARROW won by one vote over Green-tailed Towhee. There seemed to be a consensus that they would prefer seeing an Aplomado Falcon next year on the t-shirt. Does anybody have a good photo of an Aplomado with an Olive Sparrow in its talons?

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SPONSORS:

• Lyondell Chemicals
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
• Jess Womack Ranch
• LaQuerencia Ranch
• Rio Vista Bluff Ranch

Guadalupe River Delta - McFaddin Family Ranches CBC

20 December 2007

The 4th running of this CBC produced reports of a record 225 species from 59 birders with the Best 3 Birds being Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo and Prairie Warbler. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard twice by the Nan Dietert, Diane Nunley and Lydon Holcomb team on Hog Bayou. The Bell’s Vireo was photographed by Brush Freeman and Petra Hockey on River Road, and the Prairie Warbler was photographed by Michael Gray, Cecelia Riley, Steven Bone and David Plunkett.

The 225 species will likely place us in the Top 3 in the Nation which is Great for our count. As we increase participation for this fun CBC and access new lands we should be able to consistently post 230 species results each year and occasionally be the Top CBC in the Country. As an example that our potential has not been reached, we reported 12 new species for the count: Long-tailed Duck (Riley team), Aplomado Falcon (Mitchell team), Greater Roadrunner (Mitchell team), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Nunley team), Black Phoebe (Ashbaugh team), Great Crested Flycatcher (Farnsworth team), Bell’s Vireo (Hockey team), Chihuahuan Raven (Friedrichs team), Yellow Warbler (Rorex team), Prairie Warbler (Gray team), Summer Tanager (Wauer and Julian teams), and Yellow-headed Blackbird (Freeman team). This brings the total for 4 years of this CBC to 263 species. (more…)

We caught 23 hummingbirds which is a low number for the site, but it was obvious a number of new Selasphorus had moved into the banding station. 14 of the hummers were new for this winter season.

We caught 15 BUFH with 8 being from this year. Three were originally banded in 2006, 2 in 2005, 1 in 2003 and 1 in 2002. The oldest of the group was captured for the 41^st time. Makes you wonder if it bothers him to get caught each session.

The next most abundant hummer was RUHU. We had originally banded 2 in 2007, 1 in 2006, 1 in 2005 and 1 in 2003. This oldest RUHU is a female which has been captured 31 times.

We also caught 2 new ALHU and 1 BTLH from 2006.

With 3 netting sessions completed, this gives us a total of 32 BUFH, 7 RUHU, 3 ALHU, 1 BTLH, 4 RTHU and 1 BCHU captured this “hummer winter”.

As always, using mist-nets we catch many birds other than hummingbirds.

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We use the term habitat frequency in this report rather than preferences because preference is difficult to prove. There are many factors which affect whether a bird uses a particular habitat which includes its preference, availability of the habitat, size of the habitat, season of use, availability of food, competition for that habitat from other hummers and animals as well as individuals of its own species, predators, trapability, etc.

With all of these factors potentially influencing use we choose just to list frequency of use as determined by birds caught by mist-nets versus availability of habitat.

Land of Ortego - Zalk supports a relatively large wintering population of hummingbirds near the Central Gulf Coast of Texas. We have documented 367 BUFH hummer winters, 216 RUHU, 110 BCHU, 67 RTHU, 31 ALHU, 26 BTLH, 21 CAHU, 11 ANHU, 1 BBLH from 1995 thru 2006.

AT LAND OF ORTEGO-ZALK

Brent & Sue Ortego, Shawn Ashbaugh, Susan Beree, Charlie & Olivia Brower, Brad Lirette, Robert & Kay Lookingbill, Sumita Prasad, Bron Rorex, Suzie Ross, Craig Zalk

Each month is divided into 3 segments with each segment being roughly 10 days. Number of birds by species banded for the first time by date are listed below. Captures occurred from 8/95 thru 10/07 in Victoria County, TX.
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BIRD USAGE OF RUNNING LIVEOAK WOODLANDS NEAR THE COAST IN CALHOUN COUNTY, TX

BRENT ORTEGO, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Victoria, TX

Abstract: Birds were mist-netted during the spring and fall of 2001 and 2002 in expansive running liveoak (Quercus virginiana) woodlands that were 4 and 10 miles inland from Matagorda Bay and Gulf of Mexico, respectively, in Calhoun County Texas. The woodlands were a mosaic of running liveoak less than 10 feet tall and coastal prairie in a 35,000-acre area that was comprised roughly of 50% of each between Powderhorn Lake and Matagorda Bay.

1200 (12-meter long with 30-mm mesh) mist-net hours were used during the spring and 2500 during the fall of two years to sample resident and migrant birds during March and April, and August through October. Although, roughly the same number of species were captured each season (55 in spring and 58 in fall), the frequency of captures were twice as high in the fall (50 per 100 net-hours vs. 24). Fall neotropical migrants and flycatchers were netted 6 times and warblers 4 times more frequent than spring. The only species group more abundant in spring were neotropical thrushes which were caught at .6 birds per 100 net-hours and non were captured in fall. At the distance of the study area from the Gulf, most spring inland bound migrants needing to make emergency landings probably did so prior to reaching the study area and those more fit migrants flew over the study area before making first land fall. In contrast, fall migrants made frequent use of the woodlands for foraging prior to migrating over or around the Gulf.

Impact of a Level 1 Hurricane on nesting Bald Eagles in Texas.

Brent Ortego Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2805 N. Navarro, S600B, Victoria, TX 77901; brent.Ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us

Hurricane Claudette passed through Texas coastal counties during July 2003 as a level 1 hurricane. Bald Eagle nesting data from 8 counties that were not impacted by the hurricane were compared to 7 counties that were. Noticeable hurricane impacts were mostly knocking down nests and tall trees that potentially would serve as nests in the future. Eagles in this part of Texas typically replace nests at 4 year intervals. Thus, about 25% of the nests are normally replaced each year. Seven nests in the 7 counties within the path of the hurricane were known to have been destroyed by the storm and all were rebuilt during the following fall when nesting commenced. The 8 adjoining non-impacted counties had 14 nesting attempts fledge 22 eagles before the hurricane in 2003 and 16 nesting attempts and fledge 32 eagles after the hurricane in 2004. The 7 impacted counties had 19 nesting attempts before the hurricane fledge 31 eagles in 2003, and 20 nesting attempts fledge 33 eagles after the hurricane in 2004. Short term lost of nests was the only noted impact.

Texas Breeding Bird Survey

BRENT ORTEGO, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Victoria, TX; brent.Ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us

The U. S. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a highly standardized 24.5 mile survey randomly located along public roads throughout Texas, and is used to monitor population trends and estimate densities of breeding birds in Texas by ecoregion. The survey started in Texas in 1967. It was coordinated by Warren Pulich until 1993 and was taken over by me with periodic assistance from co-coordinators.

BBS volunteers work primarily anonymously. They get very little recognition, but produce the data on which many conservation organizations depend. Their common theme is that they love counting birds and are concerned about their status. 417 birders have conducted the 195 BBS routes in Texas since its beginning. Kenneth Seyffert has conducted the most surveys in TX by running BBS routes 149 times. Other noteworthy surveyors are Francis Williams conducting 74, James Middleton 65, Richard Albert 63, Brent Ortego 61, Charles Crabtree, Jr., 59, Peggy Accord & Kenneth Nanney 58, and Andrew O’Neil 54.

The survey tracks 151 species very well state-wide. 24 of these are significantly increasing in numbers and 38 are significantly declining. Greatest rates of significant declines are found in grassland, scrub and woodland habitats, neotropical migrants, and open cup & ground or lower nesters.

White-winged Dove Distribution From a Recently Colonized Town in the Coastal Prairie of Texas

Lyndon Schatz, 608 Blyth, Victoria, TX 77904

Brent Ortego, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2805 N. Navarro, Suite 600B, Victoria, TX 77901

White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica) have been expanding their population and range in Texas from the Rio Grande Valley for the last several decades. The largest breeding population containing over 1 million birds is in San Antonio. Aside from larger urban areas being colonized, many smaller more suburban towns have been occupied by white-wings for decades. The population dynamics of these residential populations are not very well understood. The objective of this study was to determine if the white-wings spent the entire year at Victoria, and if there was any difference in survival and distribution of hatch year and adult birds. The senior author opportunistically banded 1796 white-wings from his yard in Victoria during 10 of 11 breeding season from 1995 through 2005. 49 birds were recaptured at the banding station and 44 were harvested by hunters. No foreign recaptures were obtained from this project, but 19 of 44 birds harvested were from distances greater than 50 miles. Six of these were harvested >100 miles and occurred at sites like San Antonio, Mexico, Guatemala and Florida. Adults had a greater tendency to be recaptured/harvested, 8.5% of 520, than young white-wings, 3.8% of 1276; P<.05.

Banding

White-winged Doves were opportunistically banded as they came in to feed at a permanent ground bird feeding station in the north side of Victoria, Texas, from March through September from 1995 thru 2004, with 1996 having no banding. Two standard walk-in traps were used for l hour each banding day from 1995 thru 2000. Starting in 2001, a drop trap (8 X 3 X 1- foot) was fabricated using 1.25-inch PVC pipe for framing and 1.5 inch bar mesh netting for walls, and was used to diversify the trapping methods. Trap shy birds appeared to be more vulnerable to capture by alternating the capture technique. However, birds caught per day did not differ, but number of days when birds were available did.

OVERVIEW OF BANDING IN THE CONSERVATION OF PURPLE MARTINS IN SAN ANTONIO AND SOUTH TEXAS

Louise Chambers, Education Director, Purple Martin Conservation Association, 301 Peninsula Drive, Ste. 6, Erie, PA 16505; louise@purplemartin.org

John Barrow, Purple Martin Banding Coordinator-South Texas, 4146 Congressional Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78471; barrow@chilitech.com;

Abstract: In eastern North America, Purple Martins (Progne subis) nest almost exclusively in housing provided by people. This dependency, their tractable nature, and their strong fidelity to nesting colonies, make Purple Martins ready subjects for banding based studies. An overview of the study being conducted in San Antonio and South Texas, now in its fifth year, is presented as example of what can be obtained through a concerted banding effort. Emphasis is on general biology and management of Purple Martins, migratory roost development and movement, and inclusion of educational opportunities at the elementary school level. A number of other Canadian and US banders, primarily in northern states, having similar objectives independently band and color-mark Purple Martins. Purple Martin Conservation Association promotes standardization and coordination of data, so that it can be pooled for population monitoring and studies at different geographic scales. Results could be useful in addressing regional declines and population variances of Purple Martins. The situation with Purple Martins in South Texas is presented as an example.