FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] uprecedented capture rates for cape-may warblers at whigg meadow

["dfvogt@xxxxxxxxxxx" <dfvogt@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In my earlier post conserning Sept 07 bird banding results at Whigg Meadow, 
Cherokee National Forest, Monroe Co., I failed to mention the extremely high 
rate of captures of Cape-may Warblers this season.  In the previous 9 seasons 
of Sept. banding at this location we have averaged 1.4 captures/year.  During 
the 07 season (29 days of banding) we captured and banded 117 cape-mays!  While 
previous seasons have varied in numbers of days that nets were opened (from 9 - 
18 days) this cannot account for this years exceptional capture rate.  Since 
cape-mays are spruce forest inhabitants and, spruce bud worm obligates, this 
years numbers are likely the result of bud worm outbreaks on the nesting 
grounds.  I wonder if this phenomenon could explain the high numbers of 
Tennessee Warblers and the invasion of Red-breasted Nuthatches (also spruce 
forest inhabitants).  
The numbes of cape-mays encountered during our banding season motivated us to 
do some reading about this northern species.  According to the lituratue, 
cape-mays may increase there clutches to as many as 10 eggs during spruce 
budworm outbreaks!  We also read that cape-mays feed heavily on nectar when on 
their wintering grounds and have "tubular tounges unique to warblers" adapted 
to nectar feeding.  While we did not observe this behavior we did see them 
pecking at blueberries and subsequentls sticking their beaks into the berries 
and, apparently, sucking the juice out.
David Vogt
Chattanooga
 
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