I've got a banded PM!!!

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:38 pm

This is so cool! I've got a ASY male hanging out in gourd A and he is banded! I thought I saw it the other day, but second guessed myself. Anyway, it looks like it is silver and from the back it is on his right leg. I'm going to have a hard time ever reading the numbers on this guy, aren't I? Aren't the federal bands the silver ones?

Here's a picture. Sorry it's fuzzy, but at least you can see the band. It's the best I can do with my camera and on this wind today.

Too cool!!!

Shel

P.S. Wasn't there another member who saw a banded bird at his site in Plano a few weeks ago? I'm sorry, I can't remember the name, but I wonder if this is the same bird. I'm in the Alma/Hedgecoxe area.

apundt-TX · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 pm

I can see it in the picture. That is pretty neat. Hope it sticks around so you can try to read some number off of it.

A.P.

Emil Pampell-Tx · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:42 pm

It becomes helpful and useful if you can read the number. Try to locate a spotting scope and try to read the number, then report the color and the number, and then some useful info can be derived from the bands...I have never seen a banded martin at my site.

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:47 pm

Emil, I'm going to give it my best. Like I mentioned before, he's been here a few days now (a little over a week that I know of). I'm going back outside to see if I can read the numbers with a scope and to see if he is one of the mated pair that favor that gourd or if he is the bachelor that keeps trying to get in.

If I can get the numbers off of it, I'll report them in a heartbeat!

Shelley

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:55 pm

SHELLEY,I LIVE IN NW OKLAHOMA AND THE FIRST YEAR JIM RAY BANDED OUR MARTINS IT WAS WITH THE SINGLE ALUMINIUM BAND ON THE RIGHT LEG. THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE PUT A GOLD BAND ON THE LEFT LEG THAT HAS OK ON IT AND THE ALUMINIUM BAND ON THE RIGHT LEG.THESE NUMBERS CAN BE A CHALLENGE TO READ BUT WITH A GOOD SPOTTING SCOPE IT CAN BE DONE.MY NEIGHBOR TO THE WEST OF ME FOUND A BIRD THAT WAS BANDED FROM THE FT.WORTH AREA BY TOM DELLINGER LAST YEAR.
P.S.SORRY FOR THE CAPS

ROD

Dale Hrncirik · Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:10 pm

Shel,

That would interesting if it turned out to be one banded from my wylie colony. We banded around 300 over a 4 year period.

Let me know if you need to borrow my spotting scope. It goes up to 60X but I find the #'s easier to read at about half of full power. It will usually take multiple attempts since the # wraps around the band. Just try and read as much as possible on each attempt. Good luck,

Dale

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:18 pm

This is so frustrating!

Good news: It looks like this ASY male is a part of a mated pair that favors gourd A. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. He just might stay the season.

Bad news: I can't read the numbers at all. My binoculars are only 7x35 9.3-degrees. The only scopes I have are from my airguns and they aren't powerful enough either. I'm going to keep trying to locate better binocs or locate a spotting scope.

Dale, man, I would love to borrow your scope. Would you and/or your family be interested in coming over and taking a look for yourself? Otherwise, I'll swing by and pick up your scope until I can get the numbers off the band. Let me make double sure this guy is sticking around (I really do think he is). Thanks!

Rod, I can see the band clearly. It is a silver aluminum flat band on his right leg. Dang it, I can't read any numbers or letters on it yet! I'll go try again. Luckily, he lets me get very close to him.

Shelley

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:48 pm

Here's a better picture of the band. I still can't make out the numbers.

klcretired · Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:01 pm

How neat is that shel, is it dales ??, he has banded his PM's before in the past??, i had a couple of banded birds in the past but was never able to get any number's off of the bands.

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:04 pm

I have no idea if he is Dale's or from OK or what yet. It's killing me not to be able to read the numbers. I'd be blinded by the sun by now if it weren't for this cloudy day!

Shel

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:15 pm

Shel, You'll need sat least x30 - a tripod is a must. Like Dale indicated it will take a few tries - make sure you have paper and pencil ready.
I had 6 (3 stayed) banded last year - managed to read 5 of the bands.

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:34 pm

Thanks for your advice, Stan. I was going to borrow Dale's, and then my mom piped in that she has a nice pair of binocs. Now my husband just surprised me with a Celestron 12-36x50mm Mini Zoom. I'm such a bird dork, but I just can't wait for the scope to arrive to check out the numbers. I'm going to give it my best shot anyway.

I watched tonight and the banded male did go into gourd A with his female, so it looks pretty good that he's going to give it a go here. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Shelley

Bob Buskas · Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:35 pm

Well he won't be from Alberta, All Alberta Birds are banded with a silver band on the left leg. Hardy banded 1970 nestlings in Alberta last year.

Jim Ray · Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:36 pm

I've also banded hundreds in the Abilene area, including as far east as Moran, Texas. Good luck trying to read it.

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:45 pm

On the subject of banding; would anyone know where I can find a pair of size 2 banding pliers? The type (sold by Avinet) that have the 2 prongs for opening bands ?

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:03 pm

Hey Shel,

That looks exactly like my PM!! He's also got a silver band. I'm still trying to find a spotting scope. He's been here about 3 weeks, got a mate and hopefully, here until late July!!!

Congrats

Chuck

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:09 pm

Chuck, it would be cool to find out if our PMs are from the same area or the same bander since we both live in N TX. Maybe you are the person I was thinking of that spotted a banded bird a few weeks ago. I could have sworn it was somebody in Plano though.

Stan, good luck with finding your pliers. I took a quick look, and as I'm sure you already know, avinet isn't making those pliers anymore. Yikes!

Shelley

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:16 pm

Thanks Shelly, These pliers used to be made for Avinet by R. MacDonald - he died a few years ago and no one is making that type anymore.

Guest · Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:45 pm

Oh, I see. I read a 2004 article online that said Avinet stopped making them due to profit loss, but I bet that was a guess. I looked further, but I didn't see anywhere that another company was making any at all. As far as I can tell, nobody is in the market. That can't be right.

Shel

John Barrow · Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:42 pm

Stan,
I bought the last pair of size 2 MacDonald banding pliers from avinet two years ago--they sold them in a bidding auction and i was the lucky one. Afonet.com now has a similar product and L&M bird bands has a small unit that some banders like. Please email me for further information.

Shelley, a number of martins were also banded with a federal band by Tom Dellinger in the Grand Prairie area. Jim McIntosh can give more info.

Probably the best way to read the band is to capture the bird. I had two old ASYs get into a fight with a subbie today. It was so brutal that I knocked on the pole withour response, removed the predator guard, lowered the house and gourd rack and plugged the hole. The alpha pair was still inside. I put them in a cloth sack, removed them and banded them both. This is my oldest alpha pair and the bands placed upon them will teach alot if they survive another couple of years. If you handle a martin, handle it gently. Cup your hands over the top of its back and spread your index finger and middle finger out along the sides of its head holding its wings down with the rest of your hand. Read the band and let it go.

Those of us who live in the south can thank PMCA, Texas Parks and Wildlife (Brent Ortego and Jim Ray) and others for bringing banding and color banding to our state. Reading color bands will be a big boost to learning where our birds originate and where they go.

Thanks for your interest. jb