CVWO News from Kiptopeke

Season totals!!!

2008-12-10T21:52:00.001-05:00

Howdy all,
So the numbers are in and here they are! It was an interesting season. Good weather, bad weather. High numbers,, low numbers. Species diversity was a bit low and nothing too crazy was caught, but all in all, another great year here at Kiptopeke! Below are the species and the number that was banded this season, and special notes for a few selected species.

Sharp-shinned Hawk.........................11
American Woodcock............................9 new 15 year high, old high was 5 in 2007
Mourning Dove.....................................1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo...........................4
Eastern Screech-Owl...........................1
Chuck-will's-widow..............................1
Red-bellied Woodpecker.....................3
Downy Woodpecker.............................1
Hairy Woodpecker...............................1
Northern Flicker..................................2 both yellow-shafted, a bit low
Easteren Wood-Pewee.......................11
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher...................7
Acadian Flycatcher..............................3
Traill's Flycatcher..............................28 (Willow or Alders), lowest since 1997
Least Flycatcher..................................3
Eastern Phoebe..................................25
Great Crested Flycatcher...................4 ties a 15 year high with 2006 season
Eastern Kingbird..................................6
White-eyed Vireo...............................14
Blue-headed Vireo...............................1 lowest since 1997
Philadelphia Vireo................................5 new 15 yr high, old high was 4 in 2000
Red-eyed Vireo..................................63
Blue Jay.................................................4
Carolina Chickadee.............................15 new 15 yr high, old high was 10 set in 1999,2006,&2007
Tufted Titmouse..................................9
Red-breasted Nuthatch......................6 6th year in a row we have caught one, a bit unusual
Brown Creeper....................................29
Carolina Wren.....................................42
House Wren.........................................73
Winter Wren.......................................20
Golden-crowned Kinglet....................63
Ruby-crowned Kinglet.......................82
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher........................7 new 15 yr high, old high 6 in 1994 & 2004
Veery....................................................52
Gray-cheeked Thrush........................13 low, 26 avg from 2001 to 2007
Bicknell's Thrush..................................4 ties a 15 yr high with 2000 season
Swainson's Thrush..............................25
Hermit Thrush...................................313 huge year, new 15 yr high, old high 257 in 2005
Wood Thrush.........................................7
American Robin...................................52 new 15 yr high, old high was 35 in 2006
Gray Catbird.......................................596 couldn't get 4 more??
Northern Mockingbird........................28
Brown Thrasher...................................33 15 yr high is 34
Blue-winged Warbler............................4
Nashville Warbler..................................1
Northern Parula...................................44
Yellow Warbler.......................................3
Chestnut-sided Warbler.......................4
Magnolia Warbler.................................51
Cape May Warbler.................................2
Black-throated Blue Warbler............251
Yellow-rumped Warbler................2,966 all Myrtle's race, couldn't get 34 more??
Black-throated Green Warbler............6 15 yr high is 7 in 2000
Pine Warbler...........................................5 had 6 in each season from 2004 to 2007, missed it by 1
Kirtland's Warbler..................................0 yea, right ;-)
Prairie Warbler.....................................1o
Palm Warbler........................................47 low, 26 western race:21 yellow race, 15yr avg is 152
Bay-breasted Warbler...........................1
Blackpoll Warbler..................................25
Black-and-white Warbler..................138 new 15 yr high, old high was 132 in 2001
American Redstart.............................304
Worm-eating Warbler...........................6
Ovenbird................................................60
Northern Waterthrush........................18 low, 82 in 2006, 12 in 1997
Kentucky Warbler..................................1 ties 15 yr high (because we caught one)
Connecticut Warbler..............................4
Hooded Warbler.....................................4
Wilson's Warbler.....................................1
Canada Warbler......................................3
Yellow-breasted Chat...........................12
Summer Tanager....................................1
Scarlet Tanager.......................................2
Northern Cardinal.................................43
Rose-breasted Grosbeak........................1
Blue Grosbeak.........................................5
Indigo Bunting........................................26
Eastern Towhee.....................................22
Chipping Sparrow...................................15
Field Sparrow..........................................92
Savannah Sparrow.................................16
Grasshopper Sparrow.............................1
Fox Sparrow............................................23 15 yr high is 24 in 2003, 15 yr avg is 7
Song Sparrow.........................................119
Lincoln's Sparrow.....................................5
Swamp Sparrow....................................135
White-throated Sparrow.....................356 new 15 yr high, old high 313 in 2005, 15 yr avg is 162
White-crowned Sparrow.........................1 eastern race
Dark-eyed Junco.....................................38 all slate-colored race
Baltimore Oriole........................................2
American Goldfinch.................................11

SEASON TOTAL................................6,726
TOTAL SPECIES.....................................90 if you don't split out Traill's Flycatcher

And for some more numbers:
The 15 yr avg for species is 92. We had 90.
The 15 yr avg for net hours is 9,730. We had 11,353.
The 15 yr avg for total banded is 6,432. We had 6,726.
Guess you can say we had an average season! ha ha

Thanks again Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory!
And thanks again Kiptopeke!

Cheers,
Jethro Runco

Our largest sparrow we catch here

2008-11-17T19:03:00.000-05:00

"Its a beast!" is the only way to describe a Fox Sparrow after handling a lot of Field Sparrows today (11/17). A day in which we caught 30 Field Sparrows (a large day for them here) and then just as much of a surprise, we caught this monster at about 1pm! It was our first Fox Sparrow of the season. This species usually comes in at the very end of our season and is usually one of the last species we add to our species banded list for the season. And of course, since its a sparrow, its one of my "favorites"! ha ha

Over the years, things have changed a bit here at the banding station. Since 1997, the banding station has run a bit longer into the season, and a bit more so since 2001. So for the years 1994-1997 (4 seasons), no Fox Sparrows were banded. Then for the years 1998-2000 (3 season) a total of 23 were banded (14 of them in 1998). But for the years 2001-2006 (6 seasons), a total of 63 were banded (including 24 in 2003). However, during the 2007 season, no Fox Sparrows were banded (their first miss since 1997). So I was pretty excited to catch this one today! Not sure how many we are going to catch over the next 5 days (season ends Sat. the 22nd), since the weather forecast is looking pretty ugly for the next 4 days. Like always, its a wait and see.

A bit about Fox Sparrows. They come in a few different races. The one we get here Virginia is the red races. Off to the west are a few more races, the Slate-colored, Sooty, and Thick-billed. Fox Sparrows are also the second largest sparrow found in the United States, only behind the monster Harris's Sparrow. What was kind of neat about this bird we caught was actually the time of day we caught it. We almost always catch Fox Sparrows on our first net run of the day or at least within the first hour or two of sunrise. We caught ours today after noon. Kind of neat and exciting!

A common migrant, but we just don't catch many

2008-11-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

So here is a picture of an American Robin, a species most Americans with a heartbeat can identify, and a very common migrant here at Kiptopeke. There have been several reports of 500,000+ migrating through in one day here! Even a million have been reported! So I would say that makes them a fairly common migrant! ha ha But if you have ever seen them going over here at Kiptopeke, you'll know that they don't travel at 7 feet or below very often! Soooo, that said, we don't tend to catch many here. Today (11/17) was a big day for us here (as far as Robins go). We banded 15. That brings our season total to 24. Which is actually pretty good. Since 1997, the average per season is only 17. The highest season total during that span was 35 banded in 2006. Since our season is winding down fast, I will assume we will not come close to that, but I am pretty happy with the 24 total we have now. So as a tribute to one of the most recognized species in the U.S., here's a beautiful picture of one!

One cool Swamp Sparrow!

2008-11-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

So here is a series of pictures of a leucistic Swamp Sparrow we caught on the 2nd Nov. Sibley describes leucism (also referred to as dilute plumage) as “normal patterns are visible, but all plumage is paler than normal, usually pale, creamy brown.” Page 13. Although not very common, birds like this do show up with some regularity. I have seen only but a handful of such plumages in the last ten years. So it’s always a treat to see one, such as this sparrow. For comparative reasons, I have added a few pictures of a normal Swamp Sparrow (the darker ones). Over the last few years we have seen an increase in Swamp Sparrow numbers here at the banding station. The main reason is because of some habitat changes that have occurred here recently. A few years ago, an agriculture field next to the banding station was allowed to go fallow, which created great habitat for sparrows, including Swamp Sparrows. Between 1994 and 2003, the average season total for Swamp Sparrows was a bit over 48 birds per season. But for the years after the ag field went fallow (2004) the station is averaging 148 per season (a full hundred more than previous).

Big year in the making?

2008-11-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

Last week, we had a very large movement of Hermit Thrushes through the area. We had two massive days at the banding station, on the 2 Nov. we banded 46 Hermits, but we had an even bigger day on the 31 Oct when we caught an amazing 50! Those two days make up the highest and second highest Hermit Thrush days I have seen here at Kiptopeke and the highest since 1994! Because of this large push, we are currently on pace to set a new 15 year high for this species this year. We have currently banded 236 Hermit Thrushes. The 15 year-high is 257. So it’s going to be close as we enter our last week of banding. Since 2001, the banding station has been averaging 168 per season, however, last year, we only banded 68, so it’s nice to see a rebound this season!

Finally! My Blue Jay!!!

2008-11-15T17:17:00.000-05:00

Well it took way too long, but we finally caught possible my favorite bird to band! Blue Jays!!!
On the 8th of November we caught our first Blue Jay of the season. Then on the 11th, we caught 2 more! I just love them and glad to finally catch some. And it has taken longer than one might think! We didn't catch ANY last year! So it has been a long time in waiting!
So why to I love them sooo much? Well, they are much different than most people think. A terror when visiting your bird feeder and always seem to be a bully when out and about, but when you have one in hand, they are totally the opposite! They are dolls! They don't struggle, they don't bite, and they don't even make a noise! (Wish I could say the same for Cardinals!). Anyway, they are just awesome birds! Another reason I like them soo much is that they are absolutely beautiful! The blue colors are phenomenal! Something you can only really appreciate when the bird is in hand! These pictures are great but they really don't do the bird justice!
Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as I do!!

Adult Northern Goshawk banded at the hawk station

2008-11-04T12:08:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the adult Northern Goshawk that was banded by hawk bander Robert Klages, at the Hawk Baning Station here at Kiptopeke on the 3 Nov. Its one beautiful bird! Goshawks are not all that commonly banded here at Kiptopeke. Since 1995, this is only the 22nd one to be banded here. The high year came in 1999 when 5 were banded. Between 1995 and 2000 (6 seasons) 15 were banded but between the years 2001 and 2006 (6 seasons), only 3 were banded. Last year (2007) 3 were banded so hopefully there will be an increase in the next six seasons! I am not sure how many were adults, but if Goshawks are anything like the other hawks and passerines, most of them are hatch year birds. So I will assume not many adult Goshawks have been banded here.

Took a while for this one

2008-11-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

So finally, we caught a Nashville Warbler. A species that is "usually" annual, we missed catching one last year, and since it was already Nov. this year and we had not caught one, I thought we had missed them again this year. Well, as luck would have it, we didn't blank on Nashville's this year. We caught this one on the 3 Nov. a bit later than we normally catch them, but we'll take it.
Since 1994, the station has been averaging a bit more then 6.5 per season. So not a high total, but usually present. Since that time, the only year where one was not caught was last year (2007). The high was 13 banded in 1999.

One of the last snakes to be out

2008-11-02T18:16:00.000-05:00

As the season goes on, and the temperatures start to drop lower and lower, one of the last snake species that will be out this season, is this Black Rat Snake. Today we found this one sunning itself on the sandy trail this afternoon, trying to find a bit of warmth amongst the cold breezy today. A common species here at Kiptopeke, this non-venomous snake is frequently see on the trails here. This one is one of the biggest ones I have seen here over the years. This one was a bit shorter than 5 feet.

Solitary Vireo--OOPS WAIT!

2008-11-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

Blue-headed Vireo I mean!

For those of you that have been birding awhile, you will understand what I am talking about. For those of you that are new to birding, here's the lowdown. There use to be a bird called a Solitary Vireo, but about ten years ago, the AOU (American Ornithologists' Union-the ones that name birds) decided that 3 different species were composing the "Solitary" Vireo. So they split each one out to give all three (then races), their own species standing. And that's where "Blue-headed" Vireo came into existence. Moving on. So this one was the first for the season for us. And a bit late (for us anyway). This species is an annual bird here although it fluctuates from year to year. And this bird is the 100th caught and banded here since (and including) the 1994 season. The season high came in 2004 when 17 were banded.

My, what a long bill you have!

2008-11-02T17:25:00.000-05:00

One of the more interesting birds we catch here at Kiptopeke with some regularity is this fella, an American Woodcock (also known as, Timber Doodler-which is what I like to call them). A neat bird that enjoys flying and foraging at dawn and dusk and uses its long bill to penetrate the soil in search for worms and bugs. The tip of the bill is flexible and can be opened just at the tip! That's known as "pretty darn cool"! Also look at the eyes of this one. Notice how they are rotated to the back and top of the head! Its a good way to keep an eye on predators while foraging. And as a side note, their brain has also rotated back and is actually on the back and bottom of the head--somewhat below the eye (some useless trivia there). Anyway, in the last ten years, a total of 20 have been banded here, however, most of them have come in the last few years (13 in the last 4 years). The high during that time came last year (2007) when we banded 5. This one was the first for the season (we caught it on the 31 Oct.). Hopefully there are more Timber Doodlers in our future!

Happy Halloween!!!!

2008-10-31T22:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!!

Seems we like to burn the candle at both ends here (ha ha) so we decided to have a little pumpkin carving this evening. And here are the results!

The two below were carved by Shannon Ehlers, the Saw-whet Owl bander here working for the Center for Conservation Biology.

The cat was carved by Sharna Tolfree, CVWO Monarch tagger and now Hawk bander.

And last but not least (I think), mine, the wicked house on the hill!

One last picture before I head to bed. And Happy Halloween to all!!

Snow Bunting on Kiptopeke fishing pier

2008-10-29T17:24:00.002-04:00

First off, sorry for the not-so-good pictures. I have a small camera and a pair of much better binoculars, but the two sometimes don't work in perfect harmony! So the end product are usually so-so pictures. The cloudy cover and the high winds probably didn't help much either!! ha ha
Anyway, here are a few pictures of the Snow Bunting that was found on the Kiptopeke fishing pier on the 26th Oct. This bird has been hanging around ever since. (I took these pictures today 10/29). The bird is fairly calm and you can get within 20 feet or so before it starts to look antsy. Its a sweet looking bird and one that is not see down here on the tip all that often. Up at Chincoteague, it is a bit more common, but then so are the dunes and open areas that are more preferred by this species.

The uncommon, common warbler

2008-10-28T17:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes things are not what they seem here at the banding station. For instance, Pine Warblers. As most of you know, here in Virginia, Pine Warblers are a pretty common species. And even here at Kiptopeke, they are common within the state park, usually found hanging out in the tall pines that are abundant here. BUT they are not a common capture for the banding station! Crazy I know, but let me give you some more background on why at is. So turn to your favorite bird guide and look at the range map for Pine Warblers. First thing you should see is that they are found year round here on the Delmarva (as well as other parts of VA) and throughout the deep south. Next notice that they breed really no farther than the U.S./Canada border. Ok, so why is all that important? Well, during migration, we really don't have a "bunch" of Pine Warblers migrating through this area. Because of this, we don't catch a lot of them. Also, I mentioned that Pine Warblers like pine trees. Here, within the banding station, we have tried thinning out the pines to allow more deciduous trees to come up (better for more species of migrants). The remaining pines in the banding station are quite tall, so their canopy is way above our nets (again, limiting captures). Therefore, in an average season here, we band roughly 4 per season (which is exactly how many we have so far this season). Obviously, not a very high number.

This sexy hatch year male was caught on the 27th Oct.

Our littlest bird?

2008-10-28T16:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I need to be a bit more specific about what I mean by the "littlest" bird. So pictured here is what I call as the littlest bird the banding station bands, a beautiful Winter Wren. BUT, it is not the "lightest" bird we band, and it is NOT the smallest bird we capture. Confused yet? Ok, so let me break this down. So the "smallest" bird we capture (but not band) is Ruby-throated Hummingbird. They are the lightest in weight (near 3.2 grams, but with a little fat can be upwards of 5 grams), but they tend to have a pretty long wings. The "lightest" bird we BAND goes to Golden-crowned Kinglets. They typically run about 5.5 to 6.0 grams (although I have seen birds weight as light as 4.8 grams), but they too have long wings and tail. But the Winter Wren has the shortest wing and tail, but they are hefty little fellas. So the "smallest" bird we band is the Winter Wren, but the "lightest" is Golden-crowned Kinglet. Is that better?
As for Winter Wrens, they are a common migrant here at Kiptopeke, although they are a bit difficult to see! They love to hang around 'downed" wood, like brush piles and better yet, if it is located within a forest-type setting. Since 2001, we have been averaging just over 24 Winter Wrens a season (low 17, high 34). So far this season, we have banded 14 of these tanglers of mist nets. I am glad we don't catch them by the hundreds. They really can get tangled in a net because of their small size and feisty attitudes!

Beauty in Brown

2008-10-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

Where do you start when talking about Brown Creepers? Do I mention the cool feeding behavior of flying to the base of a tree and slowing working its way up the tree and when finished, flying back down to the base of another tree and repeating the process? Or is it the way they use their tail much the same way a woodpecker uses theirs? Or maybe its the very high thin song they sing or the high thin call notes? Or maybe its the shear beauty of the intricate pattern of browns, tans, and white (with a red rump thrown in!). Whatever it is we think of, when we think of these little hardy birds, they are favorites of many, including me.
Here at Kiptopeke, they are fairly common migrants and winter residences here. Over the last 7 seasons, the banding station has been averaging roughly 30 Creepers a season here. The high being 50 in 2002 and a low of 12 in 2007. So far this season, we have banded 21 and I expect more as the season goes on.

2008-10-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

I know there are a lot of pictures of Red-breasted Nuthatches on this blog, they seem to be favorites for a lot fo people, and for good reason: They are soooo cute!

Here on the Eastern Shore, in some years, Red-breasteds are the most common nuthatch here. Although, in a year round sense, Brown-headed Nuthatchs are more common. And surprisingly to many people, White-breasted Nuthatchs are not that common here on the shore. In fact, I have never seen one, or heard one. But there are records from here and near Kiptopeke.

Another interesting fact about Red-breasted Nuthatchs here is that between the seasons 1994 and 2003, the banding station only caught Red-breasteds on odd numbered years!
But, since then they have become annual. The banding station has caught them every year since the 2003 season!

The most caught in a season came in 2001 when 20 were banded. The average since 1994 is almost 7 per season. So far this season we have banded 5.

Fire on a Kinglets head!!

2008-10-25T14:31:00.000-04:00

One of the true treasures of the later season here at Kiptopeke is male Golden-crowned Kinglets. This tiny fella appears to have a little "fire" on his head when one blows on the top of its head to reveal the orange feathering that is surrounded by the yellow feathers! Much like Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowns can conceal these feathers (the orange in Golden-crowns and red in Ruby-crowns) and raise them when they are agitated or better yet, when trying to impress a female!
Kinglets are one of the smallest birds we band here. Winter Wrens and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are also very tiny), but typically, Golden-crowned Kinglets are the lightest (in weight) than all the others (normal weight is about 5.6 grams). So read into that, TINY! By comparison, the heaviest Ruby-throated Hummingbird I have ever heard of was 5.95 grams (an extremely fat migrant)!

Another species on the rise?

2008-10-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a few pictures of the Mourning Dove we caught back on the 16th of Oct. This is a species that we have been catching with some regularity in recent years. And I am not sure why. Between the years 1994 and the 2003 season (ten seasons), only three Mourning Doves were banded here. But starting with the 2004 season and including this season (five seasons), a total of eight individuals have been banded and currently an annual species.
When it comes to Mourning Doves, we tend not to catch that many, mainly because they are just too big and too flappy that they tend to get out of nets much easier than other species. They just don't tangle in the nets and if they work at it, most tend to get out before we can get to them. So its a treat to actually catch one. Our nets are made to catch smaller birds, so species like Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Brown Thrashers, Sharp-shinned Hawks, are usually a bit too big to catch. Yes, we will catch a few most/every year, but the considering how many actually hit the net and how many we band, capture rates are always low on those species.

Meet a local and regular visitor

2008-10-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

Just a couple of pictures here of the most visited individual of the season so far. This Carolina Wren was banded on the 15th Aug at 6:30am, meaning it was one of the first five individuals banded this season. It was aged as a hatch year bird (so a bird that was hatched out this past summer), and at that time was in its juvenile plumage. Well, since that time, he/she has molted into its "adult" plumage (pictured here). Since the first time we caught it (and banded it) we have recaptured this bird 11 more times this season. So a regular at the banding station!
Carolina Wrens are a local resident here and non-migratory so we have a chance at catching this individual everyday this season and in future seasons. In a typical year here at Kiptopeke we average 38 Carolina's a season (low season was 30, high was 46). So far this season, we have banded 41, so about average.

Swainson's Hawk on the Eastern Shore

2008-10-19T12:12:00.002-04:00

The Eastern Shore is probably the best place in Virginia to see this western species. Swainson's Hawk is "almost" an annual species here, but rarely more than one a season. If memory serves me right, I have only seen 3 in the 8 years I have been here, but I have not seen all of them that have been here. So far this season, there was one reported by Harry Armistead et al. in early October and was later seen over Fisherman's Island. Then, on the 18th of Oct. Brian Taber saw one from the Kiptopeke Hawk Watch. And then today (19th Oct) Sharna Tolfree found this one on Fisherman's Island and was able to take some great pictures as it soared with a kettle of vultures.
Also, the second Rough-legged Hawk of the season flew over the Hawkwatch on the 18th Oct.
So it seems to be a good year to find some of the rarer hawks on the shore this year!

I want to thank photographer Sharna Tolfree for allowing me to post her pictures of the Swainson's Hawk on there!

can you name that sparrow?

2008-10-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

As I had posted before, there is going to be a lot of sparrows posted here over the next month. Because I love them! So here's one for you all. This beauty is a Savannah Sparrow. Although this one didn't have much (if any) yellow in the lores like most have, it is still a Savannah. This is a species that is not really all that commonly caught here at the banding station. It is usually annual but some years numbers are very low and others are a bit higher. Since 1994, there have been two seasons (2000 and 2002) when no Savannahs were caught and in 1996 only one was caught. Between 2000 and 2007 the station averaged 6.75 per season. However, in 1995, a total of 194 were banded!! MUCH higher then the second highest total of 40 in 1999. So far this season, I think we have banded 3 or 4 but it is still early. So hopefully we can break 10 this season!

Fungus amongst us

2008-10-15T19:11:00.002-04:00

I'm always heard that one side of the mushroom will make you smaller, while the other side will make you bigger. Well, I am not sure I want to test the theory. When it comes to mushrooms, I play dumb and pretend everything is poisonous, and if I want to eat a mushroom, I will buy it in a store. I guess those in the story are not the bigger/smaller sided ones, because I have not seen a change when I eat those. Of course, maybe its because I eat the whole thing and the two sides counteract each other! ? Anyway, with the recent rains, many mushrooms, and the like, have popped up everywhere here on the Eastern Shore. Here at the banding station we have been watching them as they change daily in shape and size. Pretty fun! We currently have some monster mushrooms, as well as, some little ones. This one was right next to the banding station and was just begging to have its picture taken. So I obliged.

Take me to your leader

2008-10-15T18:57:00.001-04:00

Not really sure what to say about this little fella as he/she was waiting for me to enter my car. This little spider looks more like a creature from a cold, distant planet than anything else, and I am pretty sure he was wanting to eat me. I held my ground however, which I think confused the alien intruder and I managed to escape with my life. But before I made my great escape, I was fortunate to get this picture, which proves that there is alien life forms outside of our little planet we call Earth!

Lincoln's Sparrow number three

2008-10-15T18:44:00.000-04:00

On the 14th of Oct. we caught our third Lincoln's Sparrow of the season! This is a species we have been catching more and more of over the last hand full of seasons. Between the years 1994 and 2001 (8 seasons) only 6 were banded (for and average of 0.75 per season). Since the 2001 season however (2002 to 2007: 6 seasons), a total of 21 have been banded for an average of 3.5 per season. And no, I am not sure why there has been a recent increase. Wish I did. Anyway, since I love sparrows, I am ok with it! I am sure you all will see more sparrow pictures on here over the next month and a half! Promise!