With only 3 days left in the Fall banding season you would think that things would be slowing down. While we’re not getting huge numbers (like in the middle of October) we are getting enough birds to keep us very busy (we are currently catching as many retraps – birds we’ve already banded – as new birds). And when you throw in a “public” owling night, essentially burning the candle at both ends, it can be hectic, especially when there are more than 50 attendees.
It’s striking(and sobering) how quickly the variety of species has decreased over the last 10 days. On October 23rd we encountered 47 species; on November 3rd this had dropped to just 28. I firmly believe that you are given only so many migrations; this one is fast coming to an end.
November 3rd; Banded 39:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Cedar Waxwings
1 Northern Cardinal
1 American Tree Sparrow
2 Chipping Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrows
7 Dark-eyed Juncos
1 House Finch
19 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 28 spp.
November 4th; Banded 47:
1 Tufted Titmouse
2 Golden-crowned Kinglets
2 Northern Cardinals
5 American Tree Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
9 Dark-eyed Juncos
27 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 34 spp.
Saturday Owling Night:
We banded 8 Northern Saw-whet Owls and recaptured one that we had banded in late October – it obviously had been hanging around, sitting out the bad weather.
Photo Gallery:
Rick