An Eastern Screech Owl and a Northern Saw-whet Owl made for a good night. -J. Furber

The ‘owl team’ had some success last night. They caught 5 Northern Saw-whet Owls (2 were retraps and 3 were new birds) and the first Eastern Screech Owl of the year.

Gaps in the flourescence on the flight feathers indicate an older bird. -B. Fotheringham

Opening the ear hole also reveals the (dark) eye ball of a Saw-whet Owl. -B. Fotheringham

“Daytime banding” also went well with a smattering of short-distance migrants still on the move and a plethora of American Goldfinches taking advantage of the feeders. The cold wind out of the NW, was a factor billowing the nets in the exposed areas. The most interesting bird of the day was a Pileated Woodpecker that stayed in the vicinity of the banding area throughout the morning. Usually we only see these birds when Dorothy Smith is around to point them out…but not today.

A Pileated Woodpecker was seen numerous times around the vicinity of the banding area. -C. Scholtens

Banded 61:
1 Hairy Woodpecker
6 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 Golden-crowned Kinglets
1 Northern Cardinal
3 American Tree Sparrows
2 Fox Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
8 Dark-eyed Juncos
2 House Finches
6 Pine Siskins
28 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 36 spp.
Fall Banding Total: 4,834
Year-to-Date Banding Total: 7,419

Photo Gallery:
[slickr-flickr tag=”november32012″]

Rick