Nancy went for owls last night; I went for Irene’s baked goods. We were both successful!! We caught 6 owls; 5 we banded and one was the recapture of a bird we banded about 10 days ago. Interestingly, they were all caught in the first 2 net rounds. I guess they sense when we have lots of visitors…..and stay away until they leave. There was just Irene and Bob last night. Bob says that he has never NOT got an owl when he’s come owling. So if you’d like his contact information to see when he will be out next……
Earlier in the month we were beginning to wonder where all the goldfinches were. They’ve been around in large numbers for the past two days. They’re at all the feeders now and in the goldenrod in the meadow. You wonder if they’re the same or different birds from one hour to another. Since we banded 32 yesterday and another 36 today, there must be a good turnover through the course of the day and from day to day. I wonder sometimes if they move in same-sex and/or same-age cohorts. On one round we’ll catch predominately males; females on the next. Sometimes we’ll have a larger number of adult birds together; at other times they’ll all be young birds. [Do you think older birds disdain the company of young birds?]
There are still lots of Rusty Blackbirds and Robins around….and there are still lots of grapes. Cedar Waxwings continue to frustrate as their numbers are low while grape numbers are high.
Banded 68:
5 Northern Saw-whet Owls (from last night)
2 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Brown Creeper
1 Carolina Wren
2 Golden-crowned Kinglets
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Eastern Bluebirds
1 Hermit Thrush
1 Northern Cardinal
6 American Tree Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
1 White-throated Sparrow
4 Dark-eyed Juncos
1 Purple Finch
1 House Finch
36 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 43 spp.
Rick