Week 13: Get in my (Buff-)belly!

 13-18 October

 

American (Buff-bellied) Pipit, Rocky Point, 17 October 2025 (David M Bell). The Austin Powers fans among you may appreciate this week’s blog title.

 

Well, that’s a wrap! The week started well at both stations. It was evident mid-October was upon us as a drop in temperature was felt, with hats and gloves being cracked out while shorts and t-shirts were folded away for the foreseeable. Monday saw 90 birds banded at Rocky Point, including 23 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and 21 Pacific Wrens. Two hatch year Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrows also visited the nets, as did a recapture Golden-crowned Sparrow who had been banded in 2021. Pedder Bay boasted 70 birds banded on the same day.

Adult Golden-crowned Sparrow at Rocky Point who had been banded there in 2021 – nice to see you again!

Pacific Wren by Rocky Point’s very own Banksy (anonymous)

Tuesday was off to a Rocky-er start, with a Roosevelt Elk charging through one of the nets. It was swiftly replaced, and 40 birds were banded there, while a first year Franklin’s Gull was observed, which would go on to linger through the week. The Bay of Pedder produced 31 new birds, including a stunning male Anna’s Hummingbird, a late Wilson’s Warbler and a Pacific Wren recaptured from last year.

A late Wilson’s Warbler with an odd colour shift in the primaries – the outer five being yellow-fringed and the inner five being greyish-fringed. This was mirrored in the primary coverts. (Max Hellicar)

 

Wednesday saw 37 birds banded at Rocky Point and 26 at Pedder Bay. Rocky’s haul included a Steller’s Jay; the 9^th individual to be banded there this season.

Max inspecting the age of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Pedder Bay while spectators observe (Liam Seward-Ragan)

 

Thursday morning was a chilly one but that didn’t stop RPBO’s first-ever American Pipit (to be banded) from going into the nets. Separate to our standardised operations, this bird was captured as part of an attempt in a different area, in order to assess the feasibility of instigating a long-term project on the species. Data from the Bird Banding Lab (https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/Bander_Portal/login/bbl_data_request_summary.php) show only 37 prior individuals to have been banded in British Columbia (1960-2025), so it is a species we really could do with learning more about here! American Pipits are a long-distance migrant which move from breeding grounds as far north as the Arctic circle to wintering grounds as far south as central America. They occupy a continuous distribution across North America, breeding across the north and wintering across the south. There is a massive gap across the centre of the continent which they only use to pass through during migration. Banding pipits can help unravel the picture of where migrating pipits, such as those passing through Rocky Point, breed and spend their winters. Two Hutton’s Vireos were also trapped at Rocky Point on Thursday; one new hatch year and a recapture from last year. Pedder Bay banded 26, including another Anna’s Hummingbird.

Hatch year American Pipit

 

Friday was another nice day at Rocky Point. Banding totalled 28 birds and included a juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk, the third Swamp Sparrow of the season and RPBO’s second-ever banding record of American Pipit (both hatch years). The lingering Franklin’s Gull remained, and good views were had by all! 6 Black Bears were sighted on the way out of the site; a fitting end to the penultimate day of the season. On the theme of large mammals, Roosevelt Elk have been reliably seen through the week and are always a welcome site (apart from in the net lanes!). 20 birds were banded at Pedder, where a Red-breasted Sapsucker was recaptured.

First year Franklin’s Gull (Max Hellicar)

Swamp Sparrow (Max Hellicar)

Saturday morning produced a third-ever banding record for Rocky Point in the form of a Tennessee Warbler. Previous records were in 2006 and 2019. Meanwhile at Pedder Bay, a juvenile female Sharp-shinned Hawk was captured. The end of the season was determined by rain at the latter site, with nets closed 20 minutes early as a result, ending the day on a total of 32 birds banded. Rocky Point fared mildly better, with 40 new birds captured, including a Marsh Wren. A Townsend’s Solitaire was a good observation for those on site. The last bird of the season at Pedder Bay was an adult female Ruby-crowned Kinglet, while Rocky Point’s final bird was a hatch year Pacific Wren.

Tennessee Warbler (Andrew Jacobs)

Juvenile female Sharp-shinned Hawk (Max Hellicar)

 

This week’s top five species at Rocky Point were Ruby-crowned Kinglet (88), Pacific Wren (43), Golden-crowned Kinglet (31) and Sparrow (26), followed by Spotted Towhee (19). At Pedder Bay, the top five for the week were Ruby-crowned Kinglet (49), Hermit Thrush (30), Pacific Wren (22), Fox and Golden-crowned Sparrows (20 each).

In taxonomic order, all birds banded per species during week 13 at Rocky Point (above)

In taxonomic order, all birds banded per species during week 13 at Pedder Bay (above)

 

That’s the breakdown of the week done, now let’s take a broader look at the season as a whole…

Rocky Point ended the season with a total of 4442 birds banded, comprising 72 species. This constitutes the second-best-ever autumn (since standardisation in 2000), overtaking 2019’s total of 4378 in the last few days and just pipping it to the post. 2005 still holds the title, however, with 4619 new birds. This year is well above the annual average (2000-2024) of 3296 birds banded. Totals per year fluctuate greatly, with the worst-ever year for totals being 2001 (2596 birds banded), and this is often driven by good or bad years for a select few, or even a single, species. Such fluctuations highlight the importance of long-term monitoring for the recording of population trends.

The banding totals board after the season finale at Rocky Point

In 2025, there were 886 records of recaptured birds at Rocky Point, involving 34 species and constituting a mix of those banded during this season (many of whom were repeat offenders) and those from previous years. Our primary goal is monitoring migration, many aspects of which can be achieved purely by comparing numbers of new birds per year to monitor population trends. However, recaptures build a picture of site fidelity across different years and within the same season, providing valuable results with implications for conservation. While we recapture a number of individuals of our resident species, adding to the picture of the importance of our monitoring sites to them, we have also recaptured a number of migrant individuals recently who were banded in previous years, and this multi-season site fidelity shows the importance of the area in their migratory flyway.

The final passerine to be banded this season at Rocky Point: a Pacific Wren (Adam Ross)

During our standardised migration monitoring (21 July to 18 October), Rocky Point saw its best ever year for White-crowned Sparrow (537 individuals banded), Spotted Towhee (438), American Goldfinch (260), Black-headed Grosbeak (9), Olive-sided Flycatcher (6), Palm Warbler (2) and Brewer’s Sparrow (1 – a first for Rocky Point so an automatic record year). That was a lot of White-crowned Sparrows and Spotted Towhees! Joint record years were seen for Clay-coloured Sparrow (3), Cooper’s Hawk (2), Ovenbird (1) and Tennessee Warbler (1).

Over at Pedder Bay, the season ended with 2864 birds banded, comprising 61 species. 714 recapture records were processed, involving 36 species. This marks RPBO’s fourth-worst year at Pedder Bay (or eleventh-best, depending on whether your glass is half empty or half full), falling below the 2012-2024 average of 3147 birds per season.

The banding totals board after the season finale at Pedder Bay

  

The bulk five species banded at Rocky Point this season were White-crowned Sparrow (537), Spotted Towhee (438), American Goldfinch (260), Wilson’s Warbler (242) and Western Flycatcher (226).

The bulk five species banded this season at Pedder Bay were Fox Sparrow (246), White-crowned Sparrow (222), Swainson’s Thrush (219), Hermit Thrush (215), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (211).

Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Andrew Jacobs). This was the final species of passerine to be banded at Pedder Bay this season.

 

As ever, sincere thanks go out to our fantastic crew of staff and volunteers who made this season possible! Many volunteers have given large sums of their own time to ensure the continued running of operations at RPBO and this never goes unnoticed. If you're interested in checking us out, do head over to rpbo.org. We hope you’ve enjoyed these weekly blogs. Stay tuned for next season’s!

 

Written by: Max Hellicar, 2025 Bander-in-Charge

Week 12: Rallidae Keeps the Dr. Away

06-12 October

This week our Rocky Point site was closed for five of the seven days for military operations so passerine banding and census could not be conducted. Pedder Bay had a wonderful week including one 100+ bird day! As the season shifts, we’re saying goodbye to our Neotropic migrants and hello to our kinglets and sparrows. Kinglets of both varieties filter through the trees like sand through a sieve. They pour horizontally through the foliage in their search for micro-invertebrates hiding in the lichens, mosses, and bark.  White-crowned Sparrows have virtually disappeared from nets to be replaced by Golden-crowned Sparrows. I have really enjoyed this switch as it brings new things to learn and new plumages to enjoy. Their sad song is new to me and I can’t help but feel it signals the end of the season and the end of my time here in Victoria

Adult Golden-crowned Sparrow showing a very nice golden crown. (Pic: Andrew Jacobs) 

Pedder Totals

Pedder Bay banded 388 new birds and processed 109 recaps. Ruby-crowned Kinglets took first place at 124 newly banded birds, Golden-crowned Sparrow followed in second place with 72 newly banded birds and Fox Sparrow in third with 69 newly banded birds.  Highlights include the first Varied Thrush of the season, Steller’s Jay, and several White-throated Sparrows.  

Varied Thrush (Pic: Max Hellicar)

Rocky Totals

Rocky Point was closed to banding crew for five days this past week. This means our Rocky Point totals are quite small. We banded 137 new birds and processed 28 recaps this week. Ruby-crowned Kinglet still took first place with 45 captures followed by Spotted Towhee in second, and Golden-crowned Sparrow in third. Highlights include a few more Steller’s Jay and of course the highlight of the week, a Virginia Rail. This is the fourth Virginia Rail to be banded at Rocky Point. The three other captures occurred one each in 1997, 2017, and 2018. 

Virginia Rail (Pic: Max Hellicar)

Steller's Jay at Rocky Point (Pic: Megan Miller)

To fill the hole in hearts left by the closure at Rocky Point the banding crew, including banders, assistants, and volunteers, contributed to eBird’s global big day on October 11th. Participants travelled across Capital to see as many species as possible. ~ 11 participants submitted 23 checklists totalling 116 species. Highlights included a Brant, a delightful collection of ducks, a tail-bobbing Palm Warbler, and two of the cutest Marbled Murrelets I have ever seen (n=7). 

See our trip report and photos here. 

Banding Crew at Esquimalt Lagoon (Pic: Megan Miller)

Bonaparte's Gull having a snack (Pic: Adam Ross)

With our final week upcoming I'm sad to see the end so soon. I've seen a lot of new things and gained a deeper understanding of many familiar subjects. Thanks to Rocky Point Bird Observatory banders and volunteer crew for hosting me! 

Week 11: A Week of Two Halves

29 September to 05 October

With summer weather stretching well into September, fall migration has been noticeably delayed. The first part of the week was quiet and rainy, with very few birds moving and low numbers in the nets. But once the skies cleared, migration picked up quickly—culminating in the busiest days of the season so far at both stations.

Since BirdCast data isn’t available for Canada, Clallam County—directly across the Strait of Juan de Fuca—serves as the closest reference point. This week showed a dramatic increase in migration activity, rising from a low of around 800 birds on September 28th to a peak of nearly 1.3 million by October 5th. (https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-WA-009?night=2025-10-05)

Pedder Bay

The week may have started slow, but it quickly got interesting. Ruby-crowned Kinglet numbers, which had been notably low so far this season, finally began to pick up. Golden-crowned Sparrows also started arriving in better numbers, after a slow start. Several late-season stragglers showed up in the nets as well, including Swainson’s Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher, and Hammond’s Flycatcher—species that are usually well on their way south by this time of year.

The top five species banded this week at Pedder were:

• Dark-eyed Junco (56)
  

• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (45)
  

• Hermit Thrush (37)
  

• Fox Sparrow (27)
  

• Song Sparrow (26)
  
  

Other notable bands this week at Pedder include:  21 Spotted Towhees, 17 Golden-crowned Sparrows, 12 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 12 Pacific Wrens, 2 White-throated Sparrows, 11 Swainson’s Thrushes, and a pair of Hutton's Vireos caught in the same net. Among the recaptures were a Spotted Towhee originally banded in 2022, and two Chestnut-backed Chickadees first caught in 2023.

Hatch year Hutton's Vireo (Gaelin Armstrong)

Spot the difference! Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Max Hellicar)

Observation highlights at Pedder included a morning flyover of 40 Vaux’s Swifts and several Evening Grosbeaks observed flying overhead. A Northern Pygmy Owl was heard tooting from the nearby woods, and a small flock of Violet-green Swallows—lingering later than usual—was seen moving through. A Long-billed Dowitcher was spotted in the front bay near the road, and a Virginia Rail was seen in the back fire lane. Sandhill Cranes were heard making their raspy, dinosaur-like calls before a group of 16 was seen flying south toward the Rocky Point station. Later in the week, once the weather warmed, Turkey Vultures took full advantage of the thermals, with an impressive estimated daily high of over 700 birds seen kettling and heading south on their way to cross the Strait.

Adult Golden-crowned Sparrow (Max Hellicar)

Rocky Point

A slow start gave way to a strong finish, and we ended up with 428 new birds banded and 83 recaptures. Spotted Towhees absolutely dominated the week, with 93 banded—more than double the next most numerous species. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were also busy in the nets, followed closely by Pacific Wrens and Song Sparrows.

The top five species banded this week at Rocky were:

• Spotted Towhee (93)
  

• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (46)
  

• Pacific Wren (30)
  

• Song Sparrow (27)
  

• Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow (25)

Other notable captures included 22 Yellow-rumped Warblers—a mix of Audubon’s (11) , Myrtle (7), and unknown subspecies (5)—along with 19 Savannah Sparrows, 10 Yellow Warblers, 14 Orange-crowned Warblers, and 7 Western Flycatchers. A few other highlights in the nets were a Swamp Sparrow, a Western Palm Warbler, a Marsh Wren, a Red-winged Blackbird, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Hatch year female Sharp-shinned Hawk (Mara Hanneson)

Hatch year male Red-winged Blackbird (Gaelin Armstrong)

Wester Palm Warbler (Andrew Jacobs)

The geese arrived and flocks of Snow, Cackling, Canada, and Greater White-fronted Geese were heard and seen honking overhead. Over the front field, Band-tailed Pigeons flew past, sometimes in groups of more than 100, and American Pipits moved overhead in good numbers, calling with their distinctive "pip-pip" notes. Raptor migration continued to be dominated by Turkey Vultures but was lighter than expected in terms of diversity. Scattered sightings included Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a single Broad-winged Hawk among the vultures, though all appeared in lower numbers than usual. Still, the daily spectacle of vultures riding thermals remains hard to beat. 

Around the station, large flocks of American Robins descended on the crabapple trees, joined by Cedar Waxwings and Purple Finches. Yellow-rumped Warblers and juncos moved through the trees. A few Horned Larks and a Snow Bunting passed overhead. The Franklin’s Gull, spotted last week, continued to be seen around Edye Point. 

Notably absent this week were Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins—two species that are usually common by now. Whether it’s a sign of a poor cone crop or just more evidence that everything is running late, only time will tell. 

A Rocky start to the morning... (Max Hellicar)

Thanks to everyone who helped out this week as the season finally began to ramp up. With more migrants on the move and two weeks left in the season, we’re excited to see what turns up next. 

Pedder Bay	Sep 29	Sep 30	Oct 1	Oct 2	Oct 3	Oct 4	Oct 5	Total
Banded	4	18	18	20	42	89	68	312
Recaps	6	21	6	10	6	4	6	174
Rocky Point	Sep 29	Sep 30	Oct 1	Oct 2	Oct 3	Oct 4	Oct 5	Total
Banded	17	27	13	26	102	158	85	428
Recaps	9	12	9	15	6	6	9	83

Week 10: Towhee Tuesday Never Ends!

 

22-28 September 2025

With a warm late September air we're commonly seeing foggy days at the stations with a few late summer migrants lingering before they head south like Northern House Wren and Northern Yellow Warbler while seabird numbers and winter residents are on the increase. This week in particular our most abundant bird in the nets was the Spotted Towhee! 

A glassy morning at Rocky Point. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

A foggy morning at Pedder Bay. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

A Spotted Towhee that showed up Tuesday night during owl monitoring to continue the ongoing Towhee Tuesday. (photo Max Hellicar)

Banding

This week the team at Pedder Bay processed 221 new birds and 68 recaptures.

The top 5 most banded species for this week there were:

Hermit Thrush - 34

Fox Sparrow - 25

Song Sparrow - 24

Spotted Towhee – 23

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) -20

Many Steller's Jays have been patrolling Pedder Bay noisily flying around collecting acorns. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

A Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker the subspecies normally found in the boreal and eastern parts of North America. Typically in the Capital Region we get Red-shafted Northern Flickers and occasionally Red-shafted x Yellow-shafted intergrades. (photo Gaelin Armstrong)

The Yellow-rumped Warblers have started moving in numbers now with this Myrtle Warbler visiting the nets. Myrtle Warblers differentiate from Audubon's Warbler from the mask, slight supercilium, wing bars, extent of white in the tail and throat patch shape in addition to the white or yellow throat. (photo Andrew Jacobs) 

An Orange-crowned Warbler of the lutescens subspecies, this subspecies is all yellow and breeds in the Capital region. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

A California Quail is a bird we occasionally catch that is not part of the banding project so we can look at their fancy head plumes then let them go on their way. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

Season to date banding totals for Pedder Bay

This week the team at Rocky Point new processed 372 new birds and 76 recaptures.

The top 5 most banded species for this week there were:

Spotted Towhee – 122

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 23

White-crowned Sparrow (Puget Sound) -22

Pacific Wren – 19

Song Sparrow and Orange-crowned Warbler with a tied - 15

A Swamp Sparrow which come in small numbers in winter to the Capital Region to wet places like the front pond at Rocky Point. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

 A hatch year Cedar Waxwing showing greyer streaked plumage while not yet having any of the namesake waxy tips yet. (photo Andrew Jacobs) 

An Orange-crowned Warbler of the orestera subspecies, this is the interior breeding grey headed variety that we see here on migration. (photo Andrew Jacobs) 

Season to date banding totals for Rocky Point

In the field

At Pedder Bay 

The autumn birds have been picking up with increases in numbers of sparrow flocks, Cackling Goose, Greater White-Fronted Goose, American Robins, Hermit Thrushes, Varied Thrushes, Steller's Jays and Ruby-crowned Kinglets all on the increase while most warblers, vireos and flycatchers have migrated out. Rare birds at Pedder Bay have included Clay-coloured Sparrow and a Western Gull which are quite infrequent at the site.

A Clay-coloured Sparrow on the fire road at Pedder Bay, this has been a good year for encountering this rare species of sparrow at the stations. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

Our local wintering sparrow flocks including birds like this Dark-eyed Junco at Pedder Bay have been on the increase this week. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

At Rocky Point

The migrants have been moving at Rocky Point with Cackling Goose, Greater White-Fronted Goose, Sandhill Crane, Marsh Wren, Many American Robins and Steller's Jays. Late season warblers like Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler are still around in fairly good numbers while most other warblers, vireos and flycatchers are rapidly clearing the area to leave on migration. In the seabird department large rafts of Common Murre and California Gull continue along the seaboard and some less common species like Western Gull, Iceland Gull, Ring-billed Gull. The Shearwater influx continues offshore with both Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters. Rarities this week included another Western Palm Warbler and a Franklin's Gull.

A set of first cycle gulls on the rocks in the bay at Rocky Point with Olympic Gull (Glaucous-winged x Western hybrid) left, Western Gull middle and Glaucous-winged Gull right. (photo Andrew Jacobs)

Pedder Bay received a new set of stairs by net 14 courtesy of Mark Byrne!

Week 9: This season is in the Palm of our hand!

September 15 - 21

A first-of-the-season: Steller's Jay! (Mara Hanneson)

Week 9 of our migration monitoring program has come to an end - which means we are well past the halfway mark of the season! In some ways, it feels like we have just begun, yet the crisp mornings, falling leaves, and dew-soaked nets make it clear that autumn has truly set in. Unfortunately, another "tradition" we've begun to anticipate is the arrival of wildfire on the landscape. This week, haze from the Bear Gulch fire in Washington State drifted into the area - reportedly the worst fire in the area (Olympic National Park) since the 1950s. (And if anyone else was wondering what differentiates a Gulch from a Gully: simply put, a gulch is larger!).

Fox Sparrow set against a very smoky morning sky at Rocky Point (Gaelin Armstrong)

Migration is continuing to build momentum, with kettles of Turkey Vultures and other raptors filling the skies, while updates from our nocturnal owl monitoring team keep rolling in. It's an exciting time to be out at the stations - the cool air is ripe with anticipation for what we might encounter next!

This week showed the usual contrasts between our two stations. Read on for updates and highlights!

Pedder Bay

Top 5 banded species at Pedder Bay for week 9

Smoke settling over Pedder Bay
(Mara Hanneson)

This week, 214 birds were banded at Pedder Bay, and 62 were recaptured. The vast majority of birds were sparrows and thrushes, led by the Song Sparrow (30 banded)! By Sunday, the station had reached 1767 new birds for this season. Unfortunately, this places 2025 among the bottom two years to date for total birds banded. Last year, at this time, was the worst season to date with 100 fewer birds banded. We're hoping that incoming waves of kinglets and sparrows will turn things around!

We also celebrated the first Northern Saw-whet Owl of the migration monitoring season, caught on September 16th (the morning after the owl program began).

Northern Saw-whet Owl.
Always a special treat to find one during passerine banding! (Andrew Jacobs)

A close view of this warbler's namesake ... check out that rump!
(Mara Hanneson)

Another significant highlight at Pedder Bay this week has been our visitors! We welcomed 57 guests to observe our operations, participate in bird walks, and learn about our local bird migration. Thanks to all of you for coming out to support! 

Rocky Point

Top 5 banded species for Week 9 at Rocky Point

A smoky morning over the meadow at Rocky Point
(Gaelin Armstrong)

As usual, Rocky Point station is a completely different story from Pedder Bay. Week 9 wrapped up with 370 birds banded and 63 recaptures. This resulted in 3,198 birds banded this year - a season record for this point! The 3000th bird banded was a beautiful hatch year Song Sparrow. A first-of-season capture of two Steller's Jays were a big highlight for all present.

Western Palm Warbler (Gaelin Armstrong)

One of the most exciting captures this week was a hatch year male Western Palm Warbler - the 5th ever banding record for Rocky Point! These warblers breed across the northern edges of most Canadian provinces, and overwinter along the southeastern coast of the United States and in the West Indies. In British Columbia, they favour the boreal forests for breeding, but can be found passing through the southern regions during migration.

Even Rough-skinned Newts like to show off!
(Max Hellicar)

Even on slower net runs, observations kept spirits high. Yellow-rumped Warblers, Turkey Vultures, and Band-tailed Pigeons have been increasing in numbers daily. Other notable observations included four Broad-winged Hawks in a single shift, Sandhill Cranes, a Wandering Tattler, and a Long-eared Owl!

Max matching perfectly with a Steller's Jay!
(Mara Hanneson)

White-throated Sparrow looking dapper 
(Mara Hanneson)

While this blog focuses on the migration monitoring program, we'd be remiss not to mention the other exciting initiative running until October 31st at both stations: Nocturnal Owl Migration Monitoring. The team has had an excellent first week, with plenty of Northern Saw-whet Owls in the nets and even a special guest appearance from another species. If you are interested in visiting, please book a spot here.

Long-eared Owl at Rocky Point! (Robyn Byrne)

As always, a heartfelt thank-you to our wonderful volunteers. It is a pleasure to share our mornings with such a passionate and enthusiastic group of people! We're grateful for your efforts and look forward to the weeks ahead!

Great Horned Owl in all of it's glory 
(Mara Hanneson)