Week 3: Or should I say Weak Tree?

As we await the arrival of migrating birds, the number of birds in our nets may be low but that doesn’t mean we’re not staying busy!

Having our stations amongst some gorgeous mature trees comes with the inevitability of them falling from time to time, and our Rocky Point team arrived to find our usual access route blocked by a fallen tree one morning. Luckily we were able to continue operations, and even opened nets on time despite the detour!

A large fallen tree blocks the entrance road at Rocky Point (Ann Nightingale)

Swainson’s Thrushes have begun to increase in numbers at both sites as they disperse from their breeding territories, serenading us with lovely “peep”, “whit”, “bink” and “peeer” calls every morning. Large, boisterous flocks of Red Crossbills have also been visiting us daily, at times making it difficult to hear anything other than the sound of them calling and singing as they feed nearby! These fascinating birds use their highly specialized crossed bills to feed on conifers, lifting the scales and prying the seeds out of cones.

A Red Crossbill dislodges a seed from a Douglas-Fir cone at Rocky Point (Cathy Reader)

It has also been a great season so far for Red-breasted Nuthatches, with high numbers being detected at both stations daily. Despite them spending most of their time feeding above the height of our nets, we’ve even banded a few which is always a nice surprise!

Hatch-year male Red-breasted Nuthatch at Rocky Point (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

In other news this week, we are very thankful to our wonderful assistant bander Adam Ross for his efforts this season. He will be doing some travelling before returning to school in September for his Grade 12 year, but we look forward to seeing him back on weekends as a volunteer!

Adam Ross holds a young Red-breasted Sapsucker that he banded at Pedder Bay (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

We are also very excited to welcome back last year’s assistant bander Gaelin Armstrong, this time as a bander! He is returning to RPBO after spending the summer banding breeding birds in Alberta, and will be working with us for the remainder of the season.

A special thank-you to the volunteers, members and donors for your help and dedication so far this year! We would not be able to run this program without your support. Further information and updates about our organization, projects, upcoming events and how you can get involved can be found on our website, as well as Facebook and Instagram!

16-year-old volunteer Anna Wautier helps "shuttle" some birds to the Pedder Bay station (Robyn Byrne)

Rocky Point Banded Birds

Pedder Bay Banded Birds

Week 2: The Doldrums Can Wait

 

The second week of Rocky Point Bird Observatory’s 2026 Migration Monitoring season has flown by even faster than the first. Our team hit the ground running last week with the help of many of our incredible volunteers and in turn was treated to a mix of interesting species and exciting recaptures. Week 2 ushered us into the month of August, traditionally our slowest month for banding, but despite much discussion about the looming slowdown several noteworthy days and memorable
moments this week kept the doldrums at bay.

 

View from the hills above Pedder Bay (Kiah Jasper)

Things started off hot this week with the capture of a hatch-year Northern Pygmy-Owl at Rocky Point on the very first net run of the first of August! Though not an entirely uncommon bird to hear in the area, this individual was the first for the site since 2015 and only the tenth in the history of the station (with another 9 individuals having been banded at our Pedder Bay site). This species is the smallest of all owl species found on Vancouver Island, but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up in personality.

 

Northern Pygmy-Owl (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

Bander Rebecca Reader-Lee banding the Northern Pygmy-Owl (Alessandra Kite)

Rocky Point reached at a total of 527 birds for the season across 38 different species while Pedder Bay ended the second week with a total of 307 new birds of 35 different species. Each station saw their busiest days for the week come on August 3rd at Rocky Point with 50 new birds banded and August 2nd for Pedder Bay with 24 new birds. Our most commonly banded species at each site was Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow (34) and Wilson’s Warbler (15) at Rocky and Pedder respectively. Our Pedder Bay station allows us the opportunity to invite visitors to come learn about the work we do and the birds that call Vancouver Island home. This week was no different and the team had the privilege of welcoming many wonderful visitors to see the site and the banding process in person.

Bander Sonja Futehally demonstrating the banding process to volunteers (Thea Mills)

Perhaps the most interesting moment of the entire week came on August 2nd in the form of one of the oldest recaptures of the season so far: a female Wilson’s Warbler at Pedder Bay that was first banded as an adult (AHY) during the 2021 season (making her at least 6 years old!). Recaptures allow us as banders to study many facets of a bird’s life and catching a bird we banded years ago can feel a lot like seeing an old friend. The information we gain about an individual bird’s movement, breeding behaviour, and more helps paint the broader picture of bird populations and informs our efforts to conserve them in the places we both call home.

 

An Adult Female Wilson's Warbler that was first banded in 2021 (Alessandra Kite)

Thanks for following along for another week and as always, a special thanks goes out to our team of incredible volunteers. A full summary of each station’s banding totals can be found below and for additional news on what’s happening at RPBO check out our socials @rockypointbird or come visit us in-person (information on visitor sign-ups is available on our website (https://rpbo.org)!

Week 2 and Season Banding Totals

Week 1: The Beginning

 Rocky Point Bird Observatory is back in action for the 2026 Fall Migration monitoring season! From July 21st to October 18th, we will be operating both Rocky Point (RP, no public access) and Pedder Bay (PB, open to the public). This blog is where you can check in weekly for updates on our captures as well as general goings-on around the stations. For other updates, check us out on socials @rockypointbird.  More information including sign up for visitors is available on our website: https://rpbo.org/ !

Our crew this year is a great blend of experience and new ideas and we are all super excited to be out working with the countless volunteers in the coming months! The team is comprised of our Bander-In-Charge Carter Strope, returning Banders Rebecca Reader-Lee and Sonja Futehally. Gaelin Armstrong will also be coming back for another season in mid August when he returns from other banding forays. This year we are exceptionally excited to welcome new staff member Alessandra Kite who will be both Volunteer Trainer and Program Coordinator. Finally, myself (Adam Ross) am filling in the Assistant Bander role before Gaelin returns as a Bander soon! We are all excited for this season and look forward to a great year!

Female Red Crossbill (Adam Ross)

As always, the first week of the season started with a bang and this year, that bang came in the form of a female Red Crossbill netted at our Rocky Point station on the first day! Red Crossbill, although often detected in the area, seldom venture low enough to run (or fly) into our mist nets. This crossbill is only the 8th caught by Rocky Point Bird Observatory and the first since a pair were banded at Pedder Bay in 2020! On the first day of the season there was decent bird activity at both stations with 31 new birds banded at Pedder Bay and 52 at Rocky Point. Another highlight from the first day was a recapture Swainson's Thrush. This bird was originally banded in 2019 as a second year! The bird was recaptured twice in 2024 and now in 2026 making the bird now 8 years old! Interestingly, each time this bird has been caught, it has always been in the first week, showing how consistent individual birds can be in their migration timing! 

Bushtit (Alessandra Kite)

The first week was a good start to the season at our Pedder Bay station with 194 banded in the first week! As for highlights at Pedder Bay, many interesting birds in and around the nets include a juvenile Red-Breasted Sapsucker banded on the first day. Later in the week, the crew was treated to a bird some may consider common: a House Sparrow! Despite being common near buildings as their name suggests, we rarely catch these invasive birds at any of our stations. Thanks to our Pedder Bay station being open to the public, we were happy to welcome many visitors to the station! It is always nice to be able to educate and share about what we do in person! The most numerous bird banded at Pedder Bay this week was Swainson's Thrush (24), followed by Wilson's Warbler (20).  

BIC Carter Strope banding in front of visitors (Robyn Byrne)

Pedder Bay from "the hill" (Adam Ross)

House Sparrow banded at PB (Sonja Futehally)

The first week produced some great birds at Rocky Point with 325 new birds banded in the first week. Highlights include an adult female Red Crossbill banded on the first day and adult male Nashville Warbler banded on July 22. On July 26th, a stunning Western Tanager was caught in net 4 at Rocky. Despite this being a somewhat regularly-caught species, their bright plumage is always jaw-dropping! The crews at Rocky Point were also treated to some great recaptures including a Swainson's Thrush originally banded in 2019 and a fantastic recapture on July 27th when the team "recapped" an adult Olive-Sided Flycatcher originally banded last year as a Second Year, meaning the bird is now three years old! It is always incredible to recapture birds but even cooler when it is a species of which we catch very few. The most-banded bird at Rocky Point for the first week was Wilson's Warbler (38), followed closely by Western Flycatcher (37). Tied in third place were American Goldfinch and Puget Sound White-Crowned Sparrow with 33 new birds respectively.

Adult Male Western Tanager (Adam Ross)

Nashville Warbler (Sonja Futehally)

3rd Year Olive-Sided Flycatcher (Carter Strope)

Both stations were treated to some nice naturalizing in the first week with the wolves making multiple appearances at Rocky Point and many deer with fawns at both sites. Red-breasted Nuthatch have been very numerous at Rocky Point with many family groups around the site. Two Long-Billed Dowichers were observed at Rocky Point on July 26th along with both Least and Western Sandpipers, all in the "front pond". On July 24th, Volunteer Walter Thorne spotted and photographed a Sora with two chicks in the front pond along side a Lesser Yellowlegs! After the capture of a Red Crossbill on July 21st, many other Crossbills taunted the volunteers and staff, often feeding just above our nets. Here's hoping we get lucky again so that more of our volunteers and staff get the chance to observe this special species up close! As for Pedder Bay, on July 25th, two flyover Common Loons along with a pair of Common Mergansers provided some excitement on a slow day. Here's hoping the observations will continue to be this good over the inevitable "August doldrums"!

A coastal wolf sauntering along the road at Rocky Point (Adam Ross)

As always, huge thanks to all of the volunteers who came out in the first week! The banding team is excited to continue working alongside the volunteers in the coming months! Check out the table below for this week's banding totals for each station and stay tuned for next week's instalment of the blog!

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