Our tenth week of banding started off on a high note with
three new species banded. Both Pedder Bay and Rocky Point both caught their
first White-throated sparrow of the season on September 24th. These
are low volume, late fall migrants at Rocky Point. Since the 24th
both stations have caught one more White-throated Sparrow with several others being
observed around each station.
 |
| White-throated Sparrow by Serena Johnston |
On the 24th
Rocky Point also banded the first Swamp Sparrow of the season along with a
Dusky Flycatcher! Dusky Flycatchers occur in central and eastern British
Columbia and are rare visitors on Vancouver Island. This is the sixth Dusky
Flycatcher banded at Rocky Point, the last one being banded in 2009.
 |
| Dusky Flycatcher by Rick Hardy |
More and more of the fall migrants are flooding in with a
few standout species at each station. Ruby-crowned Kinglets are becoming a
dominant presence at both sites. In the past week there have been 89 banded at
Rocky Point, previously 66, and 77 banded at Pedder Bay, previously 34. Hermit
Thrush
 |
| An adult male Purple Finch, banded at Pedder Bay by Rick Hardy |
Raptor numbers continued to be high from the 22nd
through the 24th, particularly at Rocky Point. In the late morning
kettles of over 500 Turkey Vultures have been seen kettling in the skies over
the Rocky Point banding station. Turkey
Vultures were also observed moving through Pedder Bay, but in lower numbers.
September 24th was a great day for raptors at Rocky Point, along
with 500+ Turkey Vultures, 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 10 Cooper’s Hawks, 11
Red-tailed Hawks and a rare treat, a Swainson’s Hawk, were seen in the kettles!
The Swainson’s Hawk, usually found in the interior of B.C. and Alberta, was
seen again the next day by Nancy Raginski. Pedder Bay was not to be outdone
this week however. Ann Nightingale was lucky to spy a Northern Goshawk overhead
on the 24th.
On the 22nd a single Northern Saw-whet Owl was
discovered roosting in the shrubs along the path. These small owls, while
seemingly numerous during banding operations at night are rarely seen during
the day and was a great surprise for the team at Rocky Point.
In the past week we hosted our first two education programs
at Pedder Bay, a group of grade 5 girls from SMUS on the 21st and a
group of seniors on the 27th. Both were a great success and everyone
seemed to enjoy their day at the banding station. We will have several more education
programs over the next few weeks and hope that all goes well!
 |
| The 'first of the year' Swamp Sparrow by Rick Hardy |
Rocky Point lost banding hours one 3 days this week from the
27th to 29th due to military activity. This means nets
were closed at 8 am. During the first day of closures the crew at Rocky Point
still banded 34 new birds, but numbers were down the next day with only 12
banded.
Owls continue to trickle in slow and steady. While there
have not yet been any nights with high numbers, a few owls have been caught
most nights with good weather. Each site more than doubled the number of owls
banded this week. Rocky Point now has a total of 25 Northern Saw-whet Owls and
Pedder Bay has a total of 18.
Other notable observations from the week include:
- A Cassin’s Auklet observed at Rocky Point on September
26th
- Two Western
Meadowlarks were observed on the September 24th
- Another Horned Lark was observed at Rocky Point in
September 24th
- A total of 114 Cackling Geese were observed flying overhead
at Pedder Bay on September 27th
-
|
Species
|
Rocky
Week 10 Totals
|
Rocky
Season Totals
|
Pedder
Week 10 Totals
|
Pedder
Season Totals
|
|
Northern Harrier
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Barred Owl
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
|
Anna's Hummingbird
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
14
|
|
Rufous Hummingbird
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
21
|
|
Red-breasted Sapsucker
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
|
Hairy Woodpecker
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
|
Downy Wodpecker
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
|
Northern Flicker
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
|
Olive-sided Flycatcher
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
"Traill's" Flycatcher
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Willow Flycatcher
|
0
|
65
|
0
|
48
|
|
Dusky Flycatcher
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Hammond's Flycatcher
|
3
|
16
|
1
|
12
|
|
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
|
6
|
290
|
4
|
114
|
|
Cassin's Vireo
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
|
Hutton's Vireo
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
|
Warbling Vireo
|
0
|
15
|
0
|
11
|
|
Steller's Jay
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Barn Swallow
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
|
6
|
39
|
1
|
20
|
|
Bushtit
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
30
|
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
|
Brown Creeper
|
0
|
24
|
0
|
10
|
|
Bewick's Wren
|
0
|
24
|
0
|
35
|
|
House Wren
|
0
|
17
|
0
|
20
|
|
Pacific Wren
|
28
|
105
|
13
|
23
|
|
Marsh Wren
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet
|
13
|
44
|
10
|
64
|
|
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
|
89
|
155
|
77
|
111
|
|
Swainson's Thrush
|
7
|
69
|
4
|
85
|
|
Hermit Thrush
|
24
|
53
|
29
|
75
|
|
American Robin
|
0
|
18
|
1
|
33
|
|
Cedar Waxwing
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
|
Orange-crowned Warbler
|
16
|
119
|
2
|
134
|
|
Yellow Warbler
|
4
|
75
|
0
|
65
|
|
Chestnut-sided Warbler
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
"Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
19
|
|
"Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler
|
11
|
13
|
1
|
3
|
|
"Unknown/hybrid" Yellow-r. Warbler
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
Black-throated Gray Warbler
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
5
|
|
Townsend's Warbler
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
|
Northern Waterthrush
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
MacGillivray's Warbler
|
0
|
31
|
0
|
28
|
|
Common Yellowthroat
|
3
|
48
|
2
|
47
|
|
Wilson's Warbler
|
1
|
162
|
0
|
153
|
|
Western Tanager
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
20
|
|
Black-headed Grosbeak
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
10
|
|
Spotted Towhee
|
47
|
117
|
21
|
122
|
|
Chipping Sparrow
|
0
|
21
|
0
|
15
|
|
Savannah Sparrow
|
3
|
49
|
1
|
11
|
|
Fox Sparrow
|
19
|
95
|
23
|
111
|
|
Song Sparrow
|
12
|
54
|
20
|
70
|
|
Lincoln's Sparrow
|
6
|
76
|
9
|
131
|
|
Swamp Sparrow
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
White-throated Sparrow
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
White-crowned Sparrow
|
6
|
116
|
9
|
297
|
|
Golden-crowned Sparrow
|
9
|
63
|
11
|
100
|
|
Oregon Junco
|
12
|
27
|
40
|
121
|
|
Red-winged Backbird
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Brown-headed Cowbird
|
0
|
|
0
|
2
|
|
Purple Finch
|
1
|
52
|
29
|
95
|
|
House Finch
|
0
|
|
0
|
12
|
|
Pine Siskin
|
0
|
11
|
0
|
10
|
|
American Goldfinch
|
0
|
20
|
0
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS
|
337
|
2154
|
323
|
2350
|
|
Species
|
Rocky
Week 10 Owl Totals
|
Rocky
Season Owl Totals
|
Pedder
Week 10 Owl Totals
|
Pedder
Season Owl Totals
|
|
Barred Owl
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Northern Saw-whet Owl
|
14
|
25
|
10
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS
|
14
|
26
|
10
|
18
|
| Rocky Point | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | Total |
| Banded | 56 | 61 | 96 | 46 | 32 | 34 | 12 | 337 |
| Species Banded | 15 | 14 | 23 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 27 |
| Recap | 6 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 48 |
| Species Recap | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Pedder Bay | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | Total |
| Banded | 52 | 41 | 66 | 39 | 28 | 66 | 31 | 323 |
| Species Banded | 12 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 28 |
| Recap | 8 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 85 |
| Species Recap | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 17 |
