Week 9: Seasonal firsts and new records!

 

Sunrise at Rocky Point (David Bell, 2022)

This was a week featuring chilly mornings and warm afternoons as well as moderately strong winds on the 15th and 16th. This pushed much of the lingering smoke out of the area making for slightly better air quality than in the previous week much to the banding crews' and birds' delight. Numbers remained relatively high at both stations until mid-week, at which point a controlled burn initiated by the Province of BC on the DND lands at Rocky Point (RP) meant nets were closed early in order for staff to vacate the site and allow DND and Provincial staff to carry out the controlled burn in the back meadow behind the station & net lanes.

While the record for days with the highest volume was hit in our previous week, an impressive 125 birds were caught the following day at Rocky and 95 at Pedder Bay on September 15. In total, 495 birds (up 15.6% from the seasonal weekly) were processed at Rocky Point and a very exciting number of 589 (up 60% from the seasonal weekly average) were caught at Pedder Bay, both of which are greater than their seasonal average for Week 9 of 428 for Rocky and 368 for Pedder Bay respectively, making Pedder Bay on track for a (fingers crossed) potentially record season. 

AHY Male Sora banded Sep 17 (Ashlea Veldhoen, 2022)

AHY M Sora (Ashlea Veldhoen, 2022)

Volunteer Sultana assisting Bander Ashlea with banding a Sora (Sonja Futehally, 2022) 

Top species at Rocky included Ruby-crowned Kinglet (63) and a tie between Lincoln's Sparrow and Fox Sparrow (61). Rocky also saw a few new species this week, featuring the season's first Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler,  Rocky's eighth ever record of Sora (the ever-elusive local living in the marsh near Net 3) and one bird who was first of the season and caught very far from its typical range: a Nashville Warbler! Two more exciting firsts for the season at Rocky was a Swamp Sparrow, banded on Sept 19 and was what is likely either the arcticus or curtatus subspecies of Spotted Towhee. We typically catch at least one of these in the nets each year, but it takes a keen eye to "spot" one of these Towhees, and an even steadier hand to take the measurements to confirm it. Another Sharp-shinned Hawk is also in the books with one new hatch-year bird banded on Sept 19. 

First Swamp Sparrow of 2022 (David Bell, 2022)

Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus arcticus (David Bell, 2022)

 

HY Female Nashville Warbler, banded Sep 21 (David Bell, 2022)

HY Female Nashville Warbler (David Bell, 2022)

Top species for this week at Pedder included Hermit Thrush (90) and Lincoln's Sparrow at (84). This season has also seen a record high number of Swainson's Thrush with 249 (248 in 2019), and Lincoln's Sparrow with 297 (249 in 2019). We also had another of the season at Pedder on Sept 19 with a White-throated Sparrow. 

HY Sharp-shinned Hawk, banded Sep 19 (David Bell, 2022) 

 

As mentioned above, this week controlled burns began at Rocky Point, slightly reducing net hours and staff and volunteer hours on site as the crews work to control invasive plants and maintain the grassy meadows at Rocky. We are hopeful that they will be complete in the next week so that banding at Rocky can continue in full force. 

Avian observations were plentiful this week with high numbers of Broad-winged Hawk (14), Red-tailed Hawk (14), Sharp-shinned Hawk (also 14!), and Turkey Vultures (185) on Sept 19, and one very special observation of a Loggerhead Shrike flying over the back meadow on Sept 18. We also had first of the season Black-legged Kittiwake sighted flying over the channel between RP and Bentick Island, Iceland Gull, Long Billed Dowitcher, Brewer's Blackbird, White-throated Sparrow and Greater White-fronted Goose! At Pedder we also had a first of the season sighting of Horned Lark, as well sightings of Broad-winged Hawk, Common Loon and a beautiful White-throated Sparrow. Cackling Geese were sighted for the first time this season at over both stations. Non-bird observations this week were fewer than typical, but an unusual find near the nets was this Bee-mimic Robber Fly (Diptera: Asilidae, exact species unknown). Robber flies hunt other flying insects by catching them using their raptorial front legs and kill the insect by injecting their paralyzing saliva with their tongue, only to suck out the liquefied contents of the insects body with their proboscis. A ferocious predator of the insect world, to be sure! We also saw a striking Pacific tree frog at Rocky. As an amphibian more often heard than seen it was quite a treat! 

Bee-mimic Robber Fly (David Bell, 2022)

Pacific Tree Frog (David Bell, 2022)

Migration this week continues to bring exciting birds to our nets, and we are looking forward to seeing what next week will bring. As always, if you're interested in volunteering please get in contact with volunteer@rpbo.org , or visit http://rpbo.org/volunteer.php. No experience is required. New volunteers are always welcome, and continuing volunteers are encouraged to sign up for shifts at Pedder Bay. As the season progresses, we tend to see a dip in volunteers at Pedder Bay, so be sure to sign up if you see an open shift available! Banders and experienced volunteers are always there to help teach new skills and impart new knowledge to volunteers, so please come out to see what banding is all about! 

Weekly and Season Species Totals

Week 9: Banding Totals (Click to enlarge)