Week 13 - Year End Wrap-Up: Pedder Was Better!

 The final week of migration monitoring is always a bittersweet one. The banding staff and volunteers are ready for some well-deserved R&R, while nostalgia and excitement from the season leaves us wishing it could go on forever! The migration season at RPBO is one of those good things that must come to an end. But fret not, for next fall we get to do it all over again! In the meantime, let us reflect on the outcomes, highlights, and banding stats of Week 13 at our Rocky Point and Pedder Bay stations.

A couple of semi-unexpected visitors this week included Swamp Sparrows banded at both stations! One of which being the first bird of the day at Rocky Point on the final migration shift.

Swamp Sparrow (David Bell)

Although we hear many calling on most days, House Finches don’t often find themselves caught in our nets. This week proved to be an exception as the team at Pedder Bay banded their 3rd of the season!

3rd and final House Finch of the season at Pedder Bay (Ashlea Veldhoen)

Another interesting catch was a recaptured Chestnut-backed Chickadee with only one foot. This Chickadee was originally banded in 2020 with no recorded injury information, meaning it had lost its foot in between now and then, and somehow managed to keep the band! A true champion of migration banding practices.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee banded in 2020. (Louis Driver)

This week Rocky Point banded 181 new birds with top species being Ruby-crowned Kinglet (61), Golden-crowned Kinglet (34), and Spotted Towhee (15). Pedder Bay continued its dominant numbers into the last week with 198 birds banded. Top species at Pedder were Oregon Junco (39), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (32), and Hermit Thrush (23). Between the stations 7718 new birds were banded with 1400 recaptures this year! Rocky ended the season with 3790 total banded, while Pedder smashed its old record with 3928!  Our top three most banded species this season are as follows: Lincoln’s Sparrow (710), White-crowned Sparrow (607), and Wilson’s Warbler (557).

Lincoln's Sparrow (David Bell)

White-crowned Sparrow (Julian Powers)

Wilson's Warbler (Louis Driver)

Although our season was devoid of any bird-dropping storms or rain, both stations managed to break a variety of different season-total records. At Rocky Point we had record-highs of Pacific-slope Flycatcher (387), American Robin (45), Cedar Waxwing (24), Lincoln’s Sparrow (313), Brown-headed Cowbird (28), Wilson’s Warbler (354), Alder Flycatcher (2), and White-throated Sparrow (24).

Season Total Board at Rocky Point - Green marker indicates new record (Ashlea Veldhoen)

Records at Pedder Bay included Downy Woodpecker (7), Swainson’s Thrush (288), American Robin (147), Chipping Sparrow (42), Lincoln’s Sparrow (397), and White-throated Sparrow (14).

Season Total Board at Pedder Bay - Stars indicate new records (Ashlea Veldhoen)

Although we didn’t want it to end, our final observation totals were estimated and the last few birds were banded. That wraps it up for the 2022 season! Here are some of the final moments captured.

From left - Louis Driver, Sonja Futehally, and David Bell with the Pedder Totals Board (Ashlea Veldhoen)

A Pacific Wren - The last passerine banded at Pedder Bay of 2022 (Ashlea Veldhoen)

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet - The last passerine banded at Rocky Point of 2022 (Julian Powers)

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible team of volunteers, staff, and board members that make our program at Rocky Point Bird Observatory possible. We've been fortunate to have an incredible 2022 season thanks to your hard work, long hours, dedication, and passion! With so many memories made, skills learned, and friendships formed, it's no wonder that the sense of community is so strong within the organization. To each and every one of you who supports what we do, THANK YOU! We hope to see you next year to further education, hone your skills, and engage in some of the most captivating fieldwork there is!

Week 13 banding numbers alongside totals for the entire season!