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