Week 8: Familiar Faces

    As we enter the peak of fall migration some long-awaited migrant and winter species have begun to arrive in large numbers, both in our nets and around the stations...

    It is officially Sparrow September! This week we welcomed back a wave of Oregon Juncos, Fox Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Gambel's White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, Song Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows.

Fox Sparrow (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

Female Oregon Junco (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

White-throated Sparrow (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

    Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hammond's Flycatchers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Pacific Wrens also made a strong appearance, bringing some small-bird representation to our nets.

Myrtle x Audubon's (intergrade) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

Male Golden-crowned Kinglet (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

    Some other fun species arriving include Hermit Thrushes, Steller's Jays, and Varied Thrushes! Thus far the Steller's Jays and Varied Thrushes haven't been caught in large numbers, but we were happy to catch 4 STJA and 1 VATH this week.

Varied Thrush (Alessandra Kite)

    We were also lucky enough to catch another Northern Pygmy-Owl at Rocky, making this the first year since 2018 (2 banded at Pedder) where multiple have been banded in a season.

Northern Pygmy-Owl (Gaelin Armstrong)

    Another familiar face this week was Wilson's Warbler #2950-06806, the 6+ year old female (banded as an AHY in 2021) that was mentioned in the blog for week 2. She has almost fully completed her prebasic molt for the fall, and is now looking much more put-together than she did in August!

Wilson's Warbler #2950-06806 in her beautiful basic plumage (Rebecca Reader-Lee) 

A better look at her magnificent black cap (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

    In terms of observations we've been treated to some amazing raptor movement in the skies with large groups of hawks (including multiple Broad-winged Hawks), falcons and vultures. On the ocean both seabirds and marine mammals have been quite prevalent, with Humpback Whales, Orcas, thousands of birds (mainly gulls, alcids, loons and cormorants) taking advantage of the Pacific herring bait balls forming in the straight. We've also had a number of reptile and amphibian visitors, including Northwestern and Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes, Red-legged Frogs, and Pacific Chorus Frogs.

Kiah Jasper scoping a raptor "kettle" (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

A young Northwestern Garter Snake (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

Gary the Gutter Frog, a notably loud Pacific Chorus Frog that has taken up residence in the apparently quite resonant gutter and drainpipe of our Rocky Point banding shelter (Rebecca Reader-Lee)

    Thanks as always for your interest and support for our Fall Migration Monitoring Project! For more information on the organization, how to get involved, and other RPBO projects (including our Northern Saw-Whet Owl banding which is beginning the first night of the season as I type this!), please visit our website.