What a week of changeable weather! Initially, we were met with high temperatures. By mid-week, strong winds were blowing. And on Friday and Saturday, the rain, which had been looming in the forecast, was upon us (18mm on Friday). The wind and rain resulted in some net closures at both Pedder Bay (PB) and Rocky Point (RP) stations, but we continued our banding operations as per our protocol. This week we also welcomed Gaelin Armstrong to the banding team. Many of you will remember Gaelin as one of our interns last year. Welcome back to RPBO, Gaelin!
Pedder Bay:
At Pedder Bay this week, we banded 73 birds and processed 35 recaptures. These numbers are considerably lower than in the previous three weeks of banding. However, given the time of year, this is not out of the ordinary.
A notable species banded this week was a Hammond's Flycatcher; a first of the season at Pedder Bay. Its gray head, eye ring, long primary projection and wing morphology helped identify this Empidonax flycatcher. Hammond's Flycatchers prefer mountainous habitat and are migrating to Central America for the winter. Unlike Western Flycatchers, which are banded in higher numbers at our stations, juvenile Hammond’s Flycatchers will begin their preformative molt on their summer grounds. This was evident in the first-year individual banded.
Pleasing recaptures this week included a Chestnut-backed Chickadee originally banded in 2024, and a Bewick’s Wren from 2024. The Bewick’s Wren recapture was a wonderful example of an adult undergoing its prebasic molt (photo below). Shortly after examining it, we banded a first-year Bewick’s Wren, which allowed for a great comparison. As it happened, one of our volunteers was making field notes about wrens at the time, so the birds had arrived at just the right moment. As the banding season progresses, wrens become increasingly difficult to age by plumage alone. I like to think of them as tiny, wriggly masters of deception.
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| Field notes by Sultana Majid |
The top five species banded at PB this past week were White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis), Spotted Towhee, Western Flycatcher, Bewick's Wren and Purple Finch.
Other notable avian observations from the station were a continuing high number of hirundines, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Northern Waterthrush and an Osprey. Through no fault of its own, the Osprey seemed to cause much distress to the resident Belted Kingfishers on more than one occasion. A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk has been heard calling most mornings since banding commenced, and on one occasion it lured a curious volunteer (you may know her, Ann Nightingale) to take a closer look. Ann’s investigation of this boisterous juvenile has revealed that it appears to be constantly begging a pair of Bald Eagles, and it has been observed eating fish near them. The fish-eating behaviour and the well-documented case of a pair of Bald Eagles raising a Red-tailed Hawk in North Saanich have certainly made these interactions captivating.
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| Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle (Photo: Ann Nightingale) |
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| Chester the Red Squirrel is still very much at home at the Pedder Bay station! (Photo: Sonja Futehally) |
Rocky Point:
At Rocky Point this week, 183 birds were banded and 69 recaptures processed. Some interesting captures were two Warbling Vireos, two Red-shafted Flickers (first of the season for RP), a Red-breasted Sapsucker and a Townsend’s Warbler (first year female). Also banded this week were three Black-headed Grosbeak, a Brown-headed Cowbird and a Red-winged Blackbird.
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| Townsend's Warbler (Photo: Max Hellicar) |
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| Townsend's Warbler (Photo: Max Hellicar) |
Top five species banded at RP this past week were White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis), American Goldfinch, Wilson's Warbler, Willow Flycatcher and Western Flycatcher.
Aside from some great passerine banding, one of the advantages of having a bird observatory on the rugged west coast is being able to see many species of shorebirds and seabirds from the station. Species observed this week include Virginia Rail, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Black Oystercatcher, Parasitic Jaeger, Marbled Murrelet, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant and Double-crested Cormorant. In the Laridae family, notable species observed were Heermann’s Gull and Short-billed Gull.
A new addition to the station at RP is a prototype release box designed by our innovative team. After birds are banded and all required measurements are taken, they will be placed in the release box. The box is intended to give the birds a safe space to gather themselves before making their way back into the wild. It is much like the system we currently use for releasing Northern Saw-whet Owls. Stay tuned for an update on the final product.
As always, we want to thank all volunteers and donors for supporting Rocky Point Bird Observatory. Thanks to everyone for bringing your skills and energy to ensure the stations continue to run smoothly. We hope you continue to enjoy coming out to volunteer or visit the banding stations - the best is yet to come!
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| View of Race Rocks from Rocky Point (Photo: Max Hellicar) |
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| Blue-eyed Darner showing interest in a net (Photo: Max Hellicar) |
