McGILL BIRD OBSERVATORY

OWL MIGRATION MONITORING PROGRAM 2004

The McGill Bird Observatory is currently experimenting with owl migration monitoring techniques.  Below are summaries of each outing.  Comments or questions are welcome at mbo@migrationresearch.org

Wednesday October 27, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Crissy Ranellucci
Hours:  4.5  (1830-2300) Nets:  5 Net hours:  22.5
Opening weather: 10% cloud 5C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud -1C - no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  1 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: 2 Long-eared Owls and 1 Eastern Screech-Owl heard.
NOTES:   For the first couple of hours the full moon cast an incredibly light on the landscape.  Then the lunar eclipse occurred around 10 pm, and the change was remarkable.  Interestingly, the one owl we caught came in before the eclipse started.  A second-year female, it turned out she was our last of 2004.  Twice this week we've had good conditions and hardly any captures, so it's time to put away the audiolure until next year.  While we only had one owl tonight, it was a great evening all the same, between the eclipse, the other two owl species calling, and a small pack of coyotes howling (at the moon?) just after we opened the nets. 

Sunday October 24, 2004

Bander in charge:  Joanna Coleman Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Amélie Côté, Barbara Macduff, Paul Payette, Jen Pearson, Alain Theriault
Hours:  3.75  (1845-2230) Nets:  5 Net hours:  18.75
Opening weather: 80% cloud 5C - no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 4C - no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: Raccoon heard behind station
NOTES:   Calm but cloudy.  No owls heard or seen at all.  However, the wood stove in the cabin was put to use for the first time, so at least one important milestone was achieved tonight. 

Friday October 22, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Marie-Anne Hudson
Hours:  3.5  (1845-2215) Nets:  5 Net hours:  17.5
Opening weather: 90% cloud 8C NE (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 7C NE (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: none
NOTES:   Cloudy and windy - not a good combination.  Even the Long-eared Owls failed to put in an appearance tonight. 

Tuesday October 19, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Marie-Anne Hudson
Hours:  4.0  (1840-2240) Nets:  5 Net hours:  20
Opening weather: 0% cloud 5C NE (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 2C NE (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: 2 Long-eared Owls heard
NOTES:   No evidence tonight of any Saw-whets being around.  The wind kept increasing through the evening, likely eliminating any chances we had at catching anything other than leaves tonight. 

Monday October 18, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Tanya Drapeau, Gay Gruner, Marylise Lefevre, Crissy Ranellucci
Hours:  4.0  (1845-2245) Nets:  5 Net hours:  20
Opening weather: 10% cloud 5C W (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 0C NW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   1
Other species: 1 Long-eared Owl heard; 1 Eastern Screech-Owl seen
NOTES:   Seemingly very suitable weather conditions (clear and calm following a cold front), but only one owl caught.  Nonetheless, a very interesting one.  It was banded three years earlier at Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory in Ontario, southwest of Kingston.  At the time it was identified as a second-year bird, making it now a fifth-year individual.  We took detailed notes on the moult pattern of the wings, which we hope to be able to compare with future captures.

Tuesday October 12, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Marie-Anne Hudson
Hours:  4.5  (1900-2330) Nets:  5 Net hours:  22.5
Opening weather: 0% cloud 13C W (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 7C W (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  2 Repeats:  1 Returns:   0
Other species: 2 Long-eared Owls heard
NOTES:   Much less activity than last night.  The wind was forecast to die down during the evening but never did, and likely accounts for the low capture rate. 

Monday October 11, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Joanna Coleman, Shawn Craik, Paul Payette
Hours:  5.5  (1855-0025) Nets:  5 Net hours:  27.5
Opening weather: 90% cloud 10C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 50% cloud 6C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  13 Repeats:  1 Returns:   0
Other species: 1 Eastern Screech Owl banded, 2 Long-eared Owls and 1 Great Horned Owl heard
NOTES:   At last our fortunes have taken a dramatic turn for the better!  With the temperature dropping into single digits overnight and light winds from the north, some owls appear to have resumed their southward movements.   Our first capture came roughly an hour after sunset, and they came in steadily after that, with a total of 15 owls caught by a bit after midnight.  Among them, to our great surprise, was an Eastern Screech Owl.  A wonderful evening; hopefully we'll have several more like this before the season is over.

Sunday October 10, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Melisa Brunet, Isabel Julian, Teresa Julian
Hours:  3.0  (1855-2155) Nets:  5 Net hours:  15
Opening weather: 100% cloud 12C N (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Closing weather: 80% cloud 11C N (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: 1-2 Long-eared Owls heard
NOTES:   Still quite warm at night, and on this occasion also far too windy.  At least the Long-eared Owls were vocalizing again, as before flying back and forth along Stoneycroft Pond. 

Wednesday October 6, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Lise Amarasekera, Joanna Coleman, Shawn Craik, Tanya Drapeau, Robin Goldstein, Paul Payette
Hours:  4.0  (1855-2255) Nets:  5 Net hours:  20
Opening weather: 10% cloud 15C SW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 13C SW (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: none observed
NOTES:   Another warm night, with the wind picking up over the course of the evening, further inhibiting any potential owl movement.  As pleasant as this weather is for most purposes, we really need a cold front to get the owls moving toward us again. 

Sunday October 3, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Robin Goldstein, Emily Wallace
Hours:  2.0  (1900-2100) Nets:  5 Net hours:  10.0
Opening weather: 10% cloud 18C none no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 15C S (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  0 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: none observed
NOTES:   No luck tonight.  With an overnight low of 14 Celsius, it was simply too warm for the owls to be migrating, and we closed down early. 

Tuesday September 28, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower,  Marie-Anne Hudson
Hours:  4.5  (1800-2230) Nets:  5 Net hours:  15
Opening weather: 30% cloud 17C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 50% cloud 13C none no precipitation
Northern Saw-whet Owls: Banded:  1 Repeats:  0 Returns:   0
Other species: 2-3 Long-eared Owls heard
NOTES:   Our first attempt at owl banding, a few days earlier than originally planned, due to suitable cloud and wind conditions and reports of owl migration at other stations to the west and east.  Within the first hour of operating the audiolure, we heard owls vocalizing around Stoneycroft Pond.  After listening to them for a while, we concluded that the variety of yelps and barks were characteristic of Long-eared Owls, and a brief silhouette glimpsed in flight away from the large dead tree by the pond confirmed our suspicion.  They remained vocal throughout the evening, but did not come close to the nets.  However, on our second last net round, just before 10 pm, we caught our first Saw-whet Owl, a large hatch-year female.  A most enjoyable evening. 

 

© 2002- The Migration Research Foundation Inc.