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|
FALL
MIGRATION MONITORING PROGRAM 2004 |
Fall
2004 was the first season of migration monitoring at the
McGill Bird Observatory. Banding activities took place on a
part-time basis from mid-September through the end of October, on average
3-4 mornings per week. Over the course of 21 banding outings,
several of them quite short, over 700 birds were banded of 45
species. In 2005 we hope to achieve more complete coverage and a
longer season beginning in August to target earlier migrants. Below are summaries of each outing.
Comments or questions are welcome at mbo@migrationresearch.org.
|
FMMP 2004 SEASON
TOTALS:
(click
here for full report)
| Species
banded: |
Individuals
banded: |
Species
observed: |
Birds
/ 100 net hours: |
| 45 |
715 |
111 |
78 |
|
Click here for information on the
2004-05 Winter Bird Monitoring Program
Click
here for information on the Fall 2004 owl banding program
Click here for information on the 2004 Spring
Migration Monitoring Program
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Manon Dubé, Gay Gruner, Noémie Laplante, Barbara MacDuff, Arnaud
Tarroux |
| Hours:
5.5 (0700-1230) |
Nets:
10 |
Net
hours: 45.75 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
37 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
-1C |
N
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
10C |
NE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 30 |
18 |
4 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 17 |
6 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
This was scheduled as the final morning of the fall season, and
the results validated that decision well. For the first time
this fall, neither Song Sparrow nor White-throated Sparrow were
present. Instead of their half-hearted songs, we were
greeted by a heavy layer of frost and sub-zero temperatures.
Eventually we did catch some birds - another dozen American Robins
to bring our season total to 141, plus our third Sharp-shinned
Hawk and our first adult female Cardinal. A Northern Shrike
was seen briefly early on, and a Long-eared Owl heard from the
gate at opening time. However, the highlight of the morning
was a small flock of 4 Eastern Bluebirds pausing briefly at the
Purple Martin house near the banding station, our 112th and final
species for our first fall season.
|
|
Wednesday
October 27, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Chris Murphy, Ross Murphy |
| Hours:
1.25 (0820-0935) |
Nets:
n/a |
Net
hours: n/a |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
90%
cloud |
6C |
- |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
90%
cloud |
6C |
- |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 19 |
19 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Over the past week census totals have consistently been under 20
species, and many species that have been familiar throughout the
fall season such as Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-rumped Warbler
have become scarce or entirely absent. For the most part,
today's census documented the usual suspects of late - lots of
American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, and Slate-coloured Junco,
small numbers of woodpeckers, etc. The highlight was a Palm
Warbler, only the second recorded this fall, and the first in over
a month.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Marie-Anne Hudson, Betsy McFarlane, Crissy Ranellucci |
| Hours:
6.25 (0655-1310) |
Nets:
10 |
Net
hours: 56.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
127 |
| Opening
weather: |
90%
cloud |
1C |
E
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
70%
cloud |
9C |
NE
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 24 |
16 |
9 |
4 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 72 |
15 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
It seems at least one final big push of migrants remained - today
was our second busiest day of the fall season, with 87 birds
caught. Most numerous by far were Slate-coloured Juncos,
accounting for nearly one-third of all birds; American Robins and
American Tree-Sparrows also remained very numerous. A female
Pileated Woodpecker (possibly the one banded last week) was around
net B2 for a while, but stayed well above it this time. Two
others were seen flying over the centre field. Several
Golden-crowned Kinglets were around early in the morning, but the
only kinglets caught were three Ruby-crowned.
|
|
Saturday
October 23, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge:
Lance Laviolette |
Banding
assistants:
Christina Donehower, Marilyse Lefevre, Barbara MacDuff, Don
MacDuff, Betsy McFarlane |
| Hours:
5.25 (0645-1200) |
Nets:
10 |
Net
hours: 50.7 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
45 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
7C |
- |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
13C |
E
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 29 |
18 |
10 |
1 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 23 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A much quieter morning, suggesting that migration may be coming
toward an end for most species here. American Robin and
American Tree Sparrow were the most frequently banded birds today
with a half dozen each. The banding highlights of the
morning were our first Fox Sparrow and first adult male Northern
Cardinal.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Shawn Craik, Chris Murphy, Crissy Ranellucci, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
5.7 (0645-1225) |
Nets:
10 |
Net
hours: 49.9 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
82 |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
1C |
NE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
11C |
NE
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 27 |
20 |
10 |
1 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 41 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Another exciting morning of banding, highlighted by our first ever
capture of a Pileated Woodpecker. A hatch-year female, she
was the largest bird of any kind we have banded here, and was
quite a handful to work with! A female Hairy Woodpecker
visited us later in the morning, as did a female Northern
Cardinal, ensuring our fingers would remember this day for a
while! The dominant bird of the day was without question
again the American Robin. Another 25 were banded, vaulting
them into the lead for the fall season with 105 to date. One
of the males banded today was leucistic, with some interesting
white patches on the back and wings.
|
|
Thursday
October 21, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Shawn Craik |
| Hours:
1.00 (0810-0910) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
3C |
NE
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
4C |
NE
(Beaufort 4) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 20 |
20 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Late fall is becoming evident, both with the rapidly falling
leaves, and the consistently lower species diversity in recent
days. Even American Robins were somewhat down in number
today, to 77.
|
|
Wednesday
October 20, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Mélisa Brunet |
| Hours:
1.00 (0805-0905) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
20%
cloud |
2C |
NE
(Beaufort 3-4) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
3C |
NE
(Beaufort 3- 4) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 12 |
12 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A windy day, and quiet in terms of birds. Just 12 species
evident during the census hour, with American Robins once again
dominating with a count of 120.
|
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Chris Murphy, Barbara Macduff |
| Hours:
1.25 (0815-0930) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
80%
cloud |
7C |
SW
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
80%
cloud |
7C |
SW
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 24 |
24 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Census today again yielded a large number of American Robins
(140), but also discovered a flock of 465 Red-winged Blackbirds,
which we have not seen since a while. Of note, at last our
first Herring Gull of the fall was seen, an immature bird flying
overhead.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Eve Marshall, Betsy McFarlane |
| Hours:
5.33 (0640-1200) |
Nets:
10 |
Net
hours: 40.25 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
149 |
| Opening
weather: |
80%
cloud |
4C |
W
(Beaufort 4) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
6C |
W
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 31 |
23 |
13 |
4 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 60 |
4 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
At last the American Robin influx has ended up in the nets!
38 banded this morning is by far the highest number of individuals
of any species we've had in a single day - and yet it represents
only a bit over 10% of the Robins in the area today! It was
also a milestone day in that the second bird we banded this
morning was our 500th of the fall season. Perhaps most
memorable of all though, we caught our first Northern Shrike, a
hatch-year bird, in mid-morning. All around, one of our most
interesting mornings yet.
|
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Marcel
Gahbauer |
| Hours:
1.00 (0815-0915) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
10C |
SW
(Beaufort 3) |
drizzle |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
10C |
SW
(Beaufort 3) |
light
rain |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 20 |
20 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A windy and wet day, much like yesterday when we didn't get out at
all. Census conducted under drizzle today, yielding 20
species, generally those which have been hanging around.
Robins remain the most abundant bird in the area with nearly 100
seen during the hour.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Marie-Anne Hudson |
| Hours:
2.75 (1445-1730) |
Nets:
6 |
Net
hours: 11.25 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
62 |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
15C |
E
(Beaufort 4) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
16C |
E
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 24 |
19 |
5 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 7 |
7 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Just a brief afternoon session today to introduce the second half
of the Natural History of the Vertebrates class to MBO.
Again we were lucky, catching 14 birds in just over 11 net
hours. Nearly half of these were recaptured chickadees,
which delighted in showing off their aggressiveness to the class,
at our expense. Also a few more Ruby-crowned Kinglets
banded, and our third American Tree Sparrow. The most
noteworthy sighting of the day was of a juvenile Northern Shrike
in the hawthorns just west of the banding station, also seen there
earlier in the day by the census team.
|
|
Thursday
October 14, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Gay Gruner, Isabel Julian, Barbara Macduff, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
5.0 (0640-1140) |
Nets:
7 |
Net
hours: 31.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
111 |
| Opening
weather: |
40%
cloud |
3C |
NE
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
16C |
NE
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 33 |
16 |
9 |
5 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 35 |
8 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Though bird activity seemed overall a bit lower this morning than
it has been over the past two weeks, the nets were very productive
throughout the session. The past two days we have
experimented with a new net, F3, located at the south end of
Stoneycroft Pond. Initial results are promising, and we will
likely add F1 and F2 in the future to cover off this area
better. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were again the most frequently
banded bird today, with Song Sparrows still up near the top
too. For the fourth day in a row, over 100 American Robins
were seen (250+ today). Aside from banding, today's
highlight was a Great Horned Owl which perched for a couple of
minutes near C1 as we were heading out to open the nets. A
weasel chasing a cottontail near the new F net was also an
interesting sighting. The latest addition to the site
checklist is Common Merganser, courtesy of four individuals which
flew over early in the morning.
|
|
Wednesday
October 13, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Melisa Brunet, Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Marie-Anne
Hudson, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
8.5 (0900-1730) |
Nets:
6 |
Net
hours: 11 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
64 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
5C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
16C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 33 |
17 |
5 |
4 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 7 |
6 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
This was primarily a work day, to put on the new roof. From
that elevated perch we saw some nice birds, including the local
Pileated Woodpecker flying by at eye level, and a couple of
migrating Red-tailed Hawks. With the warm weather some
butterflies are also still about, including a Viceroy and a
Mourning Cloak. In the afternoon we did some non-standard
banding as a demo for the McGill Natural History of the
Vertebrates class; the nets were surprisingly productive, with 13
birds caught in just 11 net hours. Among them was only our
second Purple Finch netted, and our first American Tree Sparrow of
the fall.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants: Christina
Donehower, Marie-Anne Hudson, Betsy McFarlane, Chris Murphy |
| Hours:
5.25 (0635-1150) |
Nets:
9 |
Net
hours: 43 |
Birds
/ 100 net hours:
86 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
4C |
NW
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
11C |
W
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 38 |
26 |
13 |
3 |
1 |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 37 |
6 |
1 |
|
| NOTES:
Though cold, it was another nice sunny morning, and many birds
were in song around dawn, including White-throated Sparrows, Song
Sparrows, and American Robins. Migration is progressing
though, with increased numbers of Slate-coloured Juncos and
White-crowned Sparrows. New for the site checklist today was
Cackling Goose, recently split from Canada Goose. New for
our banding checklist was House Finch, a very dark red male that
looked like a Purple Finch at first glance. Later in the
morning some raptor migration was observed overhead, including
both hatch-year and adult Red-shouldered Hawk together, and
several Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks.
|
| Bander
in charge:
Lance Laviolette |
Banding
assistants:
Marcel Gahbauer |
| Hours:
6.75 (0635-1320) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 65.7 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
62 |
| Opening
weather: |
60%
cloud |
10C |
W
(Beaufort 2-4) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
12C |
NW
(Beaufort 3-4) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 23 |
n/a |
14 |
6 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 41 |
7 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Wind forced some nets to be closed early today, but it was a
productive morning all the same. Among the birds banded were
our first Red-breasted Nuthatch and Hairy Woodpecker, our second
Nashville Warbler and Sharp-shinned Hawk, and our third
White-crowned Sparrow. The hawk was caught in one of the owl
nets, which have otherwise been rather unproductive during our
morning sessions.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Isabel Julian |
| Hours:
5.0 (1130-1630) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
16C |
S
(Beaufort 3) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
21C |
SW
(Beaufort 5) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 16 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
No banding today - work on the cabin instead, taking off the old
roof and preparing for installing a new one. The adult
Red-shouldered Hawk put in a nice appearance mid-afternoon;
otherwise we saw relatively few birds while working.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Sheila Arthur, Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Barrie Ford,
Noemie Laplante, Eve Marshall, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
6.0 (0630-1230) |
Nets:
9 |
Net
hours: 48.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
167 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
13C |
SW
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
21C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 41 |
n/a |
17 |
3 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 81 |
10 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
What a day! Gorgeous weather for October, and an
unprecedented number of birds in the nets for our site (94).
The first net round produced a few dozen birds in itself, and
while the pace tapered off after that, we remained busy through
the morning. Diversity was the best we've had yet, with 17
species banded, and only three species reaching double digits
(American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow).
Highlights included our first Purple Finch and Field
Sparrow. New for the site overall today was the first
Orange-crowned Warbler of the fall. Yellow-rumped (Myrtle)
Warblers are still around in good numbers too, but we are probably
only one or two cold fronts away from seeing the last of the
warblers until spring, unless a few hardy Yellow-rumps decided to
hang around because of the abundance of fruit at the site.
|
| Bander
in charge: n/a |
Census:
Marcel
Gahbauer |
| Hours:
1.25 (0800-0915) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
10C |
W
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
12C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 31 |
31 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Census only today. American Robins remain the most abundant
bird in the area, with Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated
Sparrows also still widespread and numerous. It appears that
overnight some new migrants arrived, with clusters of Slate-coloured
Juncos, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, and Yellow-rumped
Warblers more numerous than they have been to date this
fall. One tree on the far side of Stoneycroft Pond had 4
Blue-headed Vireos, also a season high for the site. A
Swainson's Thrush was the first seen in a week, and the small
flock of House Finches by the pond were only our second record of
the species this fall.
|
|
Wednesday
October 6, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Joanna Coleman, Christina Donehower, Andrée Dubois-Laviolette,
Lance Laviolette, Marylise Lefevre |
| Hours:
5.5 (0630-1200) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 41.25 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
63 |
| Opening
weather: |
30%
cloud |
7C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
13C |
SW
(Beaufort 5) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 34 |
21 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 26 |
4 |
0 |
|
| NOTES:
Lots of birds in the area, but our capture rate was down due to
the wind, which increased over the course of the morning and in
time caused us to close all nets earlier than planned.
Nonetheless, we continued to band fair numbers of Ruby-crowned
Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows, as well as our first
Blue-headed Vireo. Well over 200 American Robins were
migrating through the area, many of them feeding on the buckthorns
and other fruit-bearing trees. Seven of them found their way
into our nets, but many were staying higher up. A Cooper's
Hawk, perhaps chasing one of the robins, got caught in net D2, but
managed to escape before we could get to it. The Pine Siskin
by Stoneycroft Pond was our 100th species observed since the start
of the fall seaon.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Barbara Macduff, Chris Murphy,
Crissy Ranellucci |
| Hours:
5.75 (0630-1215) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 68.0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
54 |
| Opening
weather: |
30%
cloud |
8C |
SE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
90%
cloud |
16C |
S
(Beaufort 4) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 35 |
21 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 37 |
9 |
0 |
|
| NOTES:
Once again the D nets were extremely productive early in the
morning, giving us another mixed group of mostly Ruby-crowned
Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, and Song Sparrows.
Mid-morning we had a nice surprise with 9 birds in net B3,
including our second and third Black-throated Blue Warblers of the
day. A highlight from census was the first Northern Shrike
of the season, perched on the large dead tree by Stoneycroft
Pond. Four deer were seen running through the field behind E
just before net opening; they have avoided the nets so far and
hopefully will continue to do so. Small flocks of blackbirds
were back this morning, including Red-winged and Rusty, as well as
Common Grackle.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Joanna Coleman, Christina Donehower, Andrée Dubois-Laviolette,
Lance Laviolette, Marylise Lefevre |
| Hours:
5.5 (0630-1200) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 66.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
72 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
6C |
SW
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
10%
cloud |
13C |
SW
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 34 |
n/a |
12 |
2 |
1 |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 48 |
3 |
1 |
|
| NOTES:
A busy morning with over 50 birds handled, nearly half of them
coming on our first net round. Once again activity was
concentrated along the edges of Stoneycroft Pond, with the C and D
nets collecting the vast majority of the birds. One third of
today's birds were White-throated Sparrows, and Ruby-crowned
Kinglets also put in a good appearance at last with an even dozen
banded. The new net at C2 brought us 4 Swamp Sparrows at
last, while D3 finally gave us our first return, a Song Sparrow
banded during our spring demo operation on May 1 this year.
|
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Barrie Ford, Isabel Julian,
Marylise Lefevre, Louise Morin, Crissy Ranellucci, Emily Wallace |
| Hours:
4.5 (0610-1040) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 66.25 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
38 |
| Opening
weather: |
60%
cloud |
16C |
NE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
22C |
none |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 39 |
29 |
13 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 25 |
3 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
For the second consecutive day we opened the owl nets during the
morning to explore the potential of that area for passerine
monitoring. Over the two days we've caught a variety of
birds there including Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped
Chickadee, and White-throated Sparrow, so we will continue to
experiment with this setup. Overall it was quieter today,
especially after mid-morning. However, diversity was good,
and we had some excitement with our first raptor in the nets, a
beautiful female Sharp-shinned Hawk. She was very calm and
easy to handle, and posed for some beautiful pictures, posted in
the photo
library.
|
|
Thursday
September 30, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson,
Isabel Julian, Barbara Macduff, Chris Murphy |
| Hours:
6.0 (0620-1220) |
Nets:
14 |
Net
hours: 59 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
73 |
| Opening
weather: |
20%
cloud |
6C |
N
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
90%
cloud |
13C |
S
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 34 |
17 |
14 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 43 |
7 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Our success continues to improve! We set new single-day
records today for species (14) and individuals (43) banded.
This included six species we haven't caught here previously:
Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Northern Cardinal, Swamp
Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and a very late Indigo
Bunting. The latter bird was an older male, largely brown
but with a substantial number of blue feathers still
showing. The flow of birds was steady throughout the
morning, with the only rush being from a crowd of chickadees
invading B2 mid-morning. Diversity of species was somewhat
lower than it has been recently, but numbers of many migrants were
high.
|
|
Wednesday
September 29, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants: Christina
Donehower, Manon Dubé, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Crissy
Ranellucci, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
6.5 (0620-1250) |
Nets:
9 |
Net
hours: 44.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
83 |
| Opening
weather: |
30%
cloud |
16C |
NE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
22C |
none |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 36 |
23 |
10 |
1 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 37 |
2 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A full morning, with a large influx of sparrows early in the
morning, and a rush of grackles just before noon. The
grackle flock remains over 500 strong, and they moved through the
woods behind the banding station in late morning, with 9 getting
caught in B1. The 37 birds banded today represented a new
single day record for our station; not bad at all with still only
9 nets operating. American Robins are also present in large
numbers now, but generally flying high. Brown Creeper was
banded for the first time; White-throated Sparrows were the most
common bird with nine individuals banded.
|
|
Thursday
September 23, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants: Christina
Donehower, Manon Dubé, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
4.5 (0610-1040) |
Nets:
9 |
Net
hours: 33 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
70 |
| Opening
weather: |
60%
cloud |
16C |
NE
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
22C |
none |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 42 |
21 |
12 |
1 |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 23 |
1 |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A shortened morning of banding due to volunteer logistics, but a
productive one all the same. In just over 4 hours, we banded
nearly two dozen individuals of 12 species, including our first
Downy Woodpecker, House Wren and Western Palm Warbler. A
large influx of Yellow-rumped Warblers greeted us in the morning,
but only a couple of them found their way into the nets. The
several-hundred-strong flock of Common Grackles put in another
appearance today, with a dozen Rusty Blackbirds mixed in this
time. The gorgeous weather continues - perfect conditions
for banding! It may be the first full day of fall, but the
insect life (crickets, grasshoppers, dragonflies, cicadas,
butterflies, etc are as active as in mid-summer).
|
|
Wednesday
September 22, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian,
Christine Murphy |
| Hours:
7.0 (0610-1310) |
Nets:
9 |
Net
hours: 52 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
69 |
| Opening
weather: |
20%
cloud |
14C |
N
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
10%
cloud |
20C |
W
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 40 |
20 |
12 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 36 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
The first full morning of banding, following our standard protocol
completely except for the absence of net lines A and F. We
had a steady flow of birds to band throughout the morning, mostly
Song Sparrows and Black-capped Chickadees, but also some less
commonly caught species such as Lincoln's Sparrow and
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, both among our top priority species for
monitoring. Outside of banding, the highlight was
unquestionably a Golden-winged Warbler seen on census. The
McGill ornithology class also dropped by for a couple of hours,
observing us in action both at the nets and inside the banding
station.
|
|
Tuesday
September 21, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Lina Bardo, Christina Donehower, Marie-Anne Hudson, Arnaud Tarroux |
| Hours:
5.0 (0640-1140) |
Nets:
7 |
Net
hours: 31.5 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
35 |
| Opening
weather: |
90%
cloud |
15C |
W
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
60%
cloud |
18C |
W
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 45 |
23 |
8 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 11 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Our first morning of banding with the new nets! Net groups
B, C, D, and E were set up over the course of the morning, with
all but C yielding birds in short order. Appropriately
enough, our first bird was an American Goldfinch, Montreal's
official bird. It was followed by an Ovenbird, our first
observed on the site this fall. The highlight of the
morning, however, was a hatch-year male Scarlet Tanager caught in
the bottom panel of net B2 just before closing.
|
|
Monday
September 20, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
n/a |
| Hours:
1.0 (0755-0855) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
70%
cloud |
9C |
W
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
11C |
W
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 35 |
35 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Our most diverse census of the fall season, so far. A small
mixed flock of warblers near the gate included Northern Parula,
Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, and our first Blackpoll of the
fall. Other new arrivals included Winter Wren and an early
Slate-coloured Junco, bringing the season list to 83 species, and
year list to 110. Only a small flock of 70 Common Grackles
remained from yesterday's black cloud. The Merlin was back
on top of the dead tree by the pond, but otherwise raptors were
quiet today except for one Cooper's Hawk hunting near the
gate. Robins and Blue Jays were quite active today; Cedar
Waxwings and American Goldfinches scarcer than they have been
recently.
|
|
Sunday
September 19, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
David Bird, Rodger Titman |
| Hours:
5.0 (0640-1140) |
Nets:
2 |
Net
hours: 3.0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
167 |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
9C |
E
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
16C |
E
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 47 |
n/a |
3 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 5 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Another wonderful morning. The total of 47 species is our
highest single day count to date, and included a great new bird
for MBO, a Connecticut Warbler spotted by Rodger Titman in the
area west of the banding station. Also new to the list today
was American Kestrel, one of 8 raptor species seen over the course
of the day. Perhaps the most impressive spectacle of the day
though was the river of at least 1200 Common Grackles (plus a few
Rusty and Red-winged Blackbirds) which flew diagonally across the
MBO area around 8 a.m. Visitors from "The Bird
Course" were present this morning, so two nets in section D
were opened for an hour and a half, resulting in our first five
birds of the season getting banded.
|
|
Saturday
September 18, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Marie-Anne Hudson, Christina Donehower, Arnaud Tarroux, Gregor
Gilbert, Rob Klus, Jennifer Pearson, Gijs van Tols, Marylise
Lefevre |
| Hours:
7.5 (0800-1530) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
30%
cloud |
10C |
NE
(Beaufort 2) |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
16C |
N
(Beaufort 1) |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 42 |
27 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A great day all around! We started with the most productive
census so far this month, the highlight of which was a male
Scarlet Tanager. Other noteworthy birds included our first
Common Raven (four others were seen and heard later!) and
Lincoln's Sparrow for the site. Later on we were able to add
a further three species to the checklist: Northern Goshawk
(being pursued by crows near the gate), Red-shouldered Hawk
(flying past the banding station, then later soaring beautifully
overhead against the blue sky), and Golden-crowned Kinglet (early
arrivals near net E1).
Today was a big
work day, and it was perfect weather for some of the heavy labour
involved, including the preparation and placement of the cement
block bases for our poles, the clearing of vegetation from the net
lines which haven't yet received such preparation, and the
installation of doors and window coverings at the banding station
itself. Special thanks to all the volunteers (listed
above) who each spent several hours helping with these
tasks!
|
|
Tuesday
September 14, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Christina Donehower |
| Hours:
1.5 (0810-0940) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded / 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
14C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
0%
cloud |
16C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 20 |
20 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
Sparrows are starting to arrive in good numbers, with 14 Chipping
and 6 Field in the sumacs near Stoneycroft Pond, plus some Song
and White-throated scattered elsewhere along the census
route. A hatch-year Broad-winged Hawk soared overhead during
census, while an adult passed through the area after census,
pursued for a while by an American Crow. Black-capped
Chickadees and Cedar Waxwings were the most numerous on today's
census. A flock of nearly 80 Canada Geese flew north as we
were leaving. |
|
Monday
September 13, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
n/a |
| Hours:
2.0 (0740-0940) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
10C |
N
8 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
90%
cloud |
13C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 25 |
23 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A distinctly cold breeze was blowing from the north this morning,
and with the clear night preceding, it appears that some migrants
have taken this opportunity to move on. It was a relatively
quiet morning, though not without highlights. These included
an American Bittern in the middle of Stoneycroft Pond, a Merlin
flying across the pond and sending Cedar Waxwings scattering from
the large dead tree, and another sighting of the American Crow
with mostly white primaries. |
|
Tuesday
September 7, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge:
Marie-Anne Hudson |
Banding
assistants:
Christina Donehower |
| Hours:
1.0 (0710-0810) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
80%
cloud |
17C |
SE
22 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
80%
cloud |
18C |
SE
22 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 19 |
19 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
The highlight of today's census was observing a Ruby-throated
Hummingbird repeatedly pursuing an American Goldfinch.
Black-capped Chickadees and Cedar Waxwings were the most abundant
birds observed this morning; a Wood Frog was also seen. |
|
Saturday
September 4, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge:
Marie-Anne Hudson |
Banding
assistants:
Christina Donehower |
| Hours:
4.0 (0715-1115) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
18C |
NE
18 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
100%
cloud |
19C |
NE
18 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 12 |
12 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A quiet time during census, so three hours were spent removing
buckthorn in the way of nets, and improving the marking of the
census trail. Again a mob of crows was prominent, this time
harassing two Cooper's Hawks in the field to the east early on in
the census. A Northern Harrier was also spotted along the
road to the Arboretum, before the MBO turnoff. |
| Bander
in charge:
Marie-Anne Hudson |
Banding
assistants:
Christina Donehower |
| Hours:
1.25 (0700-0815) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
20%
cloud |
12C |
S
8 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
20%
cloud |
13C |
S
8 km/h |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 16 |
16 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A Cooper's Hawk was being mobbed by a dozen crows in the tree near
the turnoff to MBO both at arrival and departure. A family
of two or three young raccoons crossed our path in the sumac stand
while on census. Overall a quiet morning, with crows, Cedar
Waxwings, Common Grackles, and Black-capped Chickadees the only
species present in any numbers. |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
n/a |
| Hours:
3.0 (0650-0950) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
100%
cloud |
19C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
90%
cloud |
22C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 28 |
23 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
A much warmer morning than yesterday, and perhaps not
coincidentally also much quieter in terms of birds. Larger
flocks of Cedar Waxwing (up to 25) were seen today, but a single
Nashville and one Yellow were all that was left of yesterday's 7
warbler species, aside from the Common Yellowthroats which appear
to still be on territory around the pond. The highlight of
the morning was watching a couple of plucky Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds aggressively buzzing the American Goldfinches and
American Robins perched in the large dead tree by the pond. |
|
Wednesday
August 25, 2004 |
| Bander
in charge: Marcel
Gahbauer |
Banding
assistants:
n/a |
| Hours:
2.0 (0700-0900) |
Nets:
0 |
Net
hours: 0 |
Birds
banded
/ 100 net hours:
n/a |
| Opening
weather: |
0%
cloud |
10C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| Closing
weather: |
10%
cloud |
15C |
no
wind |
no
precipitation |
| SPECIES |
INDIVIDUALS |
| Observed |
Census |
Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| 37 |
34 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Banded |
Repeat |
Return |
| n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| NOTES:
The fall season is underway at MBO. Over the next few weeks
we will try to conduct the standardized census as often as
possible, beginning an hour after sunrise each day. By
mid-September we hope to be ready to start banding birds regularly
as well. Today's census yielded a modest 34 species, but
provided evidence that passerine movement has begun, with the
arrival of Black-throated Blue and Magnolia Warblers. Other
highlights included a Great Horned Owl perched on a branch
overlooking Stoneycroft Pond, our first sightings of Scarlet
Tanager and American Black Duck this year, and an American Crow
with all white primaries and secondaries. Outside the census
period, a Broad-winged Hawk flew past, possibly also an early
migrant. |
|
