Week 7 of the RPBO Fall Migration Season, Sunday, Sept 4 to Saturday, Sept 10, 2011

Another week of cool, foggy mornings has resulted in a pretty slow week. This was the slowest week of the season with only 122 birds banded and the lowest diversity with 21 species. In contrast, the best week was week 3 with 240 birds banded and the same week had 28 species. We caught the first fox sparrow this week and we had one base closure. Our top birds banded this week was Lincoln’s sparrow and Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow with 19 birds banded each! Third place goes to Wilson’s warbler with 12 birds.

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On Sunday Sept. 14, we banded the 100^th orange-crowned warbler and the 300^th Wilson’s warbler of the season! We banded 15 birds and recaptured 5 birds from 11 species.

On Monday, Sept. 5, the hawks and turkey vultures are starting to become more numerous. Jeremy K. observed a Northern goshawk. We banded 15 birds and recaptured 1 from 11 species.

There was a base closure on Tuesday. No banding today.

On Wednesday we were back to banding and Ann S. and Ann N. brought us in some muffins and peas. Ann N. told us about the Big Year trailer. I am looking forward to watching the movie after reading the book and watching the trailer! The book is available from the library! If you have not already seen the trailer, you can see if from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zTt6PEODBM. We banded 21 birds and recaptured 3 from 11 species.

On Thursday a pod of orcas kept us entertained. We also saw the goshawk again and a broad-wing hawk. Lots of pine white butterflies have been out and about! We banded 21 birds and recaptured 4 from 11 different species.

Early on Friday morning as we were walking into the site, we were greeted by two great horned owls. Dannie brought us in cookies! We banded our 50^th American goldfinch and the 25^th Pacific wren of the season. Today we banded 18 birds and recaptured 3 from 10 species.

Which sparrow am I?

On Saturday we had a new species for the week – a fox sparrow! The 100^th Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow was banded today. The birds were more active as we banded 32 birds and recaptured 9 birds from 13 species.

Owls update - On Thursday night, Ann N. conducted a second owls trial run. They banded 3 saw-whet owls and observed barred owls. They turned the scope to the stars and saw 4 moons around Jupiter.

Species weekly total (Sunday, Aug 28 – Saturday, September 3)

(this week/total)

Rufus hummingbird (0/7), downy woodpecker (0/3), willow flycatcher (2/41), Hammond’s flycatcher (0/7), Pacific-slope flycatcher (9/223), Hutton’s vireo (0/1), warbling vireo (0/5), chestnut-backed chickadee (3/24), bushtit (1/6), red-breasted nuthatch (0/2), brown creeper (0/10), Bewick’s wren (3/36), house wren (0/9), Pacific wren (1/25), golden-crowned kinglet (0/1), Swainson’s thrush (0/37), American robin (0/8), cedar waxwing (0/2), orange-crowned warbler (6/104), yellow warbler (3/81), Audubon’s warbler (0/1), black-throated gray warbler (1/5), Townsend’s warbler (0/4), Macgillivray's warbler (1/48), common yellowthroat (11/38), Wilson’s warbler (12/310), Western tanager (0/1), black-headed grosbeak (0/1), spotted towhee (4/8), chipping sparrow (0/12), savannah sparrow (1/7), fox sparrow (2/2), song sparrow (9/44), Lincoln’s sparrow (19/61), Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow (19/105), Oregon junco (5/12), red-winged blackbird (0/8), brown-headed cowbird (0/5), purple finch (0/11), pine siskin (0/1), American goldfinch (8/55), olive-sided flycatcher (0/1), Traill’s flycatcher (2/11), sharp-shinned hawk (0/2), Cooper’s hawk (0/1), saw-whet owl (0/1), Northern waterthrush (0/1).

Banding total:

Total birds banded this week: 122, recaptures: 25, species banded: 21.

Total birds banded this season: 1392, recaptures: 179, species banded: 48.

-- Emily