The weather has not been cooperating for many species to migrate. The Hawk count has been tallying a trickle of Raptors moving through without big numbers on any days.
After being mostly open for most of the winter 3 nights of zero temps the week before the start of the Waterbird count left the Straits iced in. Hopefully the warmer stormy weather this weekend will open the Straits. Josh is getting bored not being able to look for waterbirds in migration.
The Owl banders are not having much better luck with only a few N. Saw-whet Owls captured so far. One of those captures was already wearing a band which was placed on the Saw-whet Nov. 20, 2014 at Greene Co., Indianna.
Josh Jaeger (our waterbird counter) and I have tried capturing N. Saw-whet Owls at the Headland, Dark Sky Park on 2 nights this week. We captured 5 Saw-whets the first night and 3 the second. We also had some repeats which indicates the Saw-whets are also not migrating across the Straits yet. One Saw-whet we captured was also wearing a band which was placed on the bird Oct. 20, 2015 as a part of our project at Point LaBarbe on the north side of the Straits.
The Owl people did see the norther lights this week which was new for Josh. We are off to a slow start with bigger numbers to come when the weather cooperates. Be sure to come up and join the fun of seeing the Raptors and waterbirds over the Straits this spring.
