This last week has been dragging to say the least. For three days we were unable to open the nets at all, and for three other days we had to close the nets in the early morning hours. The culprit? Well, that would be a mix of inclement weather conditions including rain, snow, high wind speeds, and low temperatures. For the safety of the owls, we close our nets if the wind speed exceeds 15mph and if the temperature drops below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. So, out of the last week, we were only able to operate all night once.
Since the weather has proven to be challenging over the last seven days, not many owls have been migrating. Our total of newly banded birds this week were 7 NSWO and 1 foreign recapture. It’s been quite slow, but with each owl we are able to collect important data to learn more about the long-term patterns of this species. Every owl matters!
Above are three Northern saw-whet owls (NSWO). Two are in hand after being banded and processed. The third is after being released.
We are still enjoying the moon and sunrise/sunset views as we work throughout the night and early morning.
As we start another week, we are hoping for better weather and the chance to set up the rest of our nets so that we can operate at full capacity. Stay tuned!
Season Totals:
Banded NSWO: 56
NSWO Foreign Recaptures: 8
Total: 64