owl and banding update Oct 10th

happy visitor 

Before I  get started I wanted to state that I really enjoy doing this blog and keeping  anyone who has the interest in how we are doing at the marsh in the loop. Having said that we do not have an internet connection at the marsh and during the owl banding season i am just too wary to find the time  to write about our avian adventures in the boreal forest. Its a shame as often when we do not have visitors at the marsh I have  enough downtime to  write about what we have encountered at the nets or on the trail.

shay a researcher from the south hoping to see a boreal owl but content with a long eared

We have been enjoying a great owl season  and last night passed our 400th banded  sawwhet  and after the 37 sawwhets banded  we have under 150 birds left to reach our 7000 sawwhet banded since starting in 2000.  A lot of  volunteers have given up a lot of pillow time  to help us reach this milestone .  So thanks  to everyone over the years that have felt the  pinch of a sawwhet and have suffered the teasing of being at work sleep deprived .
\In other owl news  we have banded 14 long eared owls  and 2  boreal owls. Reading the blog from Tadoussac bird observatory  a leading boreal research station in eastern Quebec they have only banded 11  boreals and have  stated that fo the first time in 20 years of research they feel that the boreals are not moving on  the fourth year of their 4 year cycle. A bander in northern Saskatchewan  near Prince Albert also has only banded 2 boreal owls which is shocking for the anticipated peak of the boreal migration.

long term owl bander Warren Verina back for a night of owls

The photo's that follow will chronicle some of our banding in the past week and we have been very happy to welcome back some familiar faces to the marsh

long eared on social media on a phone 

Greg rand returns  and shows his support for the blue jays  rumor has it his real team is the expo's

So happy to have Chris Suhka back after his banding job in northern British Columbia

Greg with a very late red eyed vireo caught this Friday

Joanne with the thanksgiving throng

keen well behaved young banders

Greg sporting his Canada nature museum hat  where he works in Ottawa and  a long eared owl which we recaptured the following night

Timiskamings fourth ever Carolina Wren wandered into our feeder at home  good thing jo was watching 

owl banding can make a zombie out of you nice to have Curtis back to marsh

another curtis  Curtis Quniton an appreciated owl banding volunteer