Well as promised by Chris, I am back and taking over blog duties for the next couple days. On my way in to the Tatlayoko Valley last night I made a quick stop at Eagle Lake to look for the breeding Arctic Terns. I wasn’t disappointed as I scoped an adult on a rock beside a juvenile Bonaparte’s Gull. As dusk approached a Great Horned Owl flushed up off the road a few hundred metres from the ranch house.
This morning came early after my late night (by banding standards) arrival. The skies were threatening rain and it didn’t take long before a very light drizzle set in. It came in fits and starts before finally setting in around the time I set off for census, finally shutting things down around 7:50. The weather seemed to keep activity low as we banded just 8 birds in the 2hrs we were open.
Census was also slow though I finally ran into a large mixed flock down by the lake that was comprised of mostly Warbling Vireos and Chickadees with a couple Chipping Sparrows, Western Wood-pewees and American Redstarts mixed in. While crossing the lagoon field a juvenile Peregrine Falcon blazed through, in full hunting mode. We usually only get one or so a season so this bird was a pleasant “welcome back” surprise.
After census finished, Chris picked me up at the lake and we returned home as the rain had picked up and seemed set to persist. While waiting for him a lone Black Swift passed overhead and a flock of a dozen swallows, roughly half and half Barn and N. Rough-winged foraged over the end of the lake.
The forecast for tomorrow is rather mixed, depending on the source, but hopefully it clears and we can get in a full days banding!
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Species | Band | Recap |
Swainson’s Thrush | 3 | 1 |
Song Sparrow | 3 | |
Common Yellowthroat | 1 | 1 |
Warbling Vireo | 1 | |
Willow Flycatcher | 1 | |
Northern Waterthrush | 1 | |
American Redstart | 1 | |
Yellow Warbler | 1 |
—
Birds banded | 8 |
Species banded | 4 |
Birds recaptured | 6 |
Species recaptured | 6 |
Species on census | 29 |
Species Total | 39 |
STANDARD TOTAL BANDED | 138 |
SEASON TOTAL BANDED | 138 |
Thank you for the updates – I hope that they will continue. I have not heard about this project’s long-term health. Is there a chance that it will not continue? That would be too bad!
NCC says that it needs to be better funded with alternative monies. If you are concerned, contact Linda.hannah@natureconservancy.ca the boss of the BC Region. A season costs about $23k for the banders, supplies, and oversight of program including colunteers.