Nets were put up for the season during the weekend of Aug. 23.
We’ve opened nets a few nights since then. Eight NSWO have been banded
so far on nights that weren’t too rainy or windy.

The last planned banding date was Oct 31. I opened again last night (Nov 2), but didn’t catch anything; I haven’t caught
any new owls for a couple of weeks now. I did have a few repeat visits from owls banded earlier in the season.

I’ll probably try a few more times in the next couple of weeks, but I plan to have the nets disassembled by mid November.

This was definitely better than last season, but numbers were still lower than the first three years. This season’s results bring the total number of owls banded to 750 during the five seasons of operation.

Banding has been really slow over the last week due in large part to the weather- wind and rain almost every night.
Nets were opened four nights over the last week, and closed early two of those nights due to weather.

• Oct 13: One Northern Saw-whet owl
• Oct 16: One Northern Saw-whet owl and one Boreal owl.
• Oct 18: Participants in the Kachemak Bay Birders owling trip visited, but we didn’t see any owls.

Banding has been very slow over the last few days due to weather; wind and rain every night this week, with more of the same in the forecast.
Only two new Northern Saw-whets banded- one each on the nights of the 8th and 9th.

Biggest night of the season so far with 8 owls caught.

• Oct 4: 2 Northern Saw-whet Owls. Visitors included the young birders’ group (the “F.B.I.”): Erick, Nolan, Landon, Griffin, and Owen, and parents Lori and Susan.
• Oct 5: Didn’t open nets; too windy.
• Oct 6: 6 new Northern Saw-whet Owls and 1 recapture of a Saw-whet banded 33 days ago; 1 Boreal Owl. Betsy Rogers assisted.

Still windy over the last few nights.

• 9/29: Windy, no owls banded.
• 9/30: 1 Northern Saw-whets. Windy.
• 10/1: 4 Northern Saw-whets. Toby and Laura Burke and family visited. The aurora was pretty impressive during net checks.

No banding on two nights this week due to rain, and wind made things less than optimal during two more nights.

• 9/23: 1 Northern Saw-whet.
• 9/25: 5 Northern Saw-whets.
• 9/27: 3 new Northern Saw-whets, 1 returning Northern Saw-whet first banded in 2012, and 1 Boreal Owl.  Poppy Benson’s girl scout group visited, but left before any owls showed up.  Wind died down around midnight.
• 9/28: 2 Boreal Owls.  Windy all night.  Visitors: Lori and Erick Paulsrud.

After a slow week, things picked up a little bit last night. The night of the 22nd was the first night for a while that wasn’t too bright due to the moon.

Sep 16: No owls.

Sep 17: 1 Northern Saw-whet. Also one Wilson’s Snipe in the nets; I get one or two each season. I think that they are attracted to the Boreal Owl call, which sounds similar to a winnowing snipe.

Sep 18: 1 Northern Saw-whet.

Sep 19: 1 Northern Saw-whet.  Visitors/assistants: Betsy Rogers and Gil Carr.

Sep 20: No owls. Tonight included a visit by the local Jr. Birders group- Nolan, Landon, Owen, Griffin, and Erick; also parents Lori and Susan. With no owls being caught, the birders played cards instead.  Visitors/assistants also included Betsy Rogers and Gil Carr.

Sep 21: Didn’t open nets due to rain.

Sep 22: 4 Northern Saw-whets and 2 Boreal Owls. Also one banded Saw-whet that was banded here on Aug. 31 of this year.  It was overcast, so dark despite the moon.