Banding continues to be a slow-going process here, with many unproductive nights.
Rain, wind, and moose have prevented opening nets for owl banding on many nights this month.

Many rainy nights, and when there isn’t rain, there’s wind. And when there isn’t wind, the local moose are hanging out in the middle of the trapping setup.

So far, 26 Northern Saw-whet Owls and 1 Boreal Owl have been banded during the Fall 2022 season. Additionally, we’ve had one returning owl that was originally banded here two years ago.

The last week of September is typically the most active for banding here. Here’s hoping things pick up a bit soon.

We’re off to a slow start; poor weather conditions have limited the number of banding nights so far.

As of Sep 12, a total of 8 Northern Saw-whets and one Boreal Owl have been banded. Additionally, one previously-banded Saw-whet made a return visit.

Hopefully we’ll see an increase in activity (and better weather) over the next couple of weeks.