The 2021 owl banding season here in Homer, Alaska is off to a very slow start.

Nets have been open (weather permitting) since Aug 20, but before last night, only a single owl had been caught- a returning 2nd year Northern Saw-whet Owl that was originally banded here 366 days earlier.

Last night, three owls showed up- all Northern Saw-whet adults. One was another 2nd year bird with a band (again, banded here exactly 366 days earlier); the other two were after-second-year adults.

So far, NO hatch-year birds have been banded during this season, making this season start the slowest in 12 years of banding here.