Five new hatch-year Northern Saw-whets were banded tonight before rain shut things down a little after midnight.

Tonight also saw the season’s first recapture- a second-year Saw-whet that was originally banded on Sep 21, 2014.

No banding on Sep 8,9 due to rain.

September 5: Four hatch-year Northern Saw-whets were banded.  Thanks to the visitors that came out to participate.  Nets were open for four hours.

September 4: Seven hatch-year Saw-whets banded.  Nets were open for five hours.

September 3: No banding due to rain.

Sep 2: Five hatch-year Saw-whets banded.  Nets were closed at about midnight as the rain started.  Rain is predicted tonight (the 3rd), so unless things change the nets won’t be opened tonight.

Sep 1: 9 Saw-whets were banded, all hatch-year birds.  A bright moon slowed things down around midnight as it rose.

Aug 31: 6 Saw-whets banded, all hatch-year birds.  Things slowed down after the bright moon came up.  Nearly bumped into a porcupine near the nets; fortunately it didn’t get caught in a mist net.

Aug 30: No owls banded. Too much wind, too much light from the full moon.

Aug 29: 5 Northern Saw-whets banded, all hatch-year, despite the bright full moon.  Nets were open for 3 hours.

Aug 28: Very bright moon; nets open for 2 hours, no owls banded.

Aug 27: Too windy to open the nets.

Aug 26: Nets open for 2.5 hours, but conditions weren’t good- too windy and too much moonlight.

Three new Northern Saw-whets banded on the night of Aug 25. All three were hatch-year birds.

A fourth owl was caught; this one had been banded five days ago.

The nets were open for 2 hours and were closed at 12:15AM due to a cat in the area.