McGILL BIRD OBSERVATORY

FALL MIGRATION MONITORING PROGRAM 2004

Fall 2004 was the first season of migration monitoring at the McGill Bird Observatory.  Banding activities took place on a part-time basis from mid-September through the end of October, on average 3-4 mornings per week.  Over the course of 21 banding outings, several of them quite short, over 700 birds were banded of 45 species.  In 2005 we hope to achieve more complete coverage and a longer season beginning in August to target earlier migrants.  Below are summaries of each outing.  Comments or questions are welcome at mbo@migrationresearch.org

FMMP 2004 SEASON TOTALS:
(click here for full report)

Species banded:

Individuals banded:  

Species observed: Birds / 100 net hours:
45 715 111 78

Click here for information on the 2004-05 Winter Bird Monitoring Program
Click here
for information on the Fall 2004 owl banding program
Click here for information on the 2004 Spring Migration Monitoring Program

Friday October 29, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Manon Dubé, Gay Gruner, Noémie Laplante, Barbara MacDuff, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  5.5  (0700-1230) Nets:  10 Net hours:  45.75 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  37
Opening weather: 0% cloud -1C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 10C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
30 18 4 2 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
17 6 n/a
NOTES:   This was scheduled as the final morning of the fall season, and the results validated that decision well.  For the first time this fall, neither Song Sparrow nor White-throated Sparrow were present.  Instead of their half-hearted songs, we were greeted by a heavy layer of frost and sub-zero temperatures.  Eventually we did catch some birds - another dozen American Robins to bring our season total to 141, plus our third Sharp-shinned Hawk and our first adult female Cardinal.  A Northern Shrike was seen briefly early on, and a Long-eared Owl heard from the gate at opening time.  However, the highlight of the morning was a small flock of 4 Eastern Bluebirds pausing briefly at the Purple Martin house near the banding station, our 112th and final species for our first fall season. 

Wednesday October 27, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Chris Murphy, Ross Murphy
Hours:  1.25  (0820-0935) Nets:  n/a Net hours:  n/a Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 90% cloud 6C - no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 6C - no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
19 19 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   Over the past week census totals have consistently been under 20 species, and many species that have been familiar throughout the fall season such as Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-rumped Warbler have become scarce or entirely absent.  For the most part, today's census documented the usual suspects of late - lots of American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, and Slate-coloured Junco, small numbers of woodpeckers, etc.  The highlight was a Palm Warbler, only the second recorded this fall, and the first in over a month. 

Monday October 25, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Marie-Anne Hudson, Betsy McFarlane, Crissy Ranellucci
Hours:  6.25  (0655-1310) Nets:  10 Net hours:  56.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  127
Opening weather: 90% cloud 1C E (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 70% cloud 9C NE (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
24 16 9 4 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
72 15 n/a
NOTES:   It seems at least one final big push of migrants remained - today was our second busiest day of the fall season, with 87 birds caught.  Most numerous by far were Slate-coloured Juncos, accounting for nearly one-third of all birds; American Robins and American Tree-Sparrows also remained very numerous.  A female Pileated Woodpecker (possibly the one banded last week) was around net B2 for a while, but stayed well above it this time.  Two others were seen flying over the centre field.  Several Golden-crowned Kinglets were around early in the morning, but the only kinglets caught were three Ruby-crowned. 

Saturday October 23, 2004

Bander in charge:  Lance Laviolette Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower, Marilyse Lefevre, Barbara MacDuff, Don MacDuff, Betsy McFarlane
Hours:  5.25  (0645-1200) Nets:  10 Net hours:  50.7 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  45
Opening weather: 0% cloud 7C - no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 13C E (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
29 18 10 1 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
23 2 n/a
NOTES:   A much quieter morning, suggesting that migration may be coming toward an end for most species here.  American Robin and American Tree Sparrow were the most frequently banded birds today with a half dozen each.  The banding highlights of the morning were our first Fox Sparrow and first adult male Northern Cardinal.

Friday October 22, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Chris Murphy, Crissy Ranellucci, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  5.7  (0645-1225) Nets:  10 Net hours:  49.9 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  82
Opening weather: 100% cloud 1C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 11C NE (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
27 20 10 1 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
41 2 n/a
NOTES:   Another exciting morning of banding, highlighted by our first ever capture of a Pileated Woodpecker.  A hatch-year female, she was the largest bird of any kind we have banded here, and was quite a handful to work with!  A female Hairy Woodpecker visited us later in the morning, as did a female Northern Cardinal, ensuring our fingers would remember this day for a while!  The dominant bird of the day was without question again the American Robin.  Another 25 were banded, vaulting them into the lead for the fall season with 105 to date.  One of the males banded today was leucistic, with some interesting white patches on the back and wings. 

Thursday October 21, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Shawn Craik
Hours:  1.00  (0810-0910) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 100% cloud 3C NE (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 4C NE (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
20 20 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   Late fall is becoming evident, both with the rapidly falling leaves, and the consistently lower species diversity in recent days.  Even American Robins were somewhat down in number today, to 77. 

Wednesday October 20, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Mélisa Brunet
Hours:  1.00  (0805-0905) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 20% cloud 2C NE (Beaufort 3-4) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 3C NE (Beaufort 3- 4) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
12 12 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   A windy day, and quiet in terms of birds.  Just 12 species evident during the census hour, with American Robins once again dominating with a count of 120. 

Tuesday October 19, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Chris Murphy, Barbara Macduff
Hours:  1.25  (0815-0930) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 80% cloud 7C SW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 80% cloud 7C SW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
24 24 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   Census today again yielded a large number of American Robins (140), but also discovered a flock of 465 Red-winged Blackbirds, which we have not seen since a while.  Of note, at last our first Herring Gull of the fall was seen, an immature bird flying overhead. 

Monday October 18, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Eve Marshall, Betsy McFarlane
Hours:  5.33  (0640-1200) Nets:  10 Net hours:  40.25 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  149
Opening weather: 80% cloud 4C W (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 6C W (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
31 23 13 4 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
60 4 n/a
NOTES:   At last the American Robin influx has ended up in the nets!  38 banded this morning is by far the highest number of individuals of any species we've had in a single day - and yet it represents only a bit over 10% of the Robins in the area today!  It was also a milestone day in that the second bird we banded this morning was our 500th of the fall season.  Perhaps most memorable of all though, we caught our first Northern Shrike, a hatch-year bird, in mid-morning.  All around, one of our most interesting mornings yet.

Sunday October 17, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Marcel Gahbauer
Hours:  1.00  (0815-0915) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 100% cloud 10C SW (Beaufort 3) drizzle
Closing weather: 100% cloud 10C SW (Beaufort 3) light rain
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
20 20 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   A windy and wet day, much like yesterday when we didn't get out at all.  Census conducted under drizzle today, yielding 20 species, generally those which have been hanging around.  Robins remain the most abundant bird in the area with nearly 100 seen during the hour. 

Friday October 15, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Marie-Anne Hudson
Hours:  2.75  (1445-1730) Nets:  6 Net hours:  11.25 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  62
Opening weather: 100% cloud 15C E (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 16C E (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
24 19 5 2 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
7 7 n/a
NOTES:   Just a brief afternoon session today to introduce the second half of the Natural History of the Vertebrates class to MBO.  Again we were lucky, catching 14 birds in just over 11 net hours.  Nearly half of these were recaptured chickadees, which delighted in showing off their aggressiveness to the class, at our expense.  Also a few more Ruby-crowned Kinglets banded, and our third American Tree Sparrow.  The most noteworthy sighting of the day was of a juvenile Northern Shrike in the hawthorns just west of the banding station, also seen there earlier in the day by the census team. 

Thursday October 14, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Gay Gruner, Isabel Julian, Barbara Macduff, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  5.0  (0640-1140) Nets:  7 Net hours:  31.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  111
Opening weather: 40% cloud 3C NE (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 16C NE (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
33 16 9 5 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
35 8 n/a
NOTES:   Though bird activity seemed overall a bit lower this morning than it has been over the past two weeks, the nets were very productive throughout the session.  The past two days we have experimented with a new net, F3, located at the south end of Stoneycroft Pond.  Initial results are promising, and we will likely add F1 and F2 in the future to cover off this area better.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets were again the most frequently banded bird today, with Song Sparrows still up near the top too.  For the fourth day in a row, over 100 American Robins were seen (250+ today).  Aside from banding, today's highlight was a Great Horned Owl which perched for a couple of minutes near C1 as we were heading out to open the nets.  A weasel chasing a cottontail near the new F net was also an interesting sighting.  The latest addition to the site checklist is Common Merganser, courtesy of four individuals which flew over early in the morning. 

Wednesday October 13, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Melisa Brunet, Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Marie-Anne Hudson, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  8.5  (0900-1730) Nets:  6 Net hours:  11 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  64
Opening weather: 0% cloud 5C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 16C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
33 17 5 4 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
7 6 n/a
NOTES:   This was primarily a work day, to put on the new roof.  From that elevated perch we saw some nice birds, including the local Pileated Woodpecker flying by at eye level, and a couple of migrating Red-tailed Hawks.  With the warm weather some butterflies are also still about, including a Viceroy and a Mourning Cloak.  In the afternoon we did some non-standard banding as a demo for the McGill Natural History of the Vertebrates class; the nets were surprisingly productive, with 13 birds caught in just 11 net hours.  Among them was only our second Purple Finch netted, and our first American Tree Sparrow of the fall.

Tuesday October 12, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower, Marie-Anne Hudson, Betsy McFarlane, Chris Murphy
Hours:  5.25  (0635-1150) Nets:  9 Net hours:  43 Birds / 100 net hours:  86
Opening weather: 0% cloud 4C NW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 11C W (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
38 26 13 3 1
Banded Repeat Return
37 6 1
NOTES:   Though cold, it was another nice sunny morning, and many birds were in song around dawn, including White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and American Robins.  Migration is progressing though, with increased numbers of Slate-coloured Juncos and White-crowned Sparrows.  New for the site checklist today was Cackling Goose, recently split from Canada Goose.  New for our banding checklist was House Finch, a very dark red male that looked like a Purple Finch at first glance.  Later in the morning some raptor migration was observed overhead, including both hatch-year and adult Red-shouldered Hawk together, and several Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks.

Sunday October 10, 2004

Bander in charge:  Lance Laviolette Banding assistants:  Marcel Gahbauer
Hours:  6.75  (0635-1320) Nets:  14 Net hours:  65.7 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  62
Opening weather: 60% cloud 10C W (Beaufort 2-4) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 12C NW (Beaufort 3-4) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
23 n/a 14 6 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
41 7 n/a
NOTES:   Wind forced some nets to be closed early today, but it was a productive morning all the same.  Among the birds banded were our first Red-breasted Nuthatch and Hairy Woodpecker, our second Nashville Warbler and Sharp-shinned Hawk, and our third White-crowned Sparrow.  The hawk was caught in one of the owl nets, which have otherwise been rather unproductive during our morning sessions.   

Saturday October 9, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Isabel Julian
Hours:  5.0  (1130-1630) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 100% cloud 16C S (Beaufort 3) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 21C SW (Beaufort 5) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
16 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   No banding today - work on the cabin instead, taking off the old roof and preparing for installing a new one.  The adult Red-shouldered Hawk put in a nice appearance mid-afternoon; otherwise we saw relatively few birds while working.

Friday October 8, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Sheila Arthur, Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Barrie Ford, Noemie Laplante, Eve Marshall, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  6.0  (0630-1230) Nets:  9 Net hours:  48.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  167
Opening weather: 0% cloud 13C SW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 21C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
41 n/a 17 3 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
81 10 n/a
NOTES:   What a day!  Gorgeous weather for October, and an unprecedented number of birds in the nets for our site (94).  The first net round produced a few dozen birds in itself, and while the pace tapered off after that, we remained busy through the morning.  Diversity was the best we've had yet, with 17 species banded, and only three species reaching double digits (American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow).  Highlights included our first Purple Finch and Field Sparrow.  New for the site overall today was the first Orange-crowned Warbler of the fall.  Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers are still around in good numbers too, but we are probably only one or two cold fronts away from seeing the last of the warblers until spring, unless a few hardy Yellow-rumps decided to hang around because of the abundance of fruit at the site.

Thursday October 7, 2004

Bander in charge:  n/a Census:  Marcel Gahbauer
Hours:  1.25  (0800-0915) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 0% cloud 10C W (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 12C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
31 31 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   Census only today.  American Robins remain the most abundant bird in the area, with Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows also still widespread and numerous.  It appears that overnight some new migrants arrived, with clusters of Slate-coloured Juncos, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, and Yellow-rumped Warblers more numerous than they have been to date this fall.  One tree on the far side of Stoneycroft Pond had 4 Blue-headed Vireos, also a season high for the site.  A Swainson's Thrush was the first seen in a week, and the small flock of House Finches by the pond were only our second record of the species this fall.

Wednesday October 6, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Joanna Coleman, Christina Donehower, Andrée Dubois-Laviolette, Lance Laviolette, Marylise Lefevre
Hours:  5.5  (0630-1200) Nets:  14 Net hours:  41.25 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  63
Opening weather: 30% cloud 7C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 13C SW (Beaufort 5) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
34 21 6 2 0
Banded Repeat Return
26 4 0
NOTES:   Lots of birds in the area, but our capture rate was down due to the wind, which increased over the course of the morning and in time caused us to close all nets earlier than planned.  Nonetheless, we continued to band fair numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows, as well as our first Blue-headed Vireo.  Well over 200 American Robins were migrating through the area, many of them feeding on the buckthorns and other fruit-bearing trees.  Seven of them found their way into our nets, but many were staying higher up.  A Cooper's Hawk, perhaps chasing one of the robins, got caught in net D2, but managed to escape before we could get to it.  The Pine Siskin by Stoneycroft Pond was our 100th species observed since the start of the fall seaon.

Monday October 4, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Barbara Macduff, Chris Murphy, Crissy Ranellucci
Hours:  5.75  (0630-1215) Nets:  14 Net hours:  68.0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  54
Opening weather: 30% cloud 8C SE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 16C S (Beaufort 4) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
35 21 10 4 0
Banded Repeat Return
37 9 0
NOTES:   Once again the D nets were extremely productive early in the morning, giving us another mixed group of mostly Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, and Song Sparrows.  Mid-morning we had a nice surprise with 9 birds in net B3, including our second and third Black-throated Blue Warblers of the day.  A highlight from census was the first Northern Shrike of the season, perched on the large dead tree by Stoneycroft Pond.  Four deer were seen running through the field behind E just before net opening; they have avoided the nets so far and hopefully will continue to do so.  Small flocks of blackbirds were back this morning, including Red-winged and Rusty, as well as Common Grackle.

Sunday October 3, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Joanna Coleman, Christina Donehower, Andrée Dubois-Laviolette, Lance Laviolette, Marylise Lefevre
Hours:  5.5  (0630-1200) Nets:  14 Net hours:  66.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  72
Opening weather: 0% cloud 6C SW (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 10% cloud 13C SW (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
34 n/a 12 2 1
Banded Repeat Return
48 3 1
NOTES:   A busy morning with over 50 birds handled, nearly half of them coming on our first net round.  Once again activity was concentrated along the edges of Stoneycroft Pond, with the C and D nets collecting the vast majority of the birds.  One third of today's birds were White-throated Sparrows, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets also put in a good appearance at last with an even dozen banded.  The new net at C2 brought us 4 Swamp Sparrows at last, while D3 finally gave us our first return, a Song Sparrow banded during our spring demo operation on May 1 this year.

Friday October 1, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Barrie Ford, Isabel Julian, Marylise Lefevre, Louise Morin, Crissy Ranellucci, Emily Wallace
Hours:  4.5  (0610-1040) Nets:  14 Net hours:  66.25 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  38
Opening weather: 60% cloud 16C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 22C none no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
39 29 13 2 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
25 3 n/a
NOTES:   For the second consecutive day we opened the owl nets during the morning to explore the potential of that area for passerine monitoring.  Over the two days we've caught a variety of birds there including Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, and White-throated Sparrow, so we will continue to experiment with this setup.  Overall it was quieter today, especially after mid-morning.  However, diversity was good, and we had some excitement with our first raptor in the nets, a beautiful female Sharp-shinned Hawk.  She was very calm and easy to handle, and posed for some beautiful pictures, posted in the photo library.

Thursday September 30, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Shawn Craik, Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Barbara Macduff, Chris Murphy
Hours:  6.0  (0620-1220) Nets:  14 Net hours:  59 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  73
Opening weather: 20% cloud 6C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 13C S (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
34 17 14 2 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
43 7 n/a
NOTES:   Our success continues to improve!  We set new single-day records today for species (14) and individuals (43) banded.  This included six species we haven't caught here previously:  Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Northern Cardinal, Swamp Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and a very late Indigo Bunting.  The latter bird was an older male, largely brown but with a substantial number of blue feathers still showing.  The flow of birds was steady throughout the morning, with the only rush being from a crowd of chickadees invading B2 mid-morning.  Diversity of species was somewhat lower than it has been recently, but numbers of many migrants were high.

Wednesday September 29, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower, Manon Dubé, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Crissy Ranellucci, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  6.5  (0620-1250) Nets:  9 Net hours:  44.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  83
Opening weather: 30% cloud 16C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 22C none no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
36 23 10 1 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
37 2 n/a
NOTES:   A full morning, with a large influx of sparrows early in the morning, and a rush of grackles just before noon.  The grackle flock remains over 500 strong, and they moved through the woods behind the banding station in late morning, with 9 getting caught in B1.  The 37 birds banded today represented a new single day record for our station; not bad at all with still only 9 nets operating.  American Robins are also present in large numbers now, but generally flying high.  Brown Creeper was banded for the first time; White-throated Sparrows were the most common bird with nine individuals banded.

Thursday September 23, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower, Manon Dubé, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  4.5  (0610-1040) Nets:  9 Net hours:  33 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  70
Opening weather: 60% cloud 16C NE (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 22C none no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
42 21 12 1 n/a
Banded Repeat Return
23 1 n/a
NOTES:   A shortened morning of banding due to volunteer logistics, but a productive one all the same.  In just over 4 hours, we banded nearly two dozen individuals of 12 species, including our first Downy Woodpecker, House Wren and Western Palm Warbler.  A large influx of Yellow-rumped Warblers greeted us in the morning, but only a couple of them found their way into the nets.  The several-hundred-strong flock of Common Grackles put in another appearance today, with a dozen Rusty Blackbirds mixed in this time.  The gorgeous weather continues - perfect conditions for banding!  It may be the first full day of fall, but the insect life (crickets, grasshoppers, dragonflies, cicadas, butterflies, etc are as active as in mid-summer).

Wednesday September 22, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower, Gay Gruner, Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Christine Murphy
Hours:  7.0  (0610-1310) Nets:  9 Net hours:  52 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  69
Opening weather: 20% cloud 14C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 10% cloud 20C W (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
40 20 12 n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
36 n/a n/a
NOTES:   The first full morning of banding, following our standard protocol completely except for the absence of net lines A and F.  We had a steady flow of birds to band throughout the morning, mostly Song Sparrows and Black-capped Chickadees, but also some less commonly caught species such as Lincoln's Sparrow and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, both among our top priority species for monitoring.  Outside of banding, the highlight was unquestionably a Golden-winged Warbler seen on census.  The McGill ornithology class also dropped by for a couple of hours, observing us in action both at the nets and inside the banding station.

Tuesday September 21, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Lina Bardo, Christina Donehower, Marie-Anne Hudson, Arnaud Tarroux
Hours:  5.0  (0640-1140) Nets:  7 Net hours:  31.5 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  35
Opening weather: 90% cloud 15C W (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 60% cloud 18C W (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
45 23 8 n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
11 n/a n/a
NOTES:   Our first morning of banding with the new nets!  Net groups B, C, D, and E were set up over the course of the morning, with all but C yielding birds in short order.  Appropriately enough, our first bird was an American Goldfinch, Montreal's official bird.  It was followed by an Ovenbird, our first observed on the site this fall.  The highlight of the morning, however, was a hatch-year male Scarlet Tanager caught in the bottom panel of net B2 just before closing.

Monday September 20, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  n/a
Hours:  1.0  (0755-0855) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 70% cloud 9C W (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 11C W (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
35 35 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:   Our most diverse census of the fall season, so far.  A small mixed flock of warblers near the gate included Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, and our first Blackpoll of the fall.  Other new arrivals included Winter Wren and an early Slate-coloured Junco, bringing the season list to 83 species, and year list to 110.  Only a small flock of 70 Common Grackles remained from yesterday's black cloud.  The Merlin was back on top of the dead tree by the pond, but otherwise raptors were quiet today except for one Cooper's Hawk hunting near the gate.  Robins and Blue Jays were quite active today; Cedar Waxwings and American Goldfinches scarcer than they have been recently.

Sunday September 19, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  David Bird, Rodger Titman
Hours:  5.0  (0640-1140) Nets:  2 Net hours:  3.0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  167
Opening weather: 0% cloud 9C E (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 16C E (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
47 n/a 3 n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
5 n/a n/a
NOTES:  Another wonderful morning.  The total of 47 species is our highest single day count to date, and included a great new bird for MBO, a Connecticut Warbler spotted by Rodger Titman in the area west of the banding station.  Also new to the list today was American Kestrel, one of 8 raptor species seen over the course of the day.  Perhaps the most impressive spectacle of the day though was the river of at least 1200 Common Grackles (plus a few Rusty and Red-winged Blackbirds) which flew diagonally across the MBO area around 8 a.m.  Visitors from "The Bird Course" were present this morning, so two nets in section D were opened for an hour and a half, resulting in our first five birds of the season getting banded.  

Saturday September 18, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Marie-Anne Hudson, Christina Donehower, Arnaud Tarroux, Gregor Gilbert, Rob Klus, Jennifer Pearson, Gijs van Tols, Marylise Lefevre
Hours:  7.5  (0800-1530) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather:  30% cloud 10C NE (Beaufort 2) no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 16C N (Beaufort 1) no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
42 27 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  A great day all around!  We started with the most productive census so far this month, the highlight of which was a male Scarlet Tanager.  Other noteworthy birds included our first Common Raven (four others were seen and heard later!) and Lincoln's Sparrow for the site.  Later on we were able to add a further three species to the checklist:  Northern Goshawk (being pursued by crows near the gate), Red-shouldered Hawk (flying past the banding station, then later soaring beautifully overhead against the blue sky), and Golden-crowned Kinglet (early arrivals near net E1).  

Today was a big work day, and it was perfect weather for some of the heavy labour involved, including the preparation and placement of the cement block bases for our poles, the clearing of vegetation from the net lines which haven't yet received such preparation, and the installation of doors and window coverings at the banding station itself.   Special thanks to all the volunteers (listed above) who each spent several hours helping with these tasks! 


Tuesday September 14, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  Marie-Anne Hudson, Isabel Julian, Christina Donehower
Hours:  1.5  (0810-0940) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 0% cloud 14C no wind no precipitation
Closing weather: 0% cloud 16C no wind no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
20 20 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  Sparrows are starting to arrive in good numbers, with 14 Chipping and 6 Field in the sumacs near Stoneycroft Pond, plus some Song and White-throated scattered elsewhere along the census route.  A hatch-year Broad-winged Hawk soared overhead during census, while an adult passed through the area after census, pursued for a while by an American Crow.  Black-capped Chickadees and Cedar Waxwings were the most numerous on today's census.  A flock of nearly 80 Canada Geese flew north as we were leaving. 

Monday September 13, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  n/a
Hours:  2.0  (0740-0940) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather:  100% cloud 10C N 8 km/h no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 13C no wind no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
25 23 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  A distinctly cold breeze was blowing from the north this morning, and with the clear night preceding, it appears that some migrants have taken this opportunity to move on.  It was a relatively quiet morning, though not without highlights.  These included an American Bittern in the middle of Stoneycroft Pond, a Merlin flying across the pond and sending Cedar Waxwings scattering from the large dead tree, and another sighting of the American Crow with mostly white primaries. 

Tuesday September 7, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marie-Anne Hudson Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower
Hours:  1.0  (0710-0810) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 80% cloud 17C SE 22 km/h no precipitation
Closing weather: 80% cloud 18C SE 22 km/h no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
19 19 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  The highlight of today's census was observing a Ruby-throated Hummingbird repeatedly pursuing an American Goldfinch.  Black-capped Chickadees and Cedar Waxwings were the most abundant birds observed this morning; a Wood Frog was also seen. 

Saturday September 4, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marie-Anne Hudson Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower
Hours:  4.0  (0715-1115) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 100% cloud 18C NE 18 km/h no precipitation
Closing weather: 100% cloud 19C NE 18 km/h no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
12 12 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  A quiet time during census, so three hours were spent removing buckthorn in the way of nets, and improving the marking of the census trail.  Again a mob of crows was prominent, this time harassing two Cooper's Hawks in the field to the east early on in the census.  A Northern Harrier was also spotted along the road to the Arboretum, before the MBO turnoff.   

Friday September 3, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marie-Anne Hudson Banding assistants:  Christina Donehower
Hours:  1.25  (0700-0815) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather: 20% cloud 12C S 8 km/h no precipitation
Closing weather: 20% cloud 13C S 8 km/h no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
16 16 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  A Cooper's Hawk was being mobbed by a dozen crows in the tree near the turnoff to MBO both at arrival and departure.  A family of two or three young raccoons crossed our path in the sumac stand while on census.  Overall a quiet morning, with crows, Cedar Waxwings, Common Grackles, and Black-capped Chickadees the only species present in any numbers. 

Thursday August 26, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  n/a
Hours:  3.0  (0650-0950) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather:  100% cloud 19C no wind no precipitation
Closing weather: 90% cloud 22C no wind no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
28 23 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  A much warmer morning than yesterday, and perhaps not coincidentally also much quieter in terms of birds.  Larger flocks of Cedar Waxwing (up to 25) were seen today, but a single Nashville and one Yellow were all that was left of yesterday's 7 warbler species, aside from the Common Yellowthroats which appear to still be on territory around the pond.  The highlight of the morning was watching a couple of plucky Ruby-throated Hummingbirds aggressively buzzing the American Goldfinches and American Robins perched in the large dead tree by the pond.

Wednesday August 25, 2004

Bander in charge:  Marcel Gahbauer Banding assistants:  n/a
Hours:  2.0  (0700-0900) Nets:  0 Net hours:  0 Birds banded / 100 net hours:  n/a
Opening weather:  0% cloud 10C no wind no precipitation
Closing weather: 10% cloud 15C no wind no precipitation
SPECIES INDIVIDUALS
Observed Census Banded Repeat Return
37 34 n/a n/a n/a
Banded Repeat Return
n/a n/a n/a
NOTES:  The fall season is underway at MBO.  Over the next few weeks we will try to conduct the standardized census as often as possible, beginning an hour after sunrise each day.  By mid-September we hope to be ready to start banding birds regularly as well.  Today's census yielded a modest 34 species, but provided evidence that passerine movement has begun, with the arrival of Black-throated Blue and Magnolia Warblers.  Other highlights included a Great Horned Owl perched on a branch overlooking Stoneycroft Pond, our first sightings of Scarlet Tanager and American Black Duck this year, and an American Crow with all white primaries and secondaries.  Outside the census period, a Broad-winged Hawk flew past, possibly also an early migrant.

 

© 2002- The Migration Research Foundation Inc.