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Archived Postings

May 15, 2006 – May 21, 2006

May 15 to May 21, 2006 We experienced somewhat of a lull in migration this week. Very few birds were spotted during the visual migration counts and only a few birds were banded. In total, 87 birds were banded over the week; half of those banded on just one morning alone (that was a pretty good morning). New sightings for the week included: blue-headed vireos, gray-cheeked thrush, Tennessee warblers, blackpoll warblers, northern waterthrush, American redstarts, and western tanagers; they were either heard singing in the forest or captured in the nets. Although there was not much activity in the nets, every morning there seemed to be more songbirds actively singing and foraging in the trees. It means that migration is still in full swing and we are expecting some good banding days within the next few weeks. A volunteer from the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, came to visit the LSLBO late this week. Jessica wanted to see our banding operation and hopefully see some new birds not found at Rocky Point. American redstarts, clay-coloured sparrows, Le Conte’s sparrows, and rose-breasted grosbeaks were some of the species new to her that are either absent or rare on Vancouver Island. The information collected by migration monitoring stations is standard across Canada. Banding data collected from all stations include the age and sex as well as biometric information, such as muscle and fat content, of each bird banded. Stations compile daily estimated totals of each species banded, recorded during the standard census route, and observed during normal banding operations. However, each station operates in slightly different ways to be able to collect the banding data and to derive the daily estimated totals. Most stations begin banding one-half hour before sunrise, but operating time varies from 6 to 7 hours. Some stations set 12 mistnets each day, while others can operate up to 19 each day. There are also different banding techniques that stations have developed over time to make the processing of birds more efficient; from how to set nets each morning to the type of tubes used to weigh the birds. Visiting with other banders is a great way to learn new banding techniques and usually ends in sharing stories of how different birds made you bleed.

2010