Southward songbird migration is well underway at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. Though the sky is relatively quiet, the nets are getting busier such that July 27 captured 141 birds to become the busiest day of captures so far this fall monitoring period. Since migration began, the nets have been busier than average overall,… Read more »
Weekly Banding Reports
July 14 – 20, 2022
Believe it or not, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory began tracking southward bird migration on July 12. The first week of Fall Migration Monitoring was slow with captures and observations of baby birds and their parents many, but observations of clear migration few. Already a shift has begun. More and more we are seeing… Read more »
July 7 – 13, 2022
Around this time every summer the world outside our windows is bursting with life. Vibrant green vegetation with splashes of colourful wildflowers and soon-to-be ripe fruit has thoroughly replaced the long lingering whites of winter and browns of early spring. Insects are abundant with ants, butterflies, bees, and pesky mosquitoes easily found. Alongside these summer… Read more »
June 30 – July 6, 2022
The Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory field staff were busy this week with the MAPS program that monitors the breeding status of the diverse bird species that nest in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park as well as completing vegetation surveys to monitor habitat changes in our study areas. This week, the banders are starting to… Read more »
June 23 – 29, 2022
The LSLBO has finished our second round of MAPS banding focusing on our breeding birds. With 61 birds banded in the last period, our MAPS banding total now stands at 173 birds banded from 21 species. Although there were no captures that stood out in the last round, we are expecting this round to be… Read more »
June 16 – 22, 2022
As we finish our second period of MAPS, shifts in breeding conditions are plentiful. These changes give hints to each bird’s nesting activity without us having to find the nest. The most detailed clues come from female songbirds who are often solely responsible for incubating a pair’s eggs. To efficiently warm these eggs, females drop… Read more »
June 9 – 15, 2022
As June 10 concluded, so too did the 2022 Spring Migration Monitoring program at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. With daily coverage since April 18, arrivals and migration peaks have been documented for 160 bird species. Although bird movements began slow-steady with a few sparrow rushes early in the monitoring period, there was a… Read more »
June 2 – 8, 2022
This week has been surprisingly busy for the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory’s spring migration monitoring program with 318 birds banded between June 2 and 8. Although we are capturing expected numbers of late season migrants, such as Canada Warblers, Alder Flycatchers, and even a rare Connecticut Warbler, our nets have also seen unusually high… Read more »
May 26 – June 1, 2022
Though the air is filled with birdsong as Tennessee Warblers and White-Throated Sparrows compete for loudest voice in the boreal forest, migration has continued to slow this week at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory (LSLBO). While slow, the trickle of birds in the mist nets has brought our organization to a milestone on May… Read more »
May 19 – 25, 2022
On May 18 Team Tanager went out for their big day to see as many species as possible for the Great Canadian Birdathon. Teammates Wayne Bowles, Robyn Perkins, Bronwyn Robinson, and first-timer Nola Sheets spent the morning at the migration monitoring station before heading out to tour a few hotspots around town. In total, they… Read more »
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With our Owl Monitoring Program finishing up on Oct 31st, it is officially a wrap for the 2022 monitoring season at the LSLBO! Thank you to our amazing field crew (Robyn, Bronwyn and Nola) and all of the enthusiastic volunteers who helped out during another busy season at our station. What a team!![]()
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We are able to do what we do because of the support that we receive from Alberta Conservation Association, Environment and Climate Change, Vanderwell, West Fraser Timber, Tolko, Alberta Parks, Canada Summer Jobs as well as all of our members, volunteers and donors. Thank you for everything you have done for our programs this year and see you next spring!
Thank you Robert Deacon!![]()
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At our recent Saw-whet Social, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory Society thanked Robert Deacon for over 22 years of dedicated volunteerism and leadership until his well-deserved retirement from the board this fall. First elected as Chair in 1999, Bob’s unwavering commitment to the LSLBO and his passion for the creation of the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation with Alberta Parks have been instrumental in our success. As chair, Bob has left an incredible legacy for both the LSLBO and bird conservation. Since the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation opened in 2006, over 80,000 visitors from around the world have gained a greater appreciation for the boreal forest and our birds. We have connected over 120,000 participants of all ages to the wonder of nature in our exciting education and outreach programs. LSLBO avian monitoring programs have banded over 100,000 birds while supporting innovative research projects from across the country. ![]()
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Thank you Bob for everything you have done! From the Board, Staff and Members of the LSLBO.
Captures of Northern Saw-whet Owls have slowed dramatically, but the nets still have some surprises in store! This Barred Owl caught late last night is only the 7th we have ever banded.