With no recent sightings of the Black Bears which earlier seemed to be around every corner, the LSLBO can again open our nets. Yet most migration continues as a stream of overhead Myrtle Warblers with some new faces. These new observations include Greater White-fronted Geese, Gray-cheeked Thrush, and American Pipits – all tundra breeders we… Read more »
Weekly Reports
August 18 – 24, 2022
As fall migration gains momentum with a second wave of birds heading south, the LSLBO has had to keep most nets closed due to persistent and bold black bears on-site. To keep birds safe, we have kept 12 of our 14 nets closed, opening only our two aerial nets that are raised up into the… Read more »
August 11 – 17, 2022
As the LSLBO enters the lull in migration that often occurs mid to late August, we are left wondering where all the Myrtle Warblers are. This subspecies of the Yellow-rumped Warbler tends to be our top captured and observed songbird, but at 177 banded they are only in fourth place. While we wait to see… Read more »
August 4 – 10, 2022
The unusual and exciting captures of our Fall Migration Monitoring program continued for the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory with our tenth ever Red-winged Blackbird, despite periods of poor weather and often subdued bird activity. Thanks to this lull we are able to summarize our Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, which completed on… Read more »
July 27 – August 3, 2022
The Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory recently finished its final period of Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS), but our summary of this breeding-focused program will have to wait until next week. While most of the 629 birds banded this week were again American Redstarts and Yellow Warblers, our Fall Migration Monitoring program had three… Read more »
July 21 – 27, 2022
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 »
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 »
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Our first capture of 2025... was actually banded September 12, 2024. Way to make it through your first winter little friend!![]()
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* Birds are handled by professionals and released unharmed as permitted by federal and provincial authorities. *
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