Although this year should not be the peak in the reproductive cycle of Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO), we are off to the best start ever for juvenile NSWO this summer. To date, we have banded 180 owls; 172 saw-whets and eight Long-eared Owls. Of the 172 NSWO we’ve banded, 148 have been juveniles. This strong start in regard to juvenile NSWO doesn’t mean that it will prove to be a peak year, but the saw-whets have thrown us a few curves in recent years and only time will tell. The eight Long-eared Owls (LEOW) banded also represents a very good start to the season. The most LEOW we have banded in a summer season is 103, which is an incredible number for July and August. We will also have to wait to see if the strong start for the LEOW will result in high numbers this season. On another positive note, rain gave us our first night off last night.
A juvenile Long-eared Owl.
A juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl molting into its adult plumage.
A recent venture into the net lanes in the morning provided an opportunity to take a photo of the mosquitoes that regularly plaque us at night.
There have been a lot of clouds recently, but we’ve had a couple opportunities to enjoy viewing the comet.
Chris Neri & Hannah Toutonghi
WPBO Summer Owl Banders.
