The unsettled weather continues to be of significant negative impact on the season, but we have again seen little signs of hope since our last post. This past week we banded another 29 Northern Saw-whet Owls and caught another that was previously banded. On Sunday night, we heard the first two Long-eared Owls of the spring, but it was not until 5:15 a.m. this morning that we finally banded the first one of the season. The weather forecast models for the coming days look like a serious mess, but at least it looks like we’ll stay above freezing temperatures for the longest stretch of the spring so far. In combination with a decent amount of rain in the forecast, that will hopefully take the snow levels down more in the coming days.
The first Long-eared Owl of the spring 2022 season.
~ Chris Neri & Nova Mackentley
2022 WPBO Spring Owl Banders
You can read Chris and Nova’s weekly blog post and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for owl banding highlights this season.
Owl Banding Presentations — Visitors may observe owls that have been banded on Friday and Saturday evenings from dusk until midnight. Please note that banding is weather dependent and it is at the banders’ discretion to cancel banding accordingly. Observation will be limited to outdoors only and we encourage participants to wear masks and continue to practice social distancing whenever possible. For the safety of the owls, flash photography and recording video is prohibited.
