We were able to band all seven nights since our last post, but things have been relatively slow. Adult Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) have remained steady, but they are never numerous during the summer season. Their numbers have also always dropped off after the second week of the season, so we are prepared to see their numbers decrease in the near future. As the adult NSWO numbers decrease at this time of year, we hope to see juvenile numbers increase. Although the juveniles have become a little more consistent recently, their numbers have remained low. Over the last seven nights, we have banded 39 adult NSWO, 11 juvenile NSWO, and two Long-eared Owls. This brings the season total to 89 NSWO (75 adults and 14 juveniles) and three long-eareds banded. We have also recaptured seven previously-banded NSWO.
One of the season’s juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owls.
We also enjoyed seeing a few St. Lawrence tiger moths this week; they’re absolutely beautiful.
St. Lawrence tiger moth.
-Chris Neri & Cory Gregory
WPBO 2022 Summer Owl Banders.
You can read Chris and Cory’s weekly blog posts 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.
