Empty Sky
For those of you who missed it, this past Saturday was International Migratory Bird Day, and with strong north winds once again bringing migration to a halt, I had plenty of time for reflection. Once [...]
Flight Lines: Waterbird Count May 2-8
Lines of ducks stream through the sky. By day, I search for them. (For most of the last week — a cheek-numbing stretch of demoralizing north winds — it’s seemed that I seek far more [...]
Owl Update 5/6/2020
We’re effectively stuck in repeat mode when it comes to giving general updates on the owl migration. Northern Saw-whet Owls have continued at a steady trickle, and we have not banded a Boreal Owl since [...]
The Fast and the Furious
The Sharp-shinned Hawk. Recently, I was asked what their name means. Seeing that "sharpies" (my preferred nom de plume) do have an awfully strange name, I found it to be a fine question, the answer [...]
Waterbird Count Update April 24-May 1
Loon migration at WPBO is currently approaching full throttle — today, May 1, I had what is, so far, the season’s highest daily counts of Common (277) and Red-throated (38). With weather and season being [...]
Owl Update 4/29/2020
Not a lot has changed since our last post in regard to the owl migration. We continue to be surprised by the low number of Northern Saw-whet Owls. Nightly totals for saw-whets once again failed [...]