Matt, the Owl Whisperer, with Nancy and James. -B. Fotheringham
Yes, that’s right folks: Nancy’s Owl Team banded 16 Northern Saw-whet Owls last night!! There is only one scientifically plausible explanation for this influx: the return of Matt Timpf, the Owl Whisperer. Matt returns from 4 months away and, wham!! The nets are full. There can be no other explanation. The Team was catching birds from the second net round right through to the last one at 3:30 AM (which somewhat explains Nancy’s bleary-eyed look this morning). Who knows what tonight (or tomorrow night) might bring?
The first four of the night’s 16 Saw-whets. -B. Fotheringham
Matt applying a band. -B. Fotheringham
The Three Amigos. -B. Fotheringham
Banded and released – this bird is readjusting to the night. -B. Fotheringham
This was great news to be greeted with when I arrived at the banding station this morning. (Actually, the news was in the data book – not conveyed verbally by any member of the team – James and Nancy were sawing logs in the office.)
We needed some good news at this early time as the nets were frozen and the poles were slick with ice. We had to wait over an hour and a half for them to thaw before we could open. Even then it took a while for the birds to warm up and get morning. We caught a lot more birds in the second half of the morning. American Goldfinches are making their presence felt (at last) – we banded 30 of them.
Banded 72:
16 Northern Saw-whet Owls (from last night)
2 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Brown Creeper
5 Golden-crowned Kinglets
1 American Robin
1 Cedar Waxwing
1 Northern Cardinal
3 American Tree Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
1 White-throated Sparrow
7 Dark-eyed Juncos
3 Red-winged Blackbirds
30 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 35 spp.
Rick