Trying to Break 80
Snow for Mary
Yesterday evening we had 6 more visitors (people) at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station here in Allegany State Park. I was lucky to have Young Naturalist J here to help with banding the 5 owls we captured and he will continue to be around for tonight’s banding (if the weather allows).
J removing an owl from the net (photo by his mother)
We started the evening with 76 different individuals captured for the season and very close to breaking the 80 bird mark!! We tried and tried to get at least 4 more birds for the night and was stuck with 3 birds by the time we needed to close the nets (fog was rolling in – 12:30 am). THEN, during our very last net check . . . . not 1 but we caught 2 more fluff balls (taking us to 81)!! You never saw such happy people and we both couldn’t have thought of a more happier way to end the evening than with those 2 birds!!
You might ask what is magical with the 80 birds number?? We have caught 80 birds total for my first three years of the project. I now can say that this year (my 4th year) that we caught more than my first three years combined! AND . . . . I still have another week or two of banding to go!!
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Congratulations, Tom – I just can’t imagine what a pleasure that must be. Is the increase in numbers due to an increase in bird population or are you just getting that danged good at this?
Ah yes **** snow *** flakes **** for sweet Mary :0)
11 November 2007 at 9:26 am
Congrats!
11 November 2007 at 11:15 am
Yahooo!!!!!
11 November 2007 at 12:03 pm
Wow. Awesome!
11 November 2007 at 12:38 pm
Wow! What a great night. I hope your luck continues.
11 November 2007 at 2:37 pm
@ Cathy – thanks and this is a big year for them!
@ Liz – thanks
@ Marg – Google!!!
@ Nick – thanks
@ Trixie – for this time of the year it was good but we did have NE winds which helped!
11 November 2007 at 4:31 pm
Wow great job on the bird count! I love the snow pic, you’re getting all the fun over there, no snow here yet!
12 November 2007 at 12:04 am
That is just great. Wonderful that you have siskins and red polls too. We still have nothing interesting to report except more red tailed hawks than I have ever seen in my life on a Saturday road trip
12 November 2007 at 9:13 am
@ Chicago – lake effect can quickly give us some snow!
@ threecollie – great that they have finally showed up! Thanks!
12 November 2007 at 9:29 am
81 — great. I’m behind on smileys. I owe you
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
12 November 2007 at 11:24 am
Thank you so much for that lovely snow photo! You are having a banner year! I’m so happy for you and YNJ. CHECK!
12 November 2007 at 3:37 pm
@ Grace – thanks and see you at work!
@ Mary – Knew you wanted a photo of the snow! Thanks!
12 November 2007 at 11:22 pm