Sunday, January 11, 2015

2014 Monitoring Results - OUCH!

Our worst year yet, only capturing 9 owls all season! We did have a limited season due to Reserve access problems and also had to move our banding site.  However, it is hard to say what to blame our slow season on. Other than the above changes, the drought and unseasonably warm temperatures could have played a part. Most of the banding nights were also very quiet, with no owls vocalizing, leading us to think there were none using the area. And only one night of calling Western Screech Owls, when last year they called regularly and we captured 7!

Saw-whet owl sitting in Black Oak Tree near new site OWL4 at the BCCER
We banded 12 nights and banded 9 owls on 5 of those nights. 7 of the 9 owls were birds hatched the summer of 2014 (HY birds less than 5 months old) and 2 were adult birds (AHY), indicating a good reproductive year. Here were our banding nights and owl capture results:

Oct. 5, no captures
Oct. 11, no captures
Oct. 20, 2 HY
Oct. 27, 3 HY, 2 AHY
Oct. 29, 1 HY
Oct. 30, no captures
Nov. 1, no captures
Nov. 3 no captures
Nov. 5, no captures
Nov. 9, no captures
Nov. 14, 1 recapture (HY)
Nov. 23, 1 HY

Once again, thank you Owl Monitoring Team! 2014: regulars Steve King, Mike Fisher, Sheila Frisk, Nancy Nelson, Raina King, Tyler and JoAnna Arroyo, and newcomers Ken Sobon, Navit Reid and Carolyn Short.







Saturday, January 3, 2015

Owl Adoption Certificates Make Great Conservation Gifts!

Our Adopt-an-Owl program is fortunate to have many sponsors! Our supporters were many in 2014, buying certificates for themselves, friends and family.  Here is a happy owl guardian Alyssa from Connecticut, who was gifted an owl adoption by her mom for a Christmas gift.
Alyssa loves owls, dissecting owl pellets and is going to be a volunteer as a junior ranger at her local nature center. We are particularly proud when we can help inspire young adults to become bird lovers, nature lovers, earth lovers and stewards of the planet. Thank you Alyssa and Terri (we know you inspired much of the compassion for nature in her) for your support! go here to learn about our program!