Hawk Ridge Weekly Banding Report: October 1-7, 2013

David Alexander was teaching and training new banders at Braddock Bay, NY for a course. Thus, passerine banding was conducted only on October 1st with 61 birds banded, highlighted by 8 species of warblers including Black-throated Green Warblers. A few Blue Jays and a Northern Flicker were captured and banded in the hawk nets during the week as well.

Owl banding is in full swing now with 165 and just over 100 on the the 6th and 7th. We are finally catching hatch-years on the two large nights, but only small percentage. The season total is now 482 which includes: 475 Northern Saw-whets (33 Previously banded), 6 Long-eared and one Barred Owl.

A total of 415 hawks were banded during the week which includes: 2 Northern Harrier, 358 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 15 Cooper's Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawk, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 26 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 American Kestrel, 8 Merlin and 1 Peregrine Falcon. Most of these were banded during the first three days as a northeaster hit with up to 40 mph winds and rain on a few days.

Frank Nicoletti
Banding Director

Northern Flicker, Image by Miranda Durbin

Cooper's Hawk, Image by Chris Neri

Long-eared Owl, Image by Chris Neri

Red-tailed Hawk, Image by Miranda Durbin

Peregrine Falcon, Image by Miranda Durbin