Teslin Lake update - Aug 31st

Water level in the end of August

The bird migration activity has picked up significantly since the last blog entry. Over the last week we've banded 735 birds, including 155 on Aug 25, 114 on Aug 26 and 217 on Aug 28 (the 2nd highest day total in fall in the observatory's history). As expected, the majority of the catch has been Alder Flycatchers (354) and Yellow Warblers (132) followed by Orange-crowned Warbler (47), Yellow-rumped Warbler (42) and Dark-eyed Junco (39) . The current top five for the season is Alder Flycatcher 727 , Yellow Warbler 286, Yellow-rumped Warbler 105, Wilson's Warbler 88, and Blackpoll Warbler 78. The most exciting bird banded was a young Magnolia Warbler on the 30th, only the 3rd for the observatory.

Young Magnolia Warbler was banded for the 2nd year in a row - are they nesting in Teslin area??

 

Young Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was the star capture of our highly sophisticated canopy net

Some bigger birds have been on the move too. The 27th was a particularly good day as in the morning in rain and fog over 600 Greater White-fronted Geese were tallied and then in the afternoon when the weather cleared there was a short pulse of about 70 raptors (49 Red-tailed Hawks) heading south. The lake has hosted up to two juvenile Sabine's Gulls for a few days now and up to four different Parasitic Jaegers including one sub-adult, an age-class and plumage not often seen inland. Visible day-time passerine migration has also picked up a little. On both the 30th and the 31st over 500 Yellow-rumped Warblers (including unidentified candidates) were counted flying by. Ten fly-by Townsend's Solitaires on the 31st was a high count for that species.

TLBO, a meeting place for arctic migrants - Sabine's Gull (L) and Thayer's Gull (R)

Young Sabine's Gull has been keeping us company for a few days now

Sub-adult Parasitic Jaeger

A raft of at least 45 Red-breasted Mergansers - the biggest ever seen at the observatory!

There was some real exciting drama too on the morning of the 30th when a sub-adult Peregrine Falcon spotted our local gull flock and made a stoop for breakfast. It managed to catch a young Mew Gull but landed in water with it and for some reason released it. It was quite a show - short but action packed!

 

Peregrine darting after gulls on the shoreline

The young Mew Gull nicked by the Peregrine. Notice the wound in the thigh area.

Acting station manager Ted Murphy-Kelly enjoying after hours wiener roasting

Bander-in-Charge bands and volunteers Julie Bauer (center) and Sarah Coulthard (R) assist
 

Banding totals as of Aug 31 (the # banded since the last update in brackets):

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1

Solitary Sandpiper - 2

Spotted Sandpiper - 1

Belted Kingfisher - 2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 (1)

Northern Flicker - 2

Western Wood-Pewee - 4 (4)

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 11 (1)

Alder Flycatcher - 727 (354)

Least Flycatcher - 6

Hammond's Flycatcher - 9

Dusky Flycatcher - 2 (1)

Northern Shrike - 1

Warbling Vireo - 46

Black-capped Chickadee - 23 (7)

Boreal Chickadee - 6

Red-breasted Nuthatch -6 (2)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 18 (7)

Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1

Swainson's Thrush - 54 (14)

Hermit Thrush - 1

American Robin - 4

Varied Thrush - 1 (1)

Cedar Waxwing - 8 (3)

Tennessee Warbler - 1

Orange-crowned Warbler - 71 (47)

Yellow Warbler - 286 (132)

Yellow-rumped Warbler - 105 (42)

Townsend's Warbler - 7 (1)

Blackpoll Warbler - 78 (19)

American Redstart - 31 (4)

Northern Waterthrush - 43 (4)

MacGillivray's Warbler - 1

Common Yellowthroat - 43 (18)

Wilson's Warbler - 88 (16)

American Tree Sparrow - 1

Chipping Sparrow - 18 (1)

Savannah Sparrow - 11 (4)

Fox Sparrow - 5 (4)

Lincoln's Sparrow - 8 (2)

White-crowned Sparrow - 12 (4)

Dark-eyed Junco - 63 (39)

Purple Finch - 1

White-winged Crossbill - 3

Pine Siskin - 7 (2)

= 1821 (735) birds, 46 species