Teslin Lake update - September 15

Yes, it is frost time of the year already!!

The fall migration at TLBO hit a real doldrum in this period. Very few birds were captured and the skies remained empty as well. From Sept 11th through Sept 15th Teslin Lake averaged 25.6 birds/day and 0.196 birds/net-hour for a total of 129 birds banded. Mountain Chickadee banded on the 12th was a 1st for the season. There were two very interesting recaptures: an adult male Yellow Warbler recaptured on the 12th was originally banded at the site as a HY on August 17, 2008, and an adult female Junco, originally banded as a drab, heavily molting, bird on July 22 this year, came back after finishing her molt as a pristine Oregon Junco! The top five species banded during the period were Boreal Chickadee (53), Dark-eyed Junco (19), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (14), Common Yellowthroat (7) and Yellow Warbler (7). The current season top five species banded are Alder Flycatcher (635), Yellow Warbler (299), Dark-eyed Junco (220), Boreal Chickadee (200), and Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler (107).

Observation highlights were very few indeed and the only things worth mentioning for this period are a couple of migrant flocks of Thayer's Gulls, increasing numbers (10+) of Red-throated Loons on daily basis, some Peregrine Falcons and the continuing mini-invasion of Boreal Chickadees.


adult female Oregon Junco


Mountain Chickadee


Yellow Warbler, banded Aug 17, 2008 and recaptured Sept 12, 2011

Photos ©top two Abril Heredia, bottom 3 Jukka Jantunen

The complete list of bird banded at Teslin Lake Bird Observatory this season as of September 15th (the last 5 days in brackets).

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3
Merlin - 2
Spotted Sandpiper - 2
Solitary Sandpiper - 3
Boreal Owl - 4 (1)
Belted Kingfisher - 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 7
Northern Flicker - 1
Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1
Western Wood-Pewee - 10
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 7
Alder Flycatcher - 635 (1)
Least Flycatcher - 10
Hammond's Flycatcher - 28
Dusky Flycatcher - 6
Northern Shrike - 1
Warbling Vireo - 17
Black-capped Chickadee - 64 (6)
Mountain Chickadee - 1 (1)
Boreal Chickadee - 200 (53)
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 37 (14)
Townsend's Solitaire - 1
Swainson's Thrush - 85 (1)
Hermit Thrush - 5 (1)
American Robin - 11
Varied Thrush - 1
Bohemian Waxwing - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 4
Orange-crowned Warbler - 47 (1)
Yellow Warbler - 299 (7)
Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler - 107 (4)
Yellow-rumped "Audubon's" Warbler -1
Townsend's Warbler - 4
Blackpoll Warbler - 57
American Redstart - 37
Northern Waterthrush - 42
Common Yellowthroat - 61 (7)
Wilson's Warbler - 71 (2)
American Tree Sparrow - 12 (2)
Chipping Sparrow - 28 (1)
Brewer's Sparrow - 2
Savannah Sparrow - 17 (1)
Fox Sparrow - 11 (1)
Lincoln's Sparrow - 16
White-crowned Sparrow - 33 (2)
Slate-colored Junco - 220 (19)
Rusty Blackbird - 9
Brown-headed Cowbird - 1
Purple Finch - 1
White-winged Crossbill - 1
Common Redpoll - 4
Pine Siskin - 10
= 2253 (129) birds of 54 species
0.341 (0.196) birds/net-hour
Please note that the Boreal Owls are included in the total but not in the birds/net hr