MIGRATION SUMMARY – NOVEMBER 7th TO 15th, 2007

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

After another productive and enjoyable year of field coverage, PIBO’s Fall 2007 migration monitoring season came to a close on November 15^th. Songbird activity at Fish Point was down considerably compared to previous years, but the season was a tremendous success and there were many exciting new developments at the observatory during this, our 5^th year of operations.  

Ten staff and volunteers completed 107 consecutive days of coverage at the Point from August 1^st to November 15^th and compiled 1816 field-hours. In all, 2035 birds of seventy-four species were banded and sixty birds recaptured during 4488 net-hours of operation. Of the recaptures, twenty-eight were passage migrants banded this season by PIBO at least one day before their recapture, twenty-nine were presumed local birds (including 25 Black-capped Chickadees), and three were Northern Saw-whet Owl foreign encounters (birds banded at another location).

While the total number of net hours this Fall was the highest at the station to-date, the number of birds banded was the lowest since operations began in 2003. The Fall catch-rate was .45 birds/net-hour compared to the last three-year average of 1.14 – a decline of 63%. A total of 178 species was recorded at the Point during the official coverage period.

PIBO’s Northern Saw-whet Owl monitoring pilot-study got a late start on October 17^th, yet fifty-one saw-whets and one Eastern Screech Owl were captured during eighteen nights of operation to November 13^th. While further details are pending, one of the three foreign encounters was originally banded in Wisconsin in 2003.    

It was quiet in the netting area during the final nine days of coverage but there were lots of diurnal migrants recorded flying over the station and waterfowl on the lake. Highlights during the first half of the summary period included good numbers of Horned Grebes and Buffleheads (November 7^th), a Golden Eagle (8^th), and 1000 Red-breasted Mergansers and a late Nashville Warbler (10^th). A Cave Swallow – a first for Pelee Island – and a Cattle Egret were documented by PIBO staff outside the count area on November 7^th and 10^th, respectively.           

South winds set-in on the 11^th which made for a generally quiet time until the 13^th, when large numbers of birds were recorded including the first Rough-legged Hawk of the Fall, moderate numbers of American Pipits, 110 Snow Buntings, and more than 5000 Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. Strong west winds and steady rain on the final two days of the season produced a nice variety of waterfowl on the lake, a Golden Eagle, and small numbers of late-autumn songbirds including Red and White-breasted Nuthatch, both kinglet spp., American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow and Pine Siskin.        

Sixty-six species were recorded at the Point from November 7^th-15^th compared to sixty-five species during the previous week and three Fall ‘firsts’ were tallied, which brings the final season species count to 178. In all, 30 birds were banded (not including nine owls) and eight recaptured during 196 net-hours for a catch-rate of .15 birds/net-hour.

This year’s Final Report will be completed shortly and will include a summary of the spring and fall migration seasons, details of PIBO’s breeding bird studies on Pelee, and an update of all the exciting new developments in 2007.

A heart-felt thanks to all of PIBO’s funders, friends and supporters who contributed their time and effort in helping to make the 2007 migration season a great success, including the following wonderful group of field interns and volunteers – Rhonda Donley, Robert Haupt, Kerry McGuire, Sumiko Onishi, Adam Pinch, Claire Sanders, Kirk Stewart, and Jim & Pat Woodford.        

Eastern Bluebird photo – PIBO

Next year’s first Spring summary will be posted on April 8^th.

Birds Documented at Fish Point  November 7^th – 15^th, 2007