[cayugabirds-l] Banding saw-whets

[John Confer]

Ques. Why would a normally sane person spend two hours cutting a 2 m wide strip through 40 m of dense shrub and grass in 80-90 F temperature (beside bad judgment)? Ans. Because I get such a thrill every time I walk up to a net in the middle of the night and find a saw-whet in it. I’ve banded several dozen Northern Saw-whet Owls the last two falls and I am trying to set up a second set of nets to convert a sort of haphazard effort into a significant banding project. I hope to have enough trained volunteers to operate two sets of nets in order to test if different recording of owl calls have a different effectiveness in luring owls. I would also like to capture enough owls to derive a chart of the molt distribution for saw-whets expanding an existing model. Also, I’d like to be able to contribute personal data to my study of the patterns of migratory movement, part of which is illustrated below.     To operate two sets of nets will require the help of several individuals who are willing to work a couple times a week from sunset to late at night from mid-September to mid-November, weather permitting. If you would like further information or are willing to help run a strong banding effort, I’d love to talk with you.   Banding birds requires great attention in order to reduce to an absolute minimum the possibility of harming the bird, it requires considerable attention and concentration to correctly record the molt condition of 21 feathers on each wing, and the weight and wing chord for the banding records and studies of molt pattern. Crew members would become moderately adept at these banding efforts.   I am delighted to have a FEW, SCHEDULED visitors on any evening. For the bird’s welfare and the accuracy of data recording, I can not have unscheduled drop-ins. Please, if you are interested in watching the banding process, you must call me first and schedule a time to come out.   John Confer (Home = 539-6308, or email off line at con...@ithaca.edu). -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! --

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