Few occasions bring an owl bander sheer joy like a Boreal Owl in the hand. They're gorgeous birds; big yellow eyes, dark facial fringe, a dense smattering of spots atop the head, and thickly feathered legs make them instantly endearing. It is their elusiveness, though, their quiet way of escaping eyes and ears in nearly all instances that truly makes them magical to behold when you have the rare opportunity. Every one that graces our station with their presence is a gift, so we were very grateful to process two of them this week.

Here at the point, it finally feels like fall. The drop in temperatures has brought us a much appreciated uptick in migrants passing through. We've had a few nights where we've had to close for weather, as is customary for banding in late October. When we've been operational, though, we've received a slow and steady stream of birds. This week has been our best of the season in terms of diversity - we've banded two Boreals, two Long-eareds (in one night), one Barred, and nineteen Saw-whets. The cold air in conjunction with the new moon means that we've been treated to some absolutely stunning skies, and have spent a fair amount of time with our necks craned to the stars.

Saturday was our last visitor night of the fall and we were lucky to share multiple species with the folks that came to our station. We are so thankful that so many owl appreciators have come out to see and support our work, what we do wouldn't be possible without people that care about conservation. This whole season we've been blown away by the generosity of the community and the bird enthusiasts from near and far. A huge thank you to all.

The nights are getting longer and November is looming nearer. In less than a week our fall season will come to a close. We are excited to see what our final nights will bring.

Liv Ridley, Fall Lead Owl Bander

Season Totals:

Northern Saw-whet Owls - 151
Boreal Owls - 3
Long-eared Owls - 7
Barred Owls - 2

Other news:

Last week was the second FOWP birding tour and it was another fun fall event!Here’s a short summary and some great photos from one of our participants, Joe Kwasniewski.

“A few of us ventured up to the U.P. for a guided tour benefiting the Friends of Whitefish Point. While the birds didn't exactly cooperate and the weather was rainy and windy on one of the days, the scenery was stunning and it was great to see our friends Alison, Chris and Nova and make some new friends over the course of the trip. Here are some images of our adventures.”

Late October in the U.P.

Other news:

Three species in one night