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RPBO Mirror - Postings for 2001

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Date submitted: Friday, December 28 at 01:34 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:

Visit of Saturday December 22nd/ 2001
David and I took about two and half hours to do another of our winter counts. You can use the link above to visit the Sightings Board and read about what we saw. I just wanted you all to know we looked into both trailers and found them dry and fresh smelling. The new vents are doing their job admirally. There was no other damage nor any trees or large branches down in our camp area or in any of our net lanes.

We will not be back until January the 5th. Watch for reports then and the best of the season to you in the meantime.

Date submitted: Sunday, December 09 at 10:17 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:


Yesterday, David and I did week three of our "Return To The Point" to carry out winter counts. Use the link above to read the sightings board about what bird activity there was in the cold rain. Yes, another wet one. Those waterproof binos I purchased this year are really paying off.

It was an abbreviated visit, in terms of ground covered, due to the fact that I was on duty and needed to stay relatively close to my vehicle. We did check out the banding shack and found things in not bad shape. We pushed most of the leaves off the roof. They had become a semi-cohesive, rotting mass. We also moved the green cabinet out of it's place on the bench as there was water catching on the back of it and running over and under it. In our climate these things stay wet continuously until the spring so, to minimize rot, one must take special precautions. We also moved the picnic bench in under the roof.

A large piece of the willow thicket behind the shack has come down over the path which runs from the shack to net 6, on the meadow side. Just the top of this "tree" is over the path so it will be no problem to clean up later on. This is a large branch that fell down many years ago and developed a root system of it's own, becoming an almost separate tree from the main. Quite a fascinating history to examine there, when one really looks carefully at that willow and it's many off-shoots. Since we did not get as far as the back nets, we don't know about how it looks back there. Next time we will do the full route, and hope for decent weather.

Next week is the Christmas Bird Count. David and I (and others) will be doing the Albert Head/Triangle Mountain area so we won't be back to the Point until Dec. 22nd. That is also the day of the Sooke Christmas Bird Count. Since they will not be able to get access to the Point, David and I will share what we count with them.

So, check out this page again on the 22nd or 23rd to see if we get soaked again or not.

PS: we did not open the trailers this time but the site looked fine, no large branches anywhere and the new vents were still battened down.
Date submitted: Saturday, December 01 at 01:53 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:

David and Rod 2

The sky was black, blue, wet and glorious. We had to use the truck to haul a tree off the road, a larger bit in a sea of debris covering the road from the wind storm last night. While it was warmer than last week, it was also much wetter, a real test for our waterproof binos as well as the vents we installed on the trailers last visit.

We checked inside and both trailers smelled fresh and were completely dry. How gratifying. The binos stood up well too. Of course, they were still a bit hard to see through when holding them straight up to see a flock of 160 pine siskins, carefully searching the sillouettes, hung in the alder like little fluttering bundles of fruit, for the prized redpoll that never materialized. But then, the rain was coming down so heavily that the naked eye was not too useful in that position either. Even our ears were assaulted with the heavy patter obscurring any telltale redpoll sound that might have been.

With the wet finally infiltrating our skin, we retreated then, 2 1/2 hours of stick-to-itivness to our credit.

Use the link above to check out the Sightings Board for David's report.
Date submitted: Sunday, November 25 at 12:52 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:


THE VENTS ARE UP, THE COUNT IS ON.....

Yesterday David and I (Rod) started back doing our winter counts at RPBO, after weeks of absence. Use the link above to the sightings board and read David's report on what we saw. We met at the gate at 0900 hours and had our vehicles searched, ID's checked, signed in, and gate unlocked for us.

On arrival at the trailers we were struck with the changes since our last visit. The grass was all laying down, the ground was covered with undisturbed leaves, the trees and bushes bare for the most part. The place looked abandoned and lonely.

We spent the first two hours installing specially designed covers over the existing roof vents which will allow the vents to remain open, thus facilitating sufficient ventilation through our mild, damp winter here on the coast. We put two on the 5th wheel trailer and 1 on the little trailer. We also left a small, protected, side vent on the little trailer open a crack to aid in cross flow. As we stood back to admire our work we were glad the BOD kept this issue on the table as it should make a real difference to the longevity of the trailers as well as minimize mildew formation. We also left a large pan of silica gel in each trailer, although we wonder if that is not actually ineffective now that the space is connected to the constantly damp outside air. Anyway, it can't hurt and we already had the material.

After this job was finished we took a good jaunt from bldg. 100 through our net lanes to the Teal ponds. We saw no new trees down in our working area. The banding shack had a good cover of leaves on the roof so we will take something to help clear that the next time. We spent time at the ponds and all along the way through the west meadows back to bldg. 100. As above, see the sightings board for an account of that.

We cleaned up the last of the junk wood at the old site of the little trailer and took it away to be disposed of. We left the site somewhere around 1 pm feeling like we had accomplished much and grateful to have excercised our permit. Stay tuned, next week we'll be back.
<Date submitted: Monday, November 19th at 11:30 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:

ACCESS!
We found out today that we have been granted access for one person, with escourt, to conduct winter counts in our count area! This is indeed good news as most of us have been concerned with the outlook for our future at Rocky Point.
It is evident that the DND recognizes the important scientific contribution of RPBO to the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network and is trying to find a way to help us continue our work while maintaining a high level of security for the ammunition depot. We are grateful, as well as hopeful for our banding season next year.

The short version is..... YAHOO!
Watch for a resumption of entries to the Sightings Board!
Date submitted: Wednesday, November 14th at 8:30 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:

LOOKOUT ARTICLE PUBLISHED
The issue of the base newspaper, "Lookout", with the RPBO article has been published. The article is on the back page with a small teaser at the bottom of the front page. It takes up half the page and has the headline "Rocky Point Bird Observatory, ecological treasure"
The last bit is a quote from the Base Commander, whom it refers to as the landlord.It reads:
"We're looking to be flexible, and see how we can develop the balance between them and the security posture," he says. "This is good scientific research being done there."

All in all it is a great article, with an exception or two when referring to me. (grin) It comes at a good time, gives us some positive publicity on the base and gives us reason to be hopeful for our future.

You can also view it online.
(Use your Back button to return here if you wish.)

In other related news, we have been asked by the Base Deputy Provo to supply dates of desired access as well as personal and vehicle information for one of our Board Members, with the aim of perhaps getting someone in to do our winter counts. As you see from the article in the Lookout, the Base Commander is trying to help us out, while complying with the present needs of the base security posture. We are ever hopeful. Keep checking here for updates on this other important events in the ever evolving saga of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.
Bye for now.
Date submitted: Friday, November 2nd at 11:05 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary VIII

For the period: September 17th — September 24th.

The week started off on a busy note, with a good number and variety of sparrows encountered in the area on the morning of the 17th. A total of thirty sparrows were banded, including 9 Golden-crowned (Estimated Total/15), 7 Lincoln’s (ET/13), 5 Song (ET/12), and four each of Savannah and Fox (ET/9 & 11). Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers were about as well, with 7 and 5 handled respectively. All told, 57 birds of sixteen species were banded and 65 species were recorded in the ‘count’ area. It was also active on the 18th, with 60 banded of fifteen species. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were more in evidence, with 9 individuals banded on the day, along with a similar number of warbler and sparrow species as on the 17th. Hermit Thrush were more numerous on the 18th, with 7 banded (ET/9). Two Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the area made for a nice surprise, and were among the 65 different species observed on the day.

A similar variety of species continued to move through the area during the following days, even as the weather turned from overcast, windy and dry conditions earlier in the week to overcast, calm and rainy conditions by the morning of September 21st. Although the rain cleared up the following day, there were fewer birds in the area on the 22nd & 23rd, yet no less so in terms of species diversity. On this note, the following table presents the totals for all birds banded during the current summary period, with the number of individuals banded during the previous period indicated in parentheses. The totals offer some indication of the variety and abundance of species in the area during this time, as well as a comparison of the relative number of birds for each species from one week to the next.

Birds banded by species and date for the period Sept 17th — 24th,
with totals from previous summary period (Sept 9th-16th) in parentheses.

Date September

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Total
Species                  
                   
Sharp-sh. Hawk    

1
        

1

2

Cooper’s Hawk                 (1)
Hutton’s Vireo  

1
            

1

Steller’s Jay      

1
      

1

2

Willow Flycatcher                 (1)
Hammond’s Flycatcher

1

2

2
          

(1) 5

Pacific-slope Fly.

1

1

1
    

1
  

1

(8) 5

Chestnut-backed Ch.

4
        

1
  

2

(5) 7

CommonBushtit              

1

(1) 1

Reb-br. Nuthatch  

1

1
          

2

Brown Creeper                 (1)
Bewick’s Wren                 (2)
Winter Wren

2

5

6

5
  

3

3

6

(11) 30

Marsh Wren            

1
  

1

Golden-cr. Kinglet

1

5

1

4
  

4

1

6

(3) 22

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

1

9

3

8
  

6

1

18

(1) 45

Swainson’s Thrush

1
    

1
  

1
  

1

(1) 4

Hermit Thrush

2

7

2

4
      

3

(3) 18

American Robin    

1
          

1

Orange-cr. Warbler

7

6
  

3
      

4

(16) 20

Yellow Warbler

5

6

4

1
        

(19) 11

Audubon’s Warbler    

1
          

1

MacGillivray’s War.  

1
            

1

Common Yellowthroat

3
  

1

1
    

2

2

(9) 9

Wilson’s Warbler      

1
  

2
    

(3) 3

Spotted Towhee

1

2
  

1
    

4

4

(12) 12

Savannah Sparrow

4
              

(29) 4

Fox Sparrow

4

5
  

2
  

2

3

7

(12) 23

Song Sparrow

5

2
  

1
      

1

(20) 9

Lincoln’s Sparrow

7

5

1

4
  

1
  

2

(25) 20

White-cr. Sparrow      

1
        

(1) 1

White-thr. Sparrow              

1

1

Golden-cr. Sparrow

9

4

1
        

4

(2) 18

Purple Finch            

1
  

(1) 1

American Goldfinch                 (6)
                   
Total Banded

57

60

26

44

0

23

16

64

(194)293

Total species

16

15

14

19

0

10

8

18

(26) 29

Bearing in mind the increased number of net hours during this summary period (see table below), the comparison above clearly indicates there was more bird activity in the third week of September then during the previous week, and that this trend was due mostly to an influx of late-migrants, particularly Ruby-crowned Kinglets. The captures per 10 net hours for this period (6.3) verses the previous summary period (4.7), further supports this suggestion.

Season banding totals to date, 2001.

Period Banded Net Hours Birds/10 Net Hours
       
Jul 23-Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31-Aug 7

257

451
 5.7
Aug 8-Aug 15

257

537

4.8
Aug 16-Aug 23

176

311

5.6
Aug 24-Aug 31

193

512

3.8
Sep 1-Sep 8

364

346

10.5
Sep 9-Sep 16

194

414

4.7
Sep 17-Sep 24

293

461

6.3
       
Total - 2001

2051

3577

5.8

The first Broad-winged Hawk of the fall was observed on September 19th, but it wasn’t until the 22nd that raptors began to arrive in good numbers, with a season high ET of 250 Turkey Vultures and 14 Red-tailed Hawks, as well as good numbers of accipiters and falcons. The vulture numbers increased to 310 birds the following day and then, on September 24th, the migration crew was treated to a good showing of buteos, with 17 Red-tailed and a season high 7 Broad-winged Hawks observed. All told, there were 10 raptor species recorded on the 24th.

In addition to the sapsuckers mentioned earlier, there were a variety of other interesting and unusual species observed on the Point during the week, including a single Wood Duck on the 21st, a Townsend’s Solitaire and 3 Sandhill Crane on the 22nd, the season’s first two Little Gulls on the 23rd, and a single White-throated Sparrow banded on September 24th.

A summary for the period September 25th — October 2nd will be posted shortly.


Date submitted: Thursday, October 25 at 10:05 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:

NOTE ON SUMMARIES
Since we were asked to leave the Point on October 7th, Graeme has been dealing with the season's data and finding some well deserved isolation. The two summaries submitted tonight are VI and VII, bringing us up to September 16th. There will be more coming in the next few days so stay tuned.

Also, we are waiting to hear from the DND whether we can get someone in through the winter to do census once or twice a week.
Date submitted: Thursday, October 25th at 9:10 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary VII

For the period: September 9th — September 16th.

Migration activity on the Point during the period of September 9th to September 16th was noticeably quieter than the previous week. The weather conditions were warm, clear and calm, which was also a change from last week, when things were generally unsettled, overcast and windy. It seems the fine weather did little to prompt migrants during this count period, and the census area remained relatively quiet right up to the 16th. It’s probably no coincidence that an increase in bird numbers on the 16th coincided with the development of some frontal activity on that same day, with increased winds and overcast skies returning to the area.

Of the birds that were on hand, sparrows were by far the most numerous, with lots of Savannahs and Lincoln’s observed and banded, followed closely by increasing numbers of Spotted Towhee, Fox and Song Sparrows. The season’s first banded Golden-crowned Sparrow was handled on the 11th and, on that same day, the season’s first White-throated Sparrow was observed as well. It’s clear that sparrows dominated throughout the week when one considers the banding totals for the period — of the 194 birds banded, 99 were sparrows. The table below outlines all the birds banded during this period, by species and date.

Birds banded by species and date, for the period Sept 9th — 16th.

Date September 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Total
Species                  
                   
Cooper’s Hawk              

1

1

Willow Flycatcher            

1
  

1

Hammond’s Flycatcher              

1

1

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

4

2
          

2

8

Chestnut-backed Chickadee  

1
      

3
  

1

5

Bushtit              

1

1

Brown Creeper

1
              

1

Bewick’s Wren

2
              

2

Winter Wren

2

1

1
    

5

2
  

11

Golden-crowned Kinglet  

1
          

2

3

Ruby-crowned Kinglet              

1

1

Swainson’s Thrush    

1
          

1

Hermit Thrush              

3

3

Orange-crowned Warbler

7

1

3
    

1

2

2

16

Yellow Warbler

2

6

1
    

2

4

4

19

Common Yellowthroat  

3

2
    

1

1

2

9

Wilson’s Warbler  

1

1
        

1

3

Spotted Towhee  

2
      

5

3

2

12

Savannah Sparrow

6

7

5
      

9

2

29

Fox Sparrow

1

1

1
    

1

2

6

12

Song Sparrow

1

2

2
    

5

4

6

20

Lincoln’s Sparrow

9

6

3
    

2

4

1

25

White-crowned Sparrow  

1
            

1

Golden-crowned Sparrow    

1
    

1
    

2

Purple Finch              

1

1

American Goldfinch

5
            

1

6

                   
Total species —

11

14

11

0

0

10

10

19

26

Total banded —

40

35

21

0

0

26

32

40

194

 

No migration monitoring took place on September 12th and 13th. The field station was "off-limits" during this time as a result of the tragic events which occurred in New York and Washington. The military base was closed to all non-military personnel, and there was no coverage whatsoever on these two days for the first time this season. Official coverage resumed on the 14th.

The final three days of the coverage period did see the arrival of small numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, more American Robins and Pipits, as well as Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Hermit Thrush. The first Varied Thrush of the fall was heard on the 16th. In this respect, the composition of species moving through the area was noticeably shifting, at this point, with groups like the hummingbirds, swallows, nighthawks (and most flycatchers) having run their course completely, and the late-migrants now beginning to increase in number.

Season banding totals to date, 2001.

Period Banded Net Hours Birds/10 Net Hours
       
Jul 23-Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31-Aug 7

257

451
 5.7
Aug 8-Aug 15

257

537

4.8
Aug 16-Aug 23

176

311

5.6
Aug 24-Aug 31

193

512

3.8
Sep 1-Sep 8

364

346

10.5
Sep 9-Sep 16

194

414

4.7
       
Total — 2001

1758

3116

5.7

There was also an increase in waterbird activity, with sizable numbers of gulls and alcids (mostly Herrmann’s Gulls and Common Murres) on hand each day, as well as a greater variety of waterfowl, including ones and twos of Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, as well as Common, Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser. Four Common and two Pacific Loons were observed on September 16th, along with 3 Surf Scoters. Turkey Vulture numbers were up to 62 on September 15th but, otherwise, there was still not a great deal of raptor activity in the area.

 

Date submitted: Thursday, October 25th at 8:55 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary VI

For the period: September 1st — September 8th.

The first week of September turned out to be the most active period to date for migrants at Rocky Point this fall. A good variety and number of birds were observed in the field, and it was by far the busiest week of banding, as indicated in the table below. Although the general lull in activity during the last week of August carried over to the first day of September, with little migration taking place and only five birds banded, all this would change on the morning of the 2nd, when the station experienced its first good "fallout" of birds this year. Pacific-slope Flycatchers made a fine showing, with an Estimated Total (ET) of 57 on the day, with 32 individuals banded. Other species encountered in good numbers included Orange-crowned (ET 30/B 14), Wilson’s (24/13) and Yellow Warbler (12/11), Winter Wren (32/9), and Hammond’s Flycatcher (16/4). Lincoln’s and White-crowned Sparrows were also active, as well as Swainson’s Thrush, with seven individuals banded. All told, 126 individuals were banded of 16 species, with 80 different species observed on the day.

Season banding totals to date, 2001.

Period Banded Net Hours Birds/10 Net Hours
       
Jul 23-Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31-Aug 7

257

451
 5.7
Aug 8-Aug 15

257

537

4.8
Aug 16-Aug 23

176

311

5.6
Aug 24-Aug 31

193

512

3.8
Sep 1-Sep 8

364

346

10.5
     
Total - 2001

1564

2702

5.8

 

The 3rd of September was surprisingly quiet, yet things picked up again on the 4th and remained quite busy until the end of the summary period. September 4th-6th saw three days of scheduled military activity in the area, which meant the migration crew ended coverage early on these days. The daily census was conducted, but only two hours of observation and banding occurred, rather than the usual six hours. Even so, it was clear that there were lots of migrants in the area, with Winter Wren, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler and Swainson’s Thrush most in evidence on all three days. As one indication, the banding totals on September 4th and 5th were 54 and 44 respectively, with less than 20 total net hours each day. By comparison, there were 78 net hours required to capture the 126 birds banded on September 2nd. This indicates that there was more bird activity as the week progressed, even though there were fewer birds banded due to the reduced coverage.

Full coverage resumed on September 7th. Though not as active as earlier in the week, there were still a fair number of songbirds in the area on the 7th and 8th, including a steady supply of Lincoln’s Sparrows and Winter Wrens, as well as smaller numbers of Swainson’s Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler and Savannah Sparrow. Pacific-slope and Hammond’s Flycatchers were almost entirely absent after their strong showing on the 2nd, with only 21 Pacific-slope banded during the next six days (September 3rd-8th). In this respect, it seems, the first week of September saw the last good surge of some of the early to mid-season migrants, such as the flycatchers and most of the warblers, as well as seeing the initial arrival of some species considered to be mid-to-late fall migrants. This would include the increased number of sparrows observed and banded throughout the week, especially Lincoln and Savannah Sparrows, as well as some of the season’s first Fox Sparrows. At the same time, the station had yet to experience the vanguard of true late migrants like the Fox Sparrows, towhees, kinglets, Hermit Thrush, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Throughout the summary period there were a number of additional interesting bird observations at the station, including the following: 4 Black Swift on September 1st; a Red-throated Loon on the 2nd; a single Baird’s Sandpiper on the 3rd; a stunning Northern Pygmy Owl banded and a Red-necked Grebe seen on the 5th; and an impressive 17 Sandhill Cranes observed on the 8th. Alcid and gull numbers were up and down during the period, but a good number of alcids were seen on September 7th, with an estimated total of 820 Rhinoceros Auklet and 215 Common Murre. Raptors were moving through in reasonable numbers for this time of year, with 11 Red-tailed Hawks observed on September 8th, along with 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Cooper’s, and 50 Turkey Vultures.

A summary for the period September 9th to September 16th will be posted shortly.

 

Date submitted: Saturday, October 13 at 07:58 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
STATION CLOSE UP, 2001.

Well, that's it. For this year anyway. Thanks to David, Colleen, Ann, Graeme, and me for closing up the station today.
We all met at the main guardroom at 9am and were subjected to cavity searches. Not true. Our vehicles were searched, however, including the undercarriages, by the military police. It should be pointed out that the search was not because we might be nasties ourselves but, certainly in the case of vehicles routinely entering the base, a vehicle could be used by others as a method to deliver some form of unpleasantness. All present were understanding and patient, and the search was carried out in a respectful and professional manner. We then formed a convoy and, under the watchful eye of shepherd Rodney, we all proceeded. (By virtue of holding a DND ID I was considered the "escourt". Hmmmmmm.)

Once on site, we packed the nets up first as they seemed pretty dry and the weather looked like it could change for the worse. As is turned out we were weather-lucky and even enjoyed a moment or two of somewhat filtered sunshine. Or something much like it. After getting everything from the banding area we worked for some time at the trailers, taking down the solar panel and batteries, cleaning out both trailers, and stowing things for the winter. We had a pretty good load of stuff in our vehicles by the time we left. I wasn't sure though, if David was going to make it out without breaking down in tears wondering when the next time he will be able to get in to his Point. We all left feeling a little sad but ready to tend to the winter chores we each took on to get us ready for next year.

Having our season cut short like this and the resulting hole in our data, is very disappointing but a graphic reminder that our site, while sensitive environmentally, is also wholly situated on sensitive military land. We all know we are guests at Rocky Point and are grateful for the access thus far. We remain hopeful our weekly counts can resume as soon as possible and that the permit process for next year's work will go smoothly, seeing us continuing the important collection of migration data we have set such a high standard for to this point. To that end, a meeting is being sought with DND personnel to explore how soon we might be able to return to "normal" operations.

Date submitted: Tuesday, October 09 at 09:11 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
Because of the military actions in Afghanistan the Canadian Forces have moved to a higher level of readiness and alert status. Thus, the base is in a "lock-down" state at the moment and, as of Sunday, October 7th 2001, we have been asked to vacate the premises at Rocky Point.

It is not clear at this time for just how long we will be denied access to our station, but with the end of our season just around the corner this may mean an early closure. We are currently in consultation with the military to determine if we will be granted access in time to collect more data.
Date submitted: Sunday, September 23rd. at 01:00 AM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary V

For the period: August 24th-August 31st.

The last week in August proved to be a quiet time for songbirds on the Point, as the banding totals for the period indicate (see below), and which was also apparent from the lack of bird activity observed in the field. The weather conditions were dry, with some overcast days but no precipitation. It was very calm early in the week, though the wind did pick up from the west towards the end of the month. These stable, warm conditions, and a lack of any frontal activity, seemed to create a static effect for bird activity in the census area.

The 24th and 25th of August remained quiet after the rain of the preceding days, with a number of Vaux’s Swift and a small increase in Swainson’s Thrush being the only bird news of note. Warblers, flycatchers and such were mostly absent until a moderate number of Pacific-slope (9 Banded/17 ET) and Willow (3 B/5 ET) Flycatchers, along with a few Wilson’s Warblers (7 B/12 ET) arrived on the 27th. The 26th was somewhat more active for Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, and the season’s first American Pipit was recorded on this date. An increase in sparrow activity was noticeable on August 28th, with 75 White-crowned, 10 Savannah and a couple of Lincoln’s Sparrows ET’d on the day, as well as the season’s first Fox Sparrow.

Although the final days of the month remained very slow for landbirds (3.8 birds banded per 10 net hours, as compared to the season average of 5.1), there were many shorebirds in the area, as well as good numbers of gulls and alcids. Eleven shorebird species were observed on Aug 29th alone, including a Wandering Tattler, a Baird’s Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a nice variety of other waders. This may represent the highest number of shorebird species recorded in one day at Rocky Point. Gulls and alcids were most numerous on the 31st, with +300 Rhinoceros Auklet and 250 Common Murre observed, along with 600 Heermann’s, 400 Glaucous-winged and 350 California Gulls.

Season banding totals to date, 2001.
Period Banded Net Hours Birds/10 Net Hours
       
Jul 23-Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31-Aug 7

257

451

5.7
Aug 8-Aug 15

257

537

4.8
Aug 16-Aug 23

176

311

5.6
Aug 24-Aug 31

193

512

3.8
       
Total - 2001

1200

2356

5.1
Total - 2000

1053

2505

4.2

 

In returning to the wren family, and the status of individual wrens recaptured this fall (a subject of discussion in the previous summary), the table below presents information for all Bewick’s and Winter Wrens recaptured for the period July 23rd to August 31st, 2001.

Bewick’s and Winter Wren recaptures for the period Jul 23 — Aug 31, 2001.
SPECIES ORIGINALLY
BANDED		 RECAPTURED DAYS BETWEEN
BANDING + RECAP.
       
Bewick’s Wren

Jul 20, 2000

Aug 14, 2001

1 YR + 25

Winter Wren

Jul 21, 2000

Aug 19, 2001

1 YR + 29

Bewick’s Wren

Jul 26, 2000

Aug 5, 2001

1 YR + 10

Winter Wren

Jul 23, 2001

Aug 25, 2001

33

Bewick’s Wren

Jul 23, 2001

Jul 24, 2001

1

   

Aug 5, 2001

13

   

Aug 11, 2001

19

Winter Wren

Jul 25, 2001

Aug 19, 2001

25

Winter Wren

Jul 26, 2001

Aug 9, 2001

14

Bewick’s Wren

Jul 26, 2001

Aug 10, 2001

15

   

Aug 13, 2001

18

Bewick’s Wren

Aug 11, 2001

Aug 17, 2001

6

Winter Wren

Aug 14, 2001

Aug 30, 2001

16

Winter Wren

Aug 19, 2001

Aug 20, 2001

1

       
11 Individuals   14 Recaptures  
6 Winter Wren      
5 Bewick’s Wren      
       

 

Total number of Bewick’s Wrens banded during this period: 43

Total number of Winter Wrens banded during this period: 78

121 wrens banded for the period Jul 23-Aug 31

11 individuals recaptured on 14 occasions

Though it remains surprising that so few birds have been recaptured out of the 121 wrens banded, the details above do appear to state a good case for the suggestion that the migration crew encountered a number of local resident breeding birds and young in late July, which accounts in part for the higher banding totals during this period as compared to the first week in August. The adult birds (2 Bewick’s and one Winter) originally banded in 2000 are most likely local breeders. Furthermore, the fact that eight of these eleven birds were originally banded in late July, and that many of them were recaptured in the area upwards of one month from their original banding date, also supports the idea that these are young local birds. And finally, out of 48 Bewick’s and Winter Wrens banded after August 1st, only three of these birds have been recaptured, which indicates that they have been actively moving through rather than remaining in the area for any length of time.

In conclusion, a closer look at the banding and recapture data for Bewick’s and Winter Wrens this year seems to support the idea that the higher banding totals during the first week of operation was at least in part due to the presence of local family groups in the banding area. The lull in wren numbers during the second week, followed by a substantial increase in numbers during week 3 and 4, also reinforces this suggestion, as does the fact that very few of these later wrens have been recaptured. It seems these later birds have been actively moving through the area. The question remains perhaps: Why were the birds from July not recaptured more often if they were in the area during the entire time (for example, the Winter Wren that was recaptured 33 days after being banded)? The short answer might be (though based mostly on anecdote) that these local birds weren’t recaptured frequently because many resident songbirds are good at avoiding mistnets set up in their immediate territory or living area. On this final note, it’s interesting that of the fourteen recaptures recorded in the table above, on only one occasion was an individual bird recaptured in a mistnet that it had been captured in before.

 


Date submitted: Wednesday, September 12th. at 10:15 PM
Name: David Allinson
News Article:
Dear All,
It is with a sad and heavy heart that I forward news of the death ofour dear, special friend Beverley Glover... She passed away thisevening at ~6:00pm Pacific after a quiet battle with cancer.
A memorial service is planned for next Wednesday at 2:00pm.
While the news is not a surprise, as Bev's health was in seriousdecline over last few weeks, it is nevertheless hard to take.However, part of me takes comfort in knowing she is no longer in any pain. Bev was a remarkable woman with a number of talents andaccomplishments -- an amazing artist, great botanist, all-aroundnaturalist, a long time board member of the Victoria Natural HistorySociety, as well as a founding member and board member of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory among them. I will truly miss her generous spirit and outgoing, cheery manner.
She made a difference, in her own small way she truly made adifference; something we all can aspire too...
I know you all would want to have word of this as soon as possible.
Take care,
David Allinson
President, Rocky Point Bird Observatory
Date submitted: Friday, September 7th at 11:15 AM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary IV

For the period: August 7 - August 15th (Conclusion)
In final summary, the period August 7 - 15th (RPBO Migration Summary III) saw the departure of the last resident breeding birds from the area (for the most part), as well as a continued decrease in swallow and hummingbird numbers. At the same time, there was a noticeable increase in the variety and abundance of other species observed and banded compared to the previous two weeks (see last summary for details). Included in this trend were a number of interesting sightings, including a Dusky Flycatcher, 2 Sandhill Crane, 2 Great Egret, and 5 Black Scoter seen on August 11th, and a Black-legged Kittiwake, Short-eared Owl, and Sanderling observed on the 12th.

Correction: RPBO Migration Summary III — A total of 257 birds were banded during the period July 31st-August 7th and not 157, as originally indicated in the previous posting.

 

For the period: August 16th — August 23rd

The weather played a more prominent role during this coverage period (Aug16-23) as compared to the previous weeks of migration monitoring at the Point. Moderate to strong west winds affected the banding effort on the 16th and 17th (a number of nets were closed as a result of the high winds), and no banding was conducted on the 22nd and 23rd due to persistent and sometimes heavy rain showers. Despite this, the bird activity was similar to the previous period, with a good variety of species encountered in small numbers through-out the week. Six warbler species were observed in the "count area" on August 16th, for instance, and then seven species from this family were seen on the the18th and 19th, along with five flycatcher species on the 19th.. Sparrow numbers fluctuated somewhat, with White-crowned and Chipping Sparrows seen in groups of up to twenty and thirty birds on a number of days, along with moderate numbers of Song Sparrows, a few Savannahs, as well as the fall’s first Lincoln’s Sparrow on the 18th .

The busiest day of songbird activity was on August 19th, with a good number of birds banded and observed first thing in the morning. Pacific-slope Flycatchers were active, with an Estimated Total (ET) of 25 individuals recorded (13 banded), along with a good variety of warblers. All told, the migration crew banded seven different warbler species, including 8 Orange-crowned (ET 17), 4 Yellow (ET 8), 2 Black-throated Gray (ET 3), 5 Wilson’s (ET 10) as well as one each of Townsend’s and MacGillivray’s Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. In all, a total of 74 individuals of 20 different species were banded/handled, and 81 species in total were observed in the area during the day.

In looking at the banding totals to date, another interesting trend - this time relating to the wrens — is evident from the numbers of birds banded from this particular family. A quick tally shows that a total of 34 wrens were banded during the first eight days of coverage this fall (July 23rd- 30th), whereas only eight were banded during the second period (July 31st-August 7th). Since this lull, however, the totals have jumped back up again, with 29 wrens banded between August 8th-15th and an additional 24 banded during the most recent period (August 16th-23rd). The following table shows the number of individuals of each species banded during each separate coverage period:

Number of individuals banded and recaptured by species and date.

Species

Jul 23-30

Jul 31-Aug 7

Aug 8-15

Aug 16-23

Total
           
Bewick’s Wren

20(3)

6(2)

8(4)

4(1)

38
House Wren

3

0

6(1)

4(2)

13
Winter Wren

10

1

15(1)

14(3)

40
Marsh Wren

1

1

0

2

4
           
Total

34(3)

8(2)

29(6)

24(6)

95(17)
           
Birds/10 Net Hours

.62

.18

.54

.77

.51
           

 

* Recaptured birds in parentheses

These totals lend support to the suggestion (discussed in earlier summaries) that during the first week of coverage we were encountering mostly resident breeding birds and dispersed young in the area. It seems reasonable to speculate that the monitoring crew was banding mostly local breeding adults and their young initially and that, likely, after the brief period of reduced activity during the second week of operations, we are now encountering more active migrants in the area at an increased rate. This same possibility applies for the majority of other resident songbirds (flycatchers, vireos, warblers, etc.) but the banding totals for the wrens seem to offer a good illustration.

At the same time, however, the numbers of wrens that have been recaptured during the season (number in parentheses) doesn’t support this suggestion terribly well - at least not in the case of the Winter Wren, though perhaps more-so with the Bewick’s Wren. Recaptures are birds that are caught again after they have already been banded. As is most often the case, almost all the wren recaptures at the station this fall have been of birds that were first captured and banded during this field season at this location (with the exception of two or three Bewick’s Wrens that were banded at RPBO last fall). But with this in mind, it seems unlikely, for instance, that only four Winter Wrens would have been recaptured out of a total of 40 birds banded this year if there were many resident adults and/or young remaining in the area for any length of time. Or that almost 25 Winter Wrens would be banded before there was one recapture. These low recapture rates are more typical of circumstances when birds are moving fairly actively through an area rather than just lingering. A closer look at which particular wrens have been recaptured may shed some additional light on the subject, which we’ll follow up on in the next summary.

In closing, here are the updated (and corrected) banding totals for the season:

Period Banded Net Hours Birds/10 Net Hours
       
Jul 23-Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31-Aug 7

257

451

5.7
Aug 8-Aug 15

257

537

4.8
Aug 16-Aug 23

176

311

5.6
       
Total

1007

1844

5.5

A summary for the period August 24th — 31st will be posted shortly.

 




Date submitted: Wednesday, August 15 at 11:02 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:

RPBO Migration Summary III
For the period: August 8th — August 15th
There were some interesting developments on the migration frontduring the second week of August on the Point. A brief look atthe banding totals, for instance, show that the most active speciesduring the first sixteen days of coverage (July 23rd-Aug7) - Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Orange-crowned and Wilson’sWarbler - tapered off considerably during this period (Aug 8th-15th),as evidenced from banding totals and field observations. The figuresbelow indicate a sharp decline (for the warblers, in particular)in the number of individuals moving through the official countarea:

Species

Period

# Banded
     
Pacific-slope Flycatcher

July 23 — Jul 30

23
Orange-crowned Warbler  

49
Wilson’s Warbler  

64
Total  

136
Total per 10 net hours  

2.5
     
Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Jul 31 — Aug 7

25
Orange-crowned Warbler  

34
Wilson’s Warbler  

66
Total  

125
Total per 10 net hours  

2.8
     
Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Aug 8 — Aug 15

15
Orange-crowned Warbler  

10
Wilson’s Warbler  

15
Total  

40
Total per 10 net hours  

0.7

 

Despite the lower number of these familiar faces, however,the migration/banding crew still managed to keep fairly busy duringthis period, as indicated by the overall number of birds banded:

 

Period

Banded

Net Hours

Birds/10 Net Hours
Jul 23 - Jul 30

317

545

5.8
Jul 31 - Aug 7

157

451

3.7
Aug 8 - Aug 15

257

537

4.8



0Date submitted: Wednesday, August 15 at 11:02 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:
RPBO Migration Summary II

For the period: July 31st ñ August 7th.

The first week in August at Rocky Point saw a brief lull initially in the number of songbirds in the area. Orange-crowned Warbler numbers dropping to an Estimated Total (ET) of 8 on the last day of July (0 banded), and only 8 new individuals were banded over the next four days. Wilsonís Warblerís also tapered off slightly, although they rallied again, along with the Orange-crowns, after the rainy days encountered on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of the month. Flycatchers were also mostly absent for the first few days of July, although their numbers did pick up, with an impressive 7 Olive-sided Flycatchers observed in the count area on the 4th. The variety of flycatcher species also increased, with the stationís first Willow Flycatcher observed on the 1st, and the first Western Wood-Pewee seen on the 4th, along with 2 Hammondís and 2 Willows.

Although the rainy weather affected the daily banding effort for three days, with net hours reduced by more than half on the 3rd and 4th, the bird activity remained much the same during this wet period. But not surprisingly, perhaps, the dry, clear weather that greeted us on the 5th was accompanied with a substantial increase in songbird numbers. A good variety of warblers were seen that morning, with ETís of 22 Orange-crowned Warbler (13 banded), 12 Wilsonís (7 banded), 10 Common Yellowthroat (1), 6 MacGillivrayís (2), 4 Townsendís, 3 Audubonís and 1 Yellow Warbler. This increased activity was confirmed two days later when, on the 7th, the migration crew had itís second busiest banding day of the season, with 72 individual birds handled of sixteen different species. The season high daily ET for Wilsonís Warblers was established at 40 (20 banded), along with an ET of 24 Orange-crowned (11 banded), and 8 MacGillivrayís Warblers (5 banded). Flycatchers were also quite active with 10 individuals banded during the day (7 Pacific-slope, 2 Willow, 1 Hammondís).

Other bird activity during this period included a gradual decline in the number of Rufous Hummingbirds moving through the count area, although there was a noticeable increase in swallow activity, with one to two hundred individuals seen each day during the course of the week. Mostly all Violet-green Swallows, but with small numbers of Rough-wings, Barns and Cliff Swallows on hand as well. This week also saw the first influx of Chipping Sparrows, with an ET of 32 on the 4th, as well as a slight increase in White-crowned Sparrow numbers. The seasonís first Savannah Sparrow was banded on the 1st of the month.

There was a noticeable increase in the variety and number of gulls in the area as well, with upwards of 100 Bonaparteís, 50 Mew, 50-100 California and Glaucous-winged, as well as the seasons first Thayerís Gulls (one and two birds observed on the 5th and 6th respectively), along with increased numbers of Heermannís and a few Western gulls. Alcids were seen in small numbers, as is expected at this time of year, but there have been a few Marbled Murrelets observed, as well as seasonal numbers of Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre and Pigeon Guillemot. The sea-watch highlight during the week was a single Cassinís Auklet observed on the 4th. Other interesting sightings during the week included a Semipalmated Sandpiper and a Caspian Tern, both observed on the 6th.


Date submitted: Thursday, August 09 at 10:45 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
SITE SITREP

After a hot, calm and simply beautiful morning banding, I met up with Tom and we worked at the bander's camp again. When the outhouse company showed up for the weekly maintenance, we had them move the outhouse to a spot closer to the camp but out of the view of the water. We switched wires around and got the last battery into the lock-up boxes and mounted the boxes off the ground. We modified the solar panel so it is mounted on a wood base with a sandbag to hold it down in winds. The canopy can now be lowered as well, without the wires getting in the way. We also built a shelf out of concrete blocks and lumber for the water jugs. We hauled away brush cut on Tuesday and weed whacked a flat area out back for loafing in the sun. (days like today really make one seek out the shade though:-) Graeme and Stephanie helped as well. Finally, we measured up and pre-planned a way to bring 12 volt power to the small trailer for the long term volunteers. All in all a productive day, bringing us very close to having the camp in full operational comfort mode.
Date submitted: Tuesday, August 07 at 11:30 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
TRAILERS MOVED TO "PERMANENT" SITE
It was a beautiful day today as I went down around noon and cleared the area for both of our trailers to be moved into. I took the solar panel down, packed up the extra batteries, and generally battened down the hatches. Graeme and Stephanie helped with that and guided me when moving the small trailer with my truck. They also carried assorted items over, and set them up in the new home.

Matt was down to move the 5th wheel trailer as a favour to us so we gave him one of our beautiful RPBO Tee shirts. All went fairly smoothly with minimal "pruning" of the larger trees overhead. The solar should work better now as it will get much more sunlight, although the mount has some modifications to be made to help it sit more securely. Three out of four of the batteries were put into locked boxes brought down by myself and the other one will be added once we have the right wires to do the job. There are a few small finishing touches to be made but, all in all, it was a very productive day and the site seems to be fairly pleasant.
Date submitted: Tuesday, August 07 at 10:18 PM
Name: David Allinson
News Article:
Stop the press!
Yet another foreign recovery of one of "our" Golden-crowned Sparrows -- this time a HY bird banded at RPBO on September 10, 2000 was recaptured near Murphy, Oregon along the Applegate River on September 26th, 2000 (this is just south of Grants Pass and about 40 kms north of California border). Band # 1641-28419.
More proof birds really do migrate (ha)!

Date submitted: Saturday, August 04 at 11:10 PM
Name: Graeme Gibson
News Article:
MIGRATION SUMMARY for the Period July 23rd ñ July 30th. ñ Rocky Point

The autumn Migration Monitoring Program at Rocky Point officially got underway on July 23rd this year. A full morning of coverage that day ñ including a daily census, six hours of constant-effort mist-netting and banding, as well as additional field observations by staff and volunteers ñ was the first of many such days to come over the next few months. Weíll be observing, counting and recording data on the ebb and flow of bird migration at the Point every day, rain or shine, until mid-October. The following is a brief summary of the first week of coverage.

Bird activity on the Point during the period July 23rd to the 30th saw - for this time of year - a steady movement of songbirds filtering through the official census area. Wilsonís and Orange-crowned Warblers were most in evidence, with an average of eight new birds of each species banded on a daily basis. The banding totals confirm that there was a daily turnover of individuals of these species, rather than the same birds simply remaining in the area. This kind of information represents just one of the many benefits of banding when used in studies related to population monitoring. Itís difficult to determine from field observations alone whether the same individuals of a given species remain in the same place over time. The banding data helps to verify, in this case, that new birds were replacing the individuals observed on previous days.

While the species mentioned above have been most active, smaller numbers of a variety of other local breeding birds were also observed, including Townsendís and MacGillivrayís Warblers, Bewickís Wren, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, as well as Song and White-crowned Sparrows. While the banding totals from the first week suggest itís been a busy start to the season compared to previous years, itís important to bear in mind that most of the activity at this time of year can be attributed to the post-breeding dispersal of young rather than to birds that are actively migrating. Many recently fledged young and small family groups have dominated in the field. Also - most of the adult birds encountered to date have been actively moulting, which most songbirds usually compete before commencing their migratory journey in the fall.

Of the true early migrants, the monitoring crew observed a reasonably good number of Rufous Hummingbirds moving through the census area (roughly 10 to 15 individuals each day), as well as a modest increase in the number and variety of swallow species, including the stationís first banded Cliff Swallow. And while itís still a little early for the flycatchers to start-up in earnest, there was a total of 23 Pacific-slope Flycatchers banded during the week, with an Estimated Total (ET) of 27 individuals observed in the count area on July 24th. Another early migrant, the Common Nighthawk, has also been gradually increasing.

Itís also early in the season for most other migrant species such as hawks, shorebirds, waterfowl, and other water birds. While most of these families tend to migrate later in the fall, there was a small increase in the number of waders during the week. Species encountered to date include Semipalmated Plover (8 on the 28th), Pectoral Sandpiper (1 on the 30th), groups of 30 to 40 Western and Least Sandpipers, as well as smaller numbers of Surfbird, Black Turnstone, Dowitchers and Yellowlegs.

Early August will probably see somewhat similar conditions in terms of the relative abundance and diversity of bird activity encountered during this first week of operations. We can anticipate a gradual decrease in the number of recently fledged young and moulting adults, along with a gradual build-up of some of the early migrant species mentioned. With this in mind, another update will be soon to follow!

Date submitted: Sunday, July 22 at 08:28 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
SEASON OPENING/TRAILER UPDATE
All RPBO directors who were not out of town today, along with the BIC, met at the Point to finish off the last season opening chores and to choose the final, (we hope), location for our staff accommodation trailers.

Nets 1 to 10 were taken out of storage and installed, a labour intensive task. The net lanes, trails, and census route were given another trimming, and the banding shack was fitted out with all the tools and materiel needed to start off another year of migration monitoring. The BIC's trailer was fitted out with most of what it needs. Fire extinguishers were layed out, solar charging was measured for and discussed, along with a myriad of other details like the status of long term volunteers, the new computer/data entry procedures, propane and water supplies, recycling, and much more. The poor BIC was quite probably overwhelmed. All will work its way out over the next while. After most of the work was done, we set up the picnic bench and the barbeque

After some good food and drink we had a look at the two sites at Cape Calver that have been proposed as possibly meeting the needs of Base Ops, Formation Environment, and RPBO in terms of trailer placement. In the interest of safety, Base Ops needs us to be beyond the two blast templates, Bentick Island and the ammunition depot. Formation Environment needs us to out of site of the water so as not to encourage the impression that recreational camping is an approved use of the lands surrounding the depot. While our use is for scientific research, people passing by in boats don't know that and our camp makes it look like perhaps one can spend the night here. RPBO needs a site where we can collect solar energy to charge our batteries and one where our cell phone will work so as to have communication with emergency services and with the Bentick Island installation on days when they are blasting out there.

We settled on the site across the road from where we are presently set up. It is out of all blast templates, out of site of the water, and it works for RPBO. What remains now is that Base Ops and Formation Environment give their final blessing, then we can attempt to find someone to move the 5th wheel. After that we can set our new solar collector and charging system and settle into our "permanent" home. We'll keep you posted.
As always, if you want to communicate with RPBO, just write to rpbo@islandnet.com.


Date submitted: Sunday, July 08 at 11:56 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
Trailer Update:
Good news - not so good news.
Following discussions with the DND during which each party learned a bit more of what the other needs, we will be allowed to have two trailers on the site this year. However, they will not be located at Cape Calver. Instead they will be in the field beyond net 13, somewhere near the upper ponds. (proposed new name "Teal Ponds") The exact location has yet to be decided but it will be as close as possible to where our census route comes out on the gravel road, taking into account the blast radius of the ammunition depot. Such is life banding birds at a Canadian Forces ammo depot. Look out for the seasparrows.

There will be no tents set up on the site and no camp stoves used that need flammable liquids. Cooking will be done with the propane stoves in the trailers. Watch for more news on this soon.
Date submitted: Monday, July 02 at 06:09 PM
Name: David Allinson
News Article:
Our suspicions regarding possible breeding for Purple Martins at Rocky Point were strengthened today. In short, there were five martins hanging around the wooden pilings just west of Building 100 (new name 'Killdeer Flats') and also the newer one at end of small dock at Bldg 100. Unfortunately, the invasive 'Sturnus vulgaris' have already made homes in the perfect nest holes in these old pilings. However, the martins (especially females) were busily inspecting and landing at every hole, only to be greeted by the big fat mouths of European Starling juveniles!
I can very easily see a small colony developing here at Killdeer Flats at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory with a bit of help from us.
As it is, martins are a regular fixture overhead from July through August, with both adults and imm'ies foraging over our forest no doubt from nearby Sooke Basin colony. It is only natural as that colony expands that they may search for new territory.

Any comments folks?
Date submitted: Sunday, June 24 at 10:41 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
NEW TRAILER ARRIVES!

Today we moved the new trailer on site! Yahoo!
The previous owner delivered it today and we levelled it on the area we cleared out last Saturday, the 16th. The setting is beautiful, as anyone who has visited the site knows, and we have it tucked in a spot protected from the winds, with lots of room to open the large canopy along the side. It is a 24 ft. "fifth wheel" in very nice shape, clean and operational. It has an inside and outside shower, a stereo and lights that work off the batteries, a much larger fridge and freezer, a couch, a separate kitchen table, a big double bed that does not have to be made up to use the table, and it is all ready to occupy. Watch the photo page for pictures of it soon.

We know this year's BIC is going to relish the new digs and imagine last year's vet may be just a bit green. (Actually, he'll probably have some of those stories that start "When *I* was BIC at RPBO in the old days.........." and often end with something along the lines of "and we were glad to have it!".)

This marks another milestone in the development of RPBO as a mature Bird Observatory and we sincerely hope this will help to make the absurdly gruelling schedule of the Bander in Charge just a tiny bit easier to take.

A special thanks to all who worked on the project and a very big thanks to the Victoria Foundation, who provided the means.
Date submitted: Tuesday, June 19 at 04:46 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
SITE SITREP:
We have been told by the DND that we can only have one trailer there this year. Also, at the end of the season we will need to remove the trailer from DND land. This is very disappointing, as we have just purchased a second trailer in order to give the BIC some privacy and visiting volunteers some decent accommodations. The person we need to deal with for an appeal, if one is possible, is not in his office this week so nothing more can be done until next week. We hope to have that modified or changed if possible. Stay tuned.

I was down at the site today and finished trimming the grass to the back nets and most of the way across the back field to the upper ponds where I ran out of gas and quit. Art Robinson was at Cape Calver with a chipping crew from William Head and they were about to chip all the broom and gorse we removed on the weekend. The chips will be left in the cleared area so we may need to rake them level before we can move the new trailer in. We can move the new trailer in any time. I have informed Base Ops that there may be a few days overlap with both trailers on site until we find a place for the old one. Catchya later, ...........................//Rod.
Date submitted: Saturday, June 16 at 04:10 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
A work party met at Cape Calver today where our "Bander in Charge" trailer is located to do some broom and gorse removal. This was pre-arranged with Art Robinson of the Federal Forest Service, the person who oversees all eco-related activities on behalf of the DND. The area we cleared will be the site of the new 24ft fifth wheel trailer we have just purchased and will be the new home of the Bander In Charge. The purchase was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Victoria Foundation and some hard work by Michael Porter and Colleen O'Brien. Present today were David Allinson (who was out earlier to do a census, see the sightings board), Denise Gubersky, Rod Mitchell, and Michael Porter. Colleen O'Brien delivered some banana muffins for the crew, but was unable to stay due to an ongoing knee injury. Rick Schortinghuis, Ann Nightingale, and Tom Gillespie were anxious to attend but were at a director's meeting of VNHS. Ann is doing an inventory of our bands this weekend as a help in getting things ready.
The clearing work was difficult due to the thorns on the gorse and the requirement to cut them off below ground level in order to have any hope of killing them. Everyone worked like trojans and got the job done quickly and well. We also did some trimming of grass and bush in our net lanes, although there is more to do there.
Thanks a bunch to all who helped and wanted to. RPBO is that much more ready for the season close at hand.
Date submitted: Tuesday, June 12 at 04:07 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
A couple of sitreps:
RPBO is working on getting a new trailer on site. This will increase our accomodations for volunteers, who have previously been required to stay in a tent. We are working our way through the DND requirements at the moment and hope to have it in place soon.

We are also close to completing the purchase of a laptop computer for data entry on site and, from the same donation from Shell, are gathering price info on a solar recharging system.

Date submitted: Tuesday, June 12 at 04:06 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
New Volunteer Coordinator!
RPBO is happy to announce that Vancouver Island's newest biologist, Paul Levesque, has taken on the previously vacant role of volunteer coordinator. We all thank you from the bottom of our mist nets for that Paul. We would also like to congratulate you on your recent graduation and subsequent new identity
Date submitted: Sunday, May 27 at 10:24 PM
Name: David Allinson
News Article:
Just a note of concern regarding the unusual absence of Ruffed Grouse at the station. Normally, every spring this species can be heard drumming in the forest behind the banding shelter and near Cape Calver. Curiously, I have neither heard nor seen this species so far this year. I trust nothing serious has happened to a species we normally take for granted -- maybe they are just shy?!
Nevertheless, I would be very much be interested if (and when) anyone else sees or hears this species at RPBO this year.
Date submitted: Sunday, May 13 at 05:54 PM
Name: David Allinson
News Article:
RECOVERY NEWS!

2161-04118 HOFI (AHY-male, wing=77, wgt=19.5) banded at RPBO by MGS on May
1, 1995 killed by cat on Feb. 1 1996 in Esquimalt, BC.

8051-99005 GCSP (AHY-U sex, wind=75, wgt=34.5) banded at RPBO by MGS on May
7, 1995 recaptured during banding and released alive on November 12, 1995 in
Alviso, California! [For your reference Alviso is near San Jose].

Date submitted: Friday, May 04 at 10:14 AM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
The RPBO "TalkBoard" discussion forum is now open to the public!

From the homepage: http://www.islandnet.com/~rpbo click on "Discussion - RPBO TalkBoard". Read the guidelines for intructions and tips and enjoy.
Date submitted: Wednesday, May 02 at 04:07 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
The RPBO Mirror and Sightings Board are open for submissions!

Go to the homepage and click on Sightings Board to make a submission following a birding expedition to Rocky Point and share your sightings with the rest of the group.

Date submitted: Wednesday, May 02 at 02:51 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
This is submission number two.

Will all be fine and spaced as intended.

Of course it will..............
Date submitted: Wednesday, May 02 at 02:49 PM
Name: Rod Mitchell
News Article:
It was a beautiful day at RPBO today as I took a couple of visitors for a drive through the area and walked out to the banding shack to check on the state of things. The grass is green and birdsong was everywhere. Redwinged Blackbirds were particularly noisey at all ponds. Song Sparrow, Flickers, Lincoln Sparrow, somebody Vireo, Thrushes, and too many to list here as this was a tourist visit and we were talking and pointing out vistas too much. But, how beautiful.

I sure do hope this posting is listed correctly so the board can go public now...............

 


 

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