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Excerpts from Rocky Point Notes - 1997

"Rocky Point Notes" was an electronic newsletter produced in 1997 to keep volunteers up to date on happenings at the migration monitoring site.  Below are excerpts (with enhanced formatting) from these newsletters.

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 (31 AUGUST 1997)
Welcome to Rocky Point Notes, an electronic newsletter summarizing what's going on at Rocky Point.

THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AT ROCKY POINT
Arfon Williams, our first foreign visiting bander, is coming to Rocky Point for about two weeks, September 2 to 14.  He has 10 years experience banding in Great Britain and elsewhere, and will be the primary bander at our site during his stay. I believe this will be his first trip to the west coast, so we expect him to great birding experience during his stay.  We hope to glean some technical knowledge from him regarding, bird handling, aging and sexing, etc.

FALL, SO FAR
Activity this season has been a little on the slow side.  Most days we are catching only 25-35 birds.  Friday (August 29) was the busiest day this month with 61 birds captured.  The one highlight in the nets was our fourth Northern Waterthrush.  The censuses have been dominated by resident birds, mainly Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches, with only a sprinkling of flycatchers, warblers and vireos.  Shoreline and waterfront observations have been more interesting, with Red-necked Phalaropes and Solitary, Stilt, Baird's and Upland Sandpipers being recorded.  Two Brown Pelicans were off Edye Point on August 30.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
If you would like to participate, please let me know.  The main qualifications required are enthusiasm and enjoying working with other people.  The following jobs/activities are scheduled each day.
BIRD BANDING: This involves extracting captured birds from mist nets, identification in the hand, banding, aging, sexing, weighing, taking other appropriate measurements, recording data.  DAILY CENSUS: We have a census route of approximately two kilometers.  The survey commences approximately 30 minutes after sunrise and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.  GENERAL OBSERVATIONS: We record all birds seen, heard, caught in the study area, so all people on site keep an eye open for what's moving.  ESTIMATED TOTAL CALCULATION: At the end of the monitoring period, we get together and summarize the findings of the day.

Contact me if you wish to participate in any of the following capacities:
EXPERIENCED BANDERS WITH VALID PERMITS
Our goal is to have our banding program running every day during the migration season. We're close, but would be pleased to have few more banders to fill in the gaps.
BIRD BANDING ASSISTANTS
Even if you have little or no experience birding or banding, you can be of great assistance in recording data, carrying and weighing birds, etc.  Our crew typically consists of an experienced bander, and one to four assistants. Please let me know as early as possible which days you are available to we can schedule an appropriate mix of participants.
BIRDERS FOR THE DAILY CENSUS
For the census, we need one person with good identification and bird counting skills to do the route.  This person is usually accompanied by an apprentice, who will pick up knowledge from the primary observer.

Michael G. Shepard
Rocky Point Migration Monitoring Station

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2 (5 SEPTEMBER 1997)
THE PAST WEEK AT ROCKY POINT
Catches were generally fairly low this week with the exception of September 3, when Arfon Williams, Max Gotz and Dominique Lejour experienced the busiest day of the season.   Seventy-two birds were captured, including our first-ever Virginia Rail.   Other notables were the first of the year Northern Saw-whet Owl and Fox Sparrow.   Surprisingly high numbers of Yellow Warblers (16) hit the nets, and it was one of the biggest Lincoln's Sparrow days (16).  On September 2, we captured and banded our first-ever Cooper's Hawk.  Our second Nashville Warbler was netted on September 5.

There have been thousands of seabirds between William Head and Christopher Point.   Max and Arfon spent many hours watching the ocean from Edye Point and turned up some impressive findings. Highlights included 2 Cassin's Auklets and 4000 Red-necked Phalaropes observed on September 4.  A Peregrine Falcon was observed chasing the phalaropes.  Large numbers of gulls (mainly California and Heermann's) have been close in at the point, feeding on schooling fish.

The skies are not yet full of birds, however raptor numbers are starting to increase.   On September 3, 12 Turkey Vultures, 5 Red-tailed Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon were seen.

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Brown Pelican	30 Aug 1997	2	off Edye Point	Max Gotz
Brown Pelican	31 Aug 1997	1	off Edye Point	Max Gotz
Red-necked Phalarope	4 Sep 1997	4000	off Edye Point	Max Gotz, Arfon Williams
Rhinoceros Auklet	25 Aug 1997	1000	Juan de Fuca Strait	Max Gotz
Mourning Dove	1 Sep1997	1	Study Area	Max Gotz
Vaux's Swift	2 Sep 1997	500	Study Area	Max Gotz, Arfon Williams
Nashville Warbler	1 Sep 1997	1	Near Guardhouse	Max Gotz
Nashville Warbler	5 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Laura Darling, Arfon Williams, Dominique Lejour.  Captured and banded..

COMING UP SOON - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK
While the weather remains fairly good, we are still expecting low numbers of birds in the nets.  The first Hermit Thrushes and Ruby-crowned Kinglets should appear soon.   By the end of next week, raptor migration should be in full swing.  Perhaps we'll be able to report a Broad-winged Hawk again!

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 3 (14 SEPTEMBER 1997)
THE PAST WEEK AT ROCKY POINT
Boom or bust!  It started out with four days of gorgeous weather, with virtually no passerines stopping over.  Catches were fairly low until a fall-out on September 12, when 81 birds (best day so far this fall) were captured.  Arfon Williams, Bev Glover, Laura Darling and Dominique Lejour were kept busy with forty-five birds netted in the first hour. Included this date were our first Marsh Wren and Hermit Thrush of the season.  The highlight of the week was a flock of 6 (3a, 3i) Greater White-fronted Geese that landed in the field on September 8 (still present on September 14).  Arfon Williams and Rick Schortinghuis discovered that the adults had neck collars (AR (tan), W7 (tan), 3N (blue)) and the latter two were wearing radios.  When we find out where they were marked, we'll let you know.  Numbers of raptors are starting to increase with up to 30 Turkey Vultures being seen, as well as a few Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons and Ospreys.

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Cassin's Auklet	13 Sep 1997	1	Eemdyk Passage	Michael Shepard
Common Nighthawk	9 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Arfon Williams
Willow Flycatcher	13 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al.   Banded - late date.
Western Tanager	14 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard
Yellow-headed Blackbird	6 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Bev Glover, Arfon Williams

COMING UP SOON - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK
Increasing numbers of raptors in the skies will be what to look for this week.   With the exception of Yellow-rumped Warblers from Alaska, most of the warblers and flycatchers will probably have passed through.  However, larger numbers of Golden-crowned and Savannah Sparrows should be arriving soon, as well as the main wave of Hermit Thrushes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Winter Wrens.

ABOUT ARFON WILLIAMS - by Bev Glover
Over the past couple of weeks we have had the privilege of hosting our first foreign bander, Arfon Williams.  He is from mid Wales and has ten years of banding experience. In Britain, banding is known as ringing and banders are ringers.  He has worked as a full time ringer for five years at Fair Isle Bird Observatory, the second oldest observatory on the British Isles.  Over the years, he has worked as a ringer in Israel, Spain, Portugal, Italy and other European countries.  Arfon has also been to various countries in Africa.  There is also a Canadian connection.  He spent some time at our most famous observatory at Long Point in Southern Ontario.  Arfon has worked with a wide range of birds which include seabirds, hawks(including a special project on Red Kites), waterfowl, waders, and nestling ringing.  This is his first trip to western North America and he is thrilled to have the chance to see and ring so many lifers.  We, on the other hand, have learned new tips and gained new ideas from someone who estimates that he has ringed over 25,000 birds.  He has enjoyed the scenery at Rocky Point and the company of all our volunteers.  Arfon is now continuing his travels through B.C. and we all wish him the best.

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 4 (22 SEPTEMBER 1997)
THE PAST WEEK AT ROCKY POINT
It started out very wet, with very few birds around.  Then, bang! Colleen O'Brien and crew experienced a sparrow fallout day on September 18, with large numbers of Golden-crowns and Savannahs hitting the nets.  Over 100 birds were caught, the biggest haul of the year.  On September 20 & 21, despite the wonderful weather, catches remained fairly high, with over 50 birds each day.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit & Swainson's Thrushes, a few warblers and flycatchers as well as a plethora of sparrows have made up the catches.  Birding has been great with over 80 species at the point on September 20.  Raptors are definitely moving through - 9 species were seen on September 20, including approximately 250 Turkey Vultures.  Still no Broad-winged Hawks.

BIG DAY, BIG WEEKEND
The last weekend of September has traditionally seen the largest bird movement at Rocky Point.  This year we are going to do a fun-count three day weekend starting Friday, September 26.  We hope to augment our terrestrial count with some water coverage, and beat our record of 93 species in one day.

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Black-throated Gray Warbler	21 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard.   Captured and banded.
Black-headed Grosbeak	20 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard

COMING UP SOON - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK
Large numbers of sparrows should still be coming through for the next few weeks. Raptors in the skies (and a few in the nets) will likely provide the biggest spectacle.

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 5 (28 SEPTEMBER 1997)
THE PAST WEEK AT ROCKY POINT
Catches have been lower than expected, with relatively few birds around.   Results from the census route show only small numbers of migrants present.   The most excitement has been on the water - see below.  On Sunday, September 28, the cloud cleared off very rapidly and immediately Turkey Vultures began to kettle.   Within twenty minutes there were 120 vultures, an American Kestrel, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 3 Red-tailed Hawk and the first of the fall Broad-winged Hawk.   This group stayed around in a variety of configurations for at least an hour, with the Broad-wing coming directly overhead several times.

THE BIG WEEKEND/BIG DAY THAT WASN'T
If you like heavy rain and strong winds, and more heavy rain and strong winds, then this was the time to be out at Rocky Point.  If you like to see thousands of birds of many species, then you should have gone elsewhere.  Much to everyone's surprise there was very little around.  Alan MacLeod declared that this was always supposed to be the best time of year - he and Ron Satterfield had seen over 1000 Turkey Vultures in a single flock a few years previously.  On Friday we scraped together a list of 64 species, and on Saturday with a multitude of keen birders present, we could only find about 50!  Although all the lists are not yet in, we suspect that the three day total was less than 80 species, far fewer than the goal of 120.  What a bust for a big species total!  Despite this, we did turn up a few unusual species (Brown Pelican, Sooty Shearwater, Broad-winged Hawk, Cassin's Auklet) to add a little brightness to an otherwise dreary weekend.

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Sooty Shearwater	26 Sep 1997	3	Off Edye Point	Michael Shepard
Brown Pelican	25 Sep 1997	36	Bentinck Island	Mitch Meredith, Michael Shepard, Arfon Williams
Turkey Vulture	20 Sep 1997	320	Study Area	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield
Broad-winged Hawk	28 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard, Bev Glover, Leah Westereng, Ryan Gill
Sandhill Crane	20 Sep 1997	3	Study Area	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield
Ancient Murrelet	23 Sep 1997	2	Juan de Fuca Strait	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield
Cassin's Auklet	23 Sep 1997	12	Juan de Fuca Strait	Marilyn Lambert et al.
Band-tailed Pigeon	20 Sep 1997	350	Study Area	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield
Vaux's Swift	20 Sep 1997	315	Study Area	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield
Hammond's Flycatcher	25 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard, Arfon Williams, Mitch Meredith.  Captured and banded.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	27 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Arfon Williams, Michael Shepard, Leah Westereng.  Captured and banded.
Violet-green Swallow	28 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard
Black-headed Grosbeak	23 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard, Judith Toms, Arfon Williams.  Captured and banded.
Western Meadowlark	22 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Arfon Williams, Colleen O'Brien

COMING UP SOON - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK
I give up with predictions!  It's a strange fall.  How about more sparrows, Hermit Thrushes and Ruby-crowned Kinglets?  Your predictions are welcome.  MGS.

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 6 (6 OCTOBER 1997)
THE PAST WEEK AT ROCKY POINT
For most of the week, more lousy weather! Colleen O'Brien reported that "there were about 200 wet, morose Turkey Vultures searching in vain for thermals" on September 30.  Very few vultures were seen from then until October 4, when at least 480 were kettling over the site.  Numbers of other raptors were rather low the whole period.  On September 29, we netted our second hybrid Black-throated Gray/Townsend's Warbler of the year.  We almost never catch pure Black-throated Grays here.  We usually see a few Sandhill Cranes each fall, but a flock of 40 seen on October 2 by Mitch Meredith and Judith Toms was far larger than normally reported on southern Vancouver Island.  October 4 was strange in that more than half the birds caught were recaptures.  On the night of October 4, the weather finally broke, and the birds flooded through.  Mitch reported that the volume of birds passing over as detected with the radar was phenomenal.  October 5 turned out to be the biggest day of the fall so far with 143 captured, including a record 40 Hermit Thrushes.  On the ocean, things are starting to slow down. However, Brown Pelicans were seen most days, including a flock of 68 seen by Mitch and Judith on October 4.

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Brown Pelican	4 Oct 1997	68	Juan de Fuca Strait	Mitch Meredith, Judith Toms
Turkey Vulture	4 Oct 1997	480	Study Area	Mitch Meredith et al.
Golden Eagle	2 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.
Sandhill Crane	2 Oct 1997	42	Study Area	Mitch Meredith, Judith Toms, Bryan Gates, Ron Satterfield
Barred Owl	3 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.
Vaux's Swift	1 Oct 1997	10	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien, Marilyn Lambert
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	2 Oct 1997	2	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.  Captured and banded.
Common Raven	2 Oct 1997	51	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien, Mary-Anne Montgomery
Hermit Thrush	5 Oct 1997	40	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al.   Captured and banded.
Yellow Warbler	5 Oct 1997	2	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al.   Captured and banded.
Black-throated Gray/ Townsend's Warbler hybrid	29 Sep 1997	1	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.  Captured and banded.
Wilson's Warbler	2 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.  Captured and banded.
Lapland Longspur	4 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard

ROCKY POINT - WHAT'S NEXT
This will be our last full week at Rocky Point for the season.  We may be out banding a few more days later in October, but the schedule has not yet been firmed up.   We would also like to get a better idea of how the area is being used throughout the year.  If you are interested in doing the census route from time to time this winter, please let me know.  Thanks.  MGS

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 7 (15 OCTOBER 1997)
The final week this fall of intensive monitoring has just been completed. It was almost stormed out with high winds and heavy showers causing several banding days to be cancelled.  However, we managed to squeeze in four last monitoring days, finally ending on October 12.  Nearly 400 birds were captured this week, which is about the same number as for all of September!  Winter Wrens, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes and Golden-crowned Sparrows were the predominant species.  The most noteworthy capture was a Swamp Sparrow on October 12.  This is the third year in a row that SWSPs have turned up at Rocky Point.  Raptors were still moving through in moderate numbers.  320 Turkey Vultures were still present on October 7, but none was to be found on October 12.  Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield and Jan Brown had a great raptor day on October 11.  Alan wrote "From 1030 to 1230, until the breezes turned to gales, Rocky's blue skies were chock-a-block with hawks, particularly SSHAs and RTHAs. 'Twas enough to take your breath away."

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Turkey Vulture	7 Oct 1997	320	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.
Sharp-shinned Hawk	11 Oct 1997	60	Study Area	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield, Jan Brown
Golden Eagle	6 Oct 1997	2	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.
Hammond's Flycatcher	12 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al..  Captured and banded.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	10 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.   Captured and banded.
Swainson's Thrush	12 Oct 1997	2	Study Area	Michael Shepard.  Captured and banded.
Cedar Waxwing	10 Oct 1997	375	Study Area	Colleen O'Brien et al.
Yellow Warbler	12 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al..   Captured and banded.
Swamp Sparrow	12 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Michael Shepard et al..   Captured and banded.

PLANS FOR THE WINTER AT ROCKY POINT
Ideally we would like to be there every day of the year, but with limited resources, it is not practical at this time.  However, we are going to attempt to do the census route at least bi-weekly through the winter to get a sense of population patterns.   If you are available to help out, please let us know.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
It's data crunching time.  As we sift through the data, we're bound to find a few interesting bits and pieces, which we will share with you.  As part of training and education, we are hoping to be doing some in-town banding this winter, and will be looking for people to help and to be trained.  Please let us know if you are interested.

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 8 (20 OCTOBER 1997, WITH CORRECTIONS MADE ON 24 OCTOBER 1997)
We have been gathering general observations and conducting censuses as resources have permitted.  The highlight of the week was a Gyrfalcon seen by Dannie Carsen and Richard Watts on October 19.  The vultures have definitely departed, with only a few stragglers remaining.  Numbers of other raptors are also low.

NOTES FROM DATA CRUNCHING
The July and August 1997 banding data have now been entered.  So far, nothing in the numbers looks particularly noteworthy.  However, we have been getting some interesting recapture records (detailed below).

July/August 1997 Recaptures of Birds Banded in 1995 or Earlier
Species	Band Number	Banding Date	Age/Sex	Recapture Date
American Goldfinch	1950-31435	3 August 1994	AHY M	29 July 1997
One of the first birds we caught at Rocky Point. Interestingly, it had not been caught since the original capture, and was recaptured within a few metres of the original location.  Furthermore, it was travelling with a banded female (next entry) that had not been caught since its first capture!
American Goldfinch	1990-53897	12 May 1995	SY F	29 July 1997
White-crowned Sparrow	1501-49861	22 August 1994	AHY U	7 August 1997
Had also been recaptured on 25 July 1995.
Common Yellowthroat	1990-53601	27 April 1995	ASY M	9 August 1997
Had been recaptured three times in 1995, but not since.
American Goldfinch	1990-53777	9 May 1995	ASY F	20 August 1997

SOME RECENT ROCKY POINT OBSERVATIONS

Species	Date	Number	Location	Observers/Notes
Gyrfalcon	19 Oct 1997	1	Study Area	Dannie Carsen, Richard Watts
Cassin's Auklet	18 Oct 1997	5	Juan de Fuca Strait	Alan MacLeod, Ron Satterfield

ROCKY POINT NOTES VOLUME 1, NUMBER 9 (31 DECEMBER 1997)
Here is the last issue of the year.  There have been a few surveys done at Rocky Point since the fall banding season ended in mid-October.  The two highlights were a Barn Owls seen by David Allinson on 20 October and an immature Sabine’s Gull observed on 30 November by Alan MacLeod and Ron Satterfield.

September/October 1997 Recaptures of Birds Banded in 1995 or Earlier
Species	Band Number	Banding Date	Age/Sex	Recapture Date
Common Yellowthroat	1990-53996	7 July 1995	HY U	5 September 1997
Had not been seen since banding.  Recaptured as a moulting AHY M.
Song Sparrow	1451-62576	23 October 1994	HY U	6 October 1997
Has returned each fall in September or October, probably overwinters (one recapture in March 1995).
Spotted Towhee	972-37746	3 December 1994	HY M	12 October 1997
Not seen in the fall of 1995, but recaptured on 3 October 1996.
Another Recapture of Note
Golden-crowned Kinglet		5 October 1996	U F	4 October 1997
We had never before captured a Golden-crowned Kinglet captured in a previous year.

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