Teslin Lake update - Sept 20

Male American Three-toed Woodpecker - the 1st ever banded at TLBO!

The mid-September period at TLBO was an exciting one particularly with the migration watch. The weather again wasn't our friend and so the banding totals remained rather low. However, one bird out of the 257 banded, an American Three-toed Woodpecker on the 12th, was of special interest as it was, quite surprisingly mind you, the first ever banded at TLBO! Other highlights from the nets included a Dusky Flycatcher and a latish Swainson's Thrush, both also on the 12th. The top five for the period was Dark-eyed Junco (106), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (41), Orange-crowned Warbler (21), Yellow-rumped Warbler (17) and Yellow Warbler (16).

 

1...2...3!

 

The most exciting bird of the period was a beautiful full-tailed adult Long-tailed Jaeger seen on the 11th. To everyone's surprise, the bird was spotted again on the 12th and later seen departing towards the east over the mountains instead of the west and the Pacific!

 

The longer the tail...

As the weather was turning colder more northern birds started to head south. New species for the season were Black-backed Woodpecker on the 11th, Tundra Swan and Long-tailed Duck on the 14th, Rough-legged Hawk , Glaucous Gull and Mountain Bluebird on the 18th and Northern Hawk Owl on the 19th.

 At least six Parasitic Jaegers, including two rare dark-morph ones, were seen prowling the lake on the 11th. The same day count of 29 Red-throated Loons was just three short of our day record for the species. During the second half of the period we had several busy migration days. On the 15th 235 Canada Geese flew by as well as 42 Red-tailed Hawks (70 raptors in total). Thanks to the poor visibility, low hanging clouds and strong south wind on the 18th many Pacific-bound birds like 150 Pacific Loons and 55 Thayer's Gulls were forced to fly low enough for us to spot them. The same day record tying 11 Peregrine Falcons were seen. Nine more followed the next day and six more the day after - wow! The 19th was quite a day with 5200 American Robins/Varied Thrushes and 1550 small passerines (mostly unidentified but identifications including 43 American Pipits, 53 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 114 Rusty Blackbirds)!! Also seen were 32 Northern Harriers (74 raptors in total). Finally, a jaw-dropping flock of 190 Rusty Blackbirds was foraging on the shoreline on the 20th!

Adult Thayer's Gull. Photo Abril Heredia.

A flock of Robins passing by. Photo Abril Heredia.

 

A rainy day juvenile Red-necked Grebe

 

Susan Drury (R), a volunteer of many years at Albert Creek, made her first visit to TLBO. Here she is showing the waterbirds of the lake to one of our visitors. Photo Abril Heredia.

Abril photographing specklebellies

Sky-Fox with bunny ears

  

Banding totals as of Sept 20 (the # banded since the last update in brackets):

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 4 (3)

Solitary Sandpiper - 2

Spotted Sandpiper - 1

Belted Kingfisher - 2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1

American Three-toed Woodpecker - 1 (1)

Northern Flicker - 3

Western Wood-Pewee - 4

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 11

Alder Flycatcher - 769 (8)

Least Flycatcher - 6

Hammond's Flycatcher - 11 (1)

Dusky Flycatcher - 3 (1)

Northern Shrike - 1

Warbling Vireo - 48

Black-capped Chickadee - 28

Boreal Chickadee - 13 (4)

Red-breasted Nuthatch -6

Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 77 (41)

Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1

Swainson's Thrush - 55 (1)

Hermit Thrush - 1

American Robin - 4

Varied Thrush - 5

American Pipit - 2

Cedar Waxwing - 8

Tennessee Warbler - 1

Orange-crowned Warbler - 109 (21)

Yellow Warbler - 327 (16)

Magnolia Warbler - 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler - 144 (17)

Townsend's Warbler - 7

Blackpoll Warbler - 87 (4)

American Redstart - 33 (1)

Northern Waterthrush - 44 (1)

MacGillivray's Warbler - 1

Common Yellowthroat - 64 (9)

Wilson's Warbler - 104 (13)

American Tree Sparrow - 6 (4)

Chipping Sparrow - 20

Savannah Sparrow - 16 (2)

Fox Sparrow - 5

Lincoln's Sparrow - 9 (1)

White-crowned Sparrow - 16

Golden-crowned Sparrow - 1

Dark-eyed Junco - 286 (106)

Rusty Blackbird - 5 (2)

Purple Finch - 1

White-winged Crossbill - 3

Pine Siskin - 8

= 2366 (257) birds, 51 species