Number of Saw-whets drops at Woodland Dunes
November 26, 2000

The capturing, banding and releasing of the tiny Saw-whet Owls at Woodland Dunes Nature Center has ended for this fall season.

The total captured this year was 300 (compared to our previous best of 384 in 1999) for the second-highest number captured since we began in 1965.

Of the 300 captured, 268 were banded by the federally licensed bird banders at the center. The other 32 were from the three categories of repeat, return and recovery.

A repeat is a bird that we banded within the past several days (or weeks); a return is a bird that we banded in a previous year and captured again this year (at the same location); and a recovery is a bird that someone else banded---somewhere else.

This year we caught 19 repeats; one return; and 12 recoveries. Most of the 19 repeats were recaptured within one week of banding. However, two of the repeats were recaptured 17 and 20 days after banding. Since this is a longer time, these birds could have flown somewhere else and returned. We really do not know.

The one return was banded Nov. 13, 1999, and was again captured at Woodland Dunes on Oct. 16 of this year.

Where was it during that one year? We really don't know that either.

The 12 recoveries were from other banders around the state and beyond. Sometimes it takes months to get the reports back. We will let you know about mid-winter.

Numerous people are involved with this interesting project. You can be too---give us a call at (920) 793-4007.

Things that happen during the night when our "night gang" members are gathering captured Saw-whet Owls include: meteors, northern lights, coyotes calling back and forth to each other, fieballs in the sky (a future Ripples from the Dunes article), bigger species of owls, and much more.

The owl-banding "season" begins in the middle of September and ends about mid-November. During the "offseason" we are repairing equipment, making new nets, reading, analyzing and learning.

If you are interested, you can join in at any time during the year.