9th Weekend of Banding 2015

Hi All,

Here is my ninth and last weekly report of the 2015 banding season, covering the weekend of October 31st, 2015.

Trudi and I drove up on Saturday morning to meet Rick at the McDonalds on London Road in Duluth. Nancy and Chuck had work to do at home and couldn't make it up this weekend. Todd had come up on Friday night and was there when we arrived. We loaded our stuff into Rick's truck and drove up to the blind. We set up the nets and were ready to go at 9:00. The sky was very overcast and a slight drizzle was coming down. Nothing was moving!

At 10:00, Melissa Boman brought up eleven other members of the University of Minnesota's Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Club (FWCB). Melissa came up with the same group last year and was the only one who didn't get to release a hawk. I was hoping to have her release a hawk this year, but the weather did not co-operate. I walked down to meet the group as they pulled up in their cars and after a very wet introduction and migration talk, we hiked back up to the blind. I explained how hawk banding is a lot like fishing and on some days, well, nothing is biting! We scanned the skies for several hours and saw only one eagle and one hawk. So the inevitable task fell to me and I showed them how to do a "Wish Bird" sign with their hands. The 'Wish Bird" sign is done by holding your hands in such a way as to resemble the hawk you "wish" you had in your hands to release. We lined up for the group photo, did the sign and then they all left for Hawk Ridge. One member, Amanda, did such an excellent job of releasing her "Wish Bird" that we asked her to do a re-enactment for the camera. In spite of the dismal weather conditions this group displayed a remarkably good-natured attitude towards our lack of birds. Melissa and Amanda will be first up for a release bird next season!

The rain that was NOT supposed to continue ALL DAY, . . . DID, and after spending a very wet six hours sitting in the blind, we decided to close down at 3:00. This was our one and only "Skunked" day of the season!

We got a total of 0 birds and no bounce-outs on Saturday.

Nothing, Nada, Not a dang thing, Zero, Zip, that's all folks!

Because of Emily's Lighthouse Restaurant closing for good last weekend, I was facing the prospects of no hot meatloaf sandwich with fried onions, mushrooms and an extra cup of gravy to comfort me after such a grueling day. Fortunately, the residual effects of eating 78 of those hearty and delicious meals over the years gave me enough energy to continue my search for a substitute. Trudi, Rick, Todd and I drove on through the continuing drizzle all the way up to the Culver's Restaurant in Two Harbors, Minnesota, where I ordered their chopped steak dinner. Well, guess what? That hearty plate has two butter burger steak patties smothered in beef gravy that contains fried onions and mushrooms, plus a roll and a delicious side of coleslaw! (I also ordered extra gravy.) Whoop-Dee-Do!!! I'm back in the saddle again!

On Sunday morning we got a break in the weather and the sun poked through for a little while. We were set up and ready to go at 8:15. A few birds started moving, including our regular visitor to the blind, a Blue jay that was cashing in on the free seed we had put out. A young white-tailed spike buck crossed the field in front of us and a couple Northern shrikes were working the draw. One of the shrikes came over for a look at our lure but wisely decided that it was twice his size.

At 10:00 our friend Alisha Walden, who volunteers at The Raptor Center, came up. We gave her the tour and got settled in to look for hawks. We started seeing some eagles and hawks getting up and at 10:56 we spotted a Rough-legged hawk coming in over the fake owl. Rick pulled the lure, it "locked on" and ploughed right in to the front net! No "Skunked Day" today!!!

More and more hawks were getting up with a lot of red-tails, rough-legs and eagles passing right over us. Before we could band and photograph the Rough-legged hawk, an adult Red-tailed hawk dropped into the field, skimmed low across the ground and slammed the net. Shortly after that one, another adult red-tail took the same approach and also hit the front net. WOW!!! What a difference a day makes! After we banded those birds and took some photos, Alisha released the Rough-legged hawk. Trudi released the Red-tailed hawk and Alisha got to release the second Red-tailed hawk.

After scanning the sky for a while we noticed another adult Red-tailed hawk already "locked on" way out over the barn, over a half a mile away! It seemed like an eternity as it sailed in over the draw, dropped low to the ground and cruised right on in to hit the front net. That was our fourth bird and third Red-tailed hawk of the day. We were sitting there thinking it couldn't get any better than this, when another adult Red-tailed hawk shot in, popped up over the front net, landed next to the lure and then Rick chased it into the back of the front net. This bird was no stranger to nets as it was already wearing a band! We noticed that this bird had a deformed tongue and was still molting its tail feathers. We recorded the band number, measured it and then Trudi and Rick did a double release with the last two Red-tailed hawks.

Around noon, things were starting to slow down and we didn't see the same numbers of birds moving that we had seen earlier. We were contemplating closing down when at 12:55 a young Red-tailed hawk was spotted pumping its way toward us from out over our land. It powered straight in, passing close in front of the blind and crashing into the front net. Nice way to end the season! We banded it, took a load of photos and then Trudi and Alisha did the release of that one.

We got a total of 6 birds and 0 bounce-outs on Sunday.

1 Rough-legged hawk and 5 Red-tailed hawks.

Grand Total for the year is 152.

Trudi, Rick and I packed up all the gear at the main blind and took it down to Hawk Harbor for storage until next year. Hope you all enjoyed our reports from this year. In the next two weeks, we will do one more report with the tally of species for the year. We will also list and give a big Thank You to everyone who made this season possible.

Age and sex of all birds that bounce-out are obviously a "best guesstimate" by the closest witness and should not be considered hard data.

Please help hawks by supporting:

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory (www.hawkridge.org)

The Raptor Center (www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu)

The National Eagle Center (www.nationaleaglecenter.org)

Keep your eyes on the skies.

Frank & Trudi Taylor

01. Saturday's rainy view from the blind.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

02. Meeting the members of the University of Minnesota's Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Club.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

03. Doing my little wet migration talk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

04. Rick trying to stay dry in the blind.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

05. Explaining how our set up works to the club members.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

06. Erin and Guy getting the dry seats in the blind.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

07. Showing the group how to do the "Wish Bird" sign.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

08. Laura, Guy, Joe, Erin, Kyle, Gabby, Frank, Zach, Dan, Andrew, 

Melissa, Amanda and Grace doing the "Wish Bird" sign.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

09. Amanda about to release her imaginary hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

10. Amanda releasing her imaginary hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

11. Supper at Culver's in Two Harbors, Minnesota.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

12. Hot chopped steak dinner with mashed potatoes, fried onions, mushrooms, extra gravy, 

a roll and a delicious side of coleslaw.

Hmmmm, that kind of reminds me of a few other meals I have had up here on the North Shore.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

13. Sunday morning with a welcome break in the rain clouds.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

14. An early morning Blue jay coming in for the free birdseed that we put out in front of the blind.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

15. A young White-tailed buck out wandering the field in front of us.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

16. A couple of Northern shrikes were hunting the field. One came in and sat in the tree over the blind.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

17. The first hawk of the weekend to come in was a Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

18. A Rough-legged hawk coming in.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

19. Rick taking the Rough-legged hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

20. A Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

21. Frank holding the Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

22. Frank banding the Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

23. Frank, Rick and Trudi holding the Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

24. Alisha holding the Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

25. A Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

26. An adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

27. Alisha watching Rick take a Red-tailed hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

28. An adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

29. Rick and Frank taking another Red-tailed hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

30. Trudi holding the second Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

31. Alisha and Frank holding the Rough-legged hawk and the first Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

32. Trudi, Rick and Alisha holding the Rough-legged hawk and the two Red-tailed hawks.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

33. Alisha about to release the Rough-legged hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

34. Alisha releasing the Rough-legged hawk.

Photo by Rick Dupont

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

35. Trudi about to release a Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

36. Trudi releasing the Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

37. Another Red-tailed hawk coming in.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

38. An adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

39. Rick taking another Red-tailed hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

40. The backside of an adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

41. Alisha about to release the Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

42. Alisha releasing the Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

43. Frank and Rick taking another adult Red-tailed hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

44. Frank holding an adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

45. Rick and Trudi about to do a double release of Red-tailed hawks.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

46. Rick and Trudi doing a double release of two Red-tailed hawks.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

47. The fifth bird of the day was a banded adult Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

48. This bird came in already banded.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

49. Adult Red-tailed hawk with a deformed tongue.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

50. Tail feathers still in molt.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

51. A young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

52. Rick taking a young Red-tailed hawk out of the net.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

53. Rick bringing the Red-tailed hawk in for banding.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

54. Frank banding the young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

55. Rick showing us the front of a young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

56. Rick showing us the back of a young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

57. A young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

58. Alisha, Frank and Trudi holding the young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

59. Trudi and Alisha about to release the young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

60. Trudi and Alisha releasing the young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015

61. Our 152nd and last bird of the season, a young Red-tailed hawk.

Ninth Week of Banding 2015