Third Weekend of Banding

 

Hi Everyone,

 

This is my third report of the 2024 banding season, covering the weekend of September 13th, 2024.

Please scroll to the bottom to see photos.

 

Friday, September 13th, 2024

This is the weekend Trudi and I hosted the annual Minnesota Falconer's Camp and Cookout at Hawk Harbor. This year we also hosted Arkansas falconers A. J. and his dad, Derrick, who had obtained a non-resident permit to take a young Sharp-shinned hawk for falconry. They arrived at our house late Thursday night and we all got up early on Saturday to make the two and a half hour trip up to Hawk Harbor. When we got there, no one else had arrived yet for the camp-out, so Trudi and I helped A. J. and Derrick set up a trapping rig. Later when Rick arrived, we drove up to the banding station and set it up. Trudi went down to get things ready for the campers, while Rick and I got started banding. We had the blind and nets ready for action at noon.

 

Around 12:45 pm, we got an excited call from A. J., saying they had just caught a shin and had filled their permit!!!! They got the new bird all kitted out and put in a safe place. After the new bird was secure, Trudi, A. J., and Derrick came up to the banding station.

 

It was a beautiful sunny day, but the winds were out of the northeast, not the best for banding. We sat there scanning the skies for the next two hours, not seeing much in the air. Around 2:00 pm, a Merlin dropped into the field and started stooping the fake owl. Rick worked the lure, the Merlin peeled off the owl, and powered right into the front net! We banded it, took some photos, and A. J. let it go. We sat there looking at a pretty much empty sky the rest of the day, thinking we would close down at 5:00 pm. At 4:55 pm, a young male Sharp-shinned hawk started attacking the fake owl. Rick pulled the lure, the shin left the owl, and made a high hit on the front net. Derrick got to release that one. We closed down shortly after that and went back down to Hawk Harbor, met with some of the arriving campers. Those who wanted to, drove in with us to the Culvers in Two Harbors for supper. When we got back to Hawk Harbor, everyone enjoyed a cozy campfire before turning in for the night.

 

We got a total of 2 birds and no bounce-outs on Friday.

1 Merlin and 1 Sharp-shinned hawk.

 

Saturday, September 14th, 2024

Rick and I got up early before most of the other campers and headed up to the main blind. Trudi stayed back to fix hot chocolate and donuts for the rest of the campers. Rick and I were set up and ready at 7:00 am. It was another beautiful day on the North Shore, but the winds had now shifted more easterly. Not good for banding at our place. Some of the other campers started drifting up to the blind and at 8:10 am, we caught our first bird of the day, a young female shin. We banded it, took a group photo, and Phoebe got to release it. It was her first time to release a banded raptor!

 

A little later, some Blue Jays were feeding on dragonflies in the grass out in front of the blind. One of them tried to fly into the woods behind us, but got caught in our front net. We took some photos and Brynn let it go. Earlier, a shin had powered in to try for one of the Blue Jays, and that jay, in an effort to escape, it almost flew right into Rick's window. The shin, hot on the jay's heels, pulled up and almost flew into my window, just inches from my face!

 

At 8:40 am, a young male shin was out hunting in the field, saw our lure, and came in to check it out. He hit the net slow and high but bounced out! Arrggh!!! Our next bird was an adult female shin that was migrating along, high to the northeast. She locked on pretty far out and made a nice long slanting stoop into the front net. We banded her, took a group photo, and Steve (Phoebe's dad) got to let it go. This was Steve's first time to release a banded raptor!

 

We kept switching campers in and out of the main blind to give everyone a chance to see the birds coming in. At 10:40 am, another adult female shin came in from the north, hit high on the net and bounced out! Arrggh Again!!! Around 2:30 pm, our last bird of the day came in low from the north side of the field. It was a young female shin that hit square in the middle of the front net! We banded her, took a group photo, and Casey was chosen to release it. Casey is Don's daughter and it was also her first time ever to release a banded raptor. We closed down at 5:00 pm.

 

We got a total of 3 birds and two bounce-outs on Saturday.

3 Sharp-shinned hawks.

 

More Minnesota Falconers arrived for the meeting and cookout as we closed down the banding station. Trudi laid out the buffet tables and Mattie did the grilling. Everyone got in line for a delicious outdoor meal. We had a short meeting and held a raffle with items that Don had donated. Another blazing campfire was enjoyed as we watched the stars come out. Some people went home and some stayed to camp out at Hawk Harbor for a second night.

 

Sunday, September 15th, 2024

Sunday morning Rick and I got up early again and headed out to open the banding station. We were ready to start at 7:00 am, with calm winds and not a hawk in sight!  Brynn and John set up in A. J.'s blind to try their hand at trapping, since that rig was still set up. Back down at Hawk Harbor, Chef Don was preparing grilled bacon and eggs for anyone who had braved the night. They even sent plates-full up to Rick and me. A little later, Edwin, our neighbor to the east of Hawk Harbor, came up to sit in with us. Well, to make a long story longer, we sat there with a few of the campers for the rest of the morning, seeing only a few raptors passing over extremely high with no chance of catching any. We closed down at noon, cleaned and secured Hawk Harbor, and headed for home. A very successful and fun weekend!

 

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

A Skunked Day

 

5 total birds and 2 bounce-outs for the weekend.

22 total birds for the season.

 

Please help hawks by supporting:

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory (www.hawkridge.org)

Midwest Peregrine Society (https://midwestperegrine.umn.edu/)

National Eagle Center (www.nationaleaglecenter.org)

Raptor Resource Project (https://www.raptorresource.org/)

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

Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch (http://ospreywatch.blogspot.com/)

 

Keep your eyes on the skies!

 

Trudi & Frank Taylor

01. A. J. and his dad, Derrick, at their trapping rig.  

02. Derrick and A. J. with their fresh caught shin.

03. Rick, Frank, Derrick, A. J., and Carolyn with the new bird.

04. A Merlin coming in.

05. First bird of the weekend was a Merlin.

06. Frank banding the Merlin.

07. Rick, A. J., and Trudi with the Merlin.

08. A female Merlin.

09. A. J. holding the Merlin.

10. A. J. releasing the Merlin.

11. A shin coming in.

12. A young male Sharp-shinned Hawk.

13. A. J., Frank, and Derrick with the shin.

14. A young male Sharp-shinned Hawk.

15. Derrick holding the shin.

16. Derrick releasing the shin.

17. Rick holding a Saturday morning shin.

18. A young female shin.

19. Jen, John, Carolyn, Brynn, Rick, Holly, Phoebe, and Steve with the shin.

20. Steve and daughter Phoebe holding the shin.

21. Phoebe releasing the shin.

22. A Blue Jay accidentally flew into the nets.

23. Brynn posing the jay so the others could take pictures of it.

24. Brynn releasing the jay.

25. An adult female shin was in next.

26. John, Derrick, A. J., Phoebe, Steve, Frank, Carolyn, Brynn, Holly, Jen, and Thomas with the shin.

27. Phoebe and Steve holding the shin.

28. Steve releasing the shin.

29. A young female shin.

30. Stewart, Phoebe, Steve, Amber, Don, Rick, Anthony, Casey, Brynn, Joe, and Thomas with the shin.

31. Don and daughter Casey holding the shin.

32. Casey releasing the shin.

33. Pre-cookout group. Front row: A. J., Derrick, Mattie, Stewart, Curt, Jerry, Colin.

Second row: John, Anthony, Grant, Thomas, Don, Casey, Don, Amber, Joe, Carolyn, Eric, Eric, Trudi, and Frank.

34. President Mattie manning the grill.

35. Buffet tables set for the cookout.

36. Trudi dishing out the hot dogs.

37. Lining up for the feast.

38. Trudi dishing a dog to Brynn.

39. My favorite, the dessert table!

40. Colin, Grant, Stewart, Thomas, Curt, and Don at the picnic table.

41. Amber, Jackie, and Jean enjoying the food.

42. Mia and Jeff almost finished.

43. Holly, Brynn, Jen, and Anthony chowing down.

44. Don, Phoebe, Steve, and Eric visiting and eating.

45. Bruce, Kris and Trudi ready for the meeting.

46. The post-cookout group photo. You can find their names in all the other photos!

47. A perfect evening campfire.

48. Don fixing bacon and eggs on Sunday morning for the campers.

49. Don, the master chef at work!

50. Brynn and John at the falconer's blind on Sunday morning.

51. Rick, Thomas, Trudi, Edwin (our Hawk Harbor neighbor), and Frank up at the banding station.