This season was our fifth one banding at Candler Mountain, Campbell
County, from October 24 to December 8. This was the second year in a
row in which numbers were low, apparently in response to good prey
numbers of mice to the north that encouraged owls to move this far south
in low numbers. After netting 39, 38, 52, and 7 owls in the past four
falls, this season we netted 12, nine of those Thanksgiving week, which
represents a little later migration than seems typical. The first bird
netted was on October 26, and the last one was on December 4. One of
our twelve netted birds had already been banded the previous fall in
Wisconsin, and represents a less common movement of a saw-whet across
the Appalachians. The previous six banded birds that we have recaptured
have come from Kiptopeke here in VA, PA, MA, VT, and Ontario (2). And
the three birds of ours recaptured by others in the past were
encountered in PA (2) and Ontario. Speculation is that next fall could
bring an "invasion year" here in the east, but only time will tell.
Thanks go out to Mark Johnson and Robert Ferrell for their help this
season.
Gene Sattler
Lynchburg
