Summer Spoils

Well summer hasn't been all I hoped it would be, beginning with my first ever Boreal Owl nest failing in part from a Pine Marten, then checking my Saw-whet Owl nest only to find it had also failed. This has been a summer to remember with record amounts of rain and a few disappointments.

I'll begin with some amazing data since I started studying Snowy Owls back in 2003, the first Owl I trapped this winter we named "Mike" has made it to Victoria Island Nunavut. The second adult male Snowy I caught by Whitelaw, AB  named "Whitelaw"

also made it to Victoria Island. Both of these owls are into their 4th  year of life and are not breeding this summer, rather are wandering around.

It will be interesting to see how many young Snowies arrive back in NW Alberta if any do at all. I banded my 100th Snowy Owl since getting my masters permit in 3 years.

I was hoping to get some eagle nest photos but 2 of my Bald Eagle nests have blown down in the crazy wind storm we had last month. All I've really banded in the last month has been this Long-eared Owl nest which had 3 young and the odd magpie and raven nest.

        Close up of Victoria Island Nunavat

      American Kestrel in heavy molt

       Check out the variation in tails of these hawks, very cool to witness!        Red-tailed Hawk

                                                     Light Morph Harlan's Hawk

                                                    Western Red-tailed Hawk

                                          Red-tailed Hawk mixed with Harlan's Hawk
                                       
                                            

                                             Long-eared Owl Nest