Birding at Long Point

 Rick and I headed to Long Point, still trying to get a regular walk in. The Causeway had a cluster of birders so we stopped to take a look.

Sandhill Cranes over head

but landing too far away

to get a good photo.

On the other side of the road, a flock of

Dunlin, wading and digging in the shallow water and mud banks.

A Wilson's Snipe, camouflaged in the rushes.

A Killdeer and

a Great Blue Heron rounded out the sightings for that spot.

Next we took the walk around the marsh, just off the causeway. This Heron was at the start

but not much to be seen after that. Swans, Canada Geese and ducks that were too far away to identify.

We did see lots of these...Woolly Bear Caterpillars.

Rust-and-black banded woolly bears are the larvae of Isabella tiger moths. They’re born completely black. Their orange-brown middle sections appear as they get older and grow longer (up to 5 cm).

So how do these caterpillars foresee the future? Allegedly, a caterpillar with a wide rust-coloured midsection and narrow black bands at either end of its body forecasts a mild winter; a caterpillar with the opposite colouration predicts a long, harsh winter. In reality, the thickness of the caterpillar’s rust or black bands has to do with its age and growth rate. Each time a woolly bear moults, the rust-coloured portion of its body gets longer.

Woolly bears are most noticeable in fall, around the time that we’re hit with the first frosts. Look for them inching across roads and driveways, on their way to find a spot to overwinter in the leaf litter or under rocks and rotting logs. Look, but don’t touch—unless you’re willing to risk a rash. Woolly bears may appear fluffy, but their coats have tiny barbs at the tips that can break off and irritate your skin. from cottagelife.com

Next we walked the trail on the north side of Erie Ave. A couple of Mourning Doves and more Woolly Bears but not much else. We were surprised how little water there was in the marsh. It was a wet summer but has been a very dry fall.

Walked the trail at the banding station

and discovered they were banding owls that night.

So , home for supper, and then drove back to see the owls being banded. Its touch and go with owl banding. I have gone with George, the kids, Cyndy and sometimes you stand around, cold, listening to the tape of owl calls playing and get to see nothing as the owls aren't buying it.

It was a clear night, no wind, and we marveled at the night sky while waiting for the first 'net run" (I saw 2 shooting stars). They came back with 2 bags....2 owls. It was our lucky night.

First bag....a Saw-Whet Owl. Then my camera battery died and all the rest of the photos are taken with Rick's phone which struggled with the low light levels that are used to protect the Owls night vision.

She flapped her wings a few times

but generally stayed very still and "co-operative" while being examined, banded and weighed.

 The northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae. The species is native to North America. Saw-whet owls of the genus Aegolius are some of the smallest owl species in North America. They can be found in dense thickets, often at eye level, although they can also be found some 20 ft (6.1 m) up. Saw-whets are often in danger of being preyed upon by larger birds of prey. The northern saw-whet owl is a migratory bird without any strict pattern. From Wikipedia

This shows how dim it was and also the Live Stream TV. One of the staff said that locals use the Livestream on Youtube to see if there is any action before deciding to come down and see the banding.

The next bird out of a bag was a Screech Owl

 

They were not trying to attract a Screech Owl, Saw-Whet calls were being played. But he came in to try and catch the smaller Saw-Whet. Instead he got caught in the net and banded.
 

Bigger and fluffier and

 

with feather tufts on his head (These aren't ears. Their ears are slits behind their eyes, hidden by feathers)

The first two owls were put back in bags and put in a dark area so their eyes could adjust and then they were released. Soon after, another Saw-whet was netted and bought in to be measured

examined (age is determined by the colours of the feathers)

assessed

and then held for the cameras before being kept in the dark and released.

We were very lucky. Saw 2 Saw-whets and 1 Screech Owl in a short period of time. When they are banding they do it for a 4hr period but if they keep catching owls they keep going and one night banded until 2:30am. They have caught over 50 on a good night but can have nights where they catch none.