Bird Banding.....

The following contains banding counts from The YMCA of The Rockies, and the Rosey Finch counts from the house.  Numbers are updated on a regular basis during each bird's banding season.  Your are welcome at the house for observation with prior notice, all we ask is that give mind to the private property of our surrounding neighbors.  Also new is Scott's Northern Saw-whet banding which he started 4 years ago.

...Bird banding at The YMCA of The Rockies...

  The YMCA of The Rockies is located at the very edge of Rocky Mountain National Park just west of Estes Park, Colorado.  Please join Scott for his Bird Identification Class Spring, Summer and Fall.  These classes consist primarily of netting and banding birds that move through a specific location on the YMCA grounds.  For more information please contact The YMCA of The Rockies: (970) 586-3341, x1104, or you can contact Scott directly at: pygmyowl@frii.com.

The information provided below is updated regularly during the banding season and lists the birds seen and banded at the YMCA since 1996.  The birds that appear in italics are not commonly found in this area.

 

Species	1996-2007	2008	2009	2010
Calliope Hummingbird	16	3	4	1
Broad-tailed Hummingbird	734	54	129	73
Rufus Hummingbird	159	18	37	10

Mountain Chickadee	368	10	12	4
Black-capped Chickadee	46
White-breasted Nuthatch	76	6	6	3
Pygmy Nuthatch	449	5	19	1

Red-breasted Nuthatch	7
Brown Creeper	5
Warbling Vireo	16
Plumbious Vireo	1

Cassin's Vireo	2	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	169	1
Bluegray-Gnatcatcher	1
Steller's Jay	142	2	2

Clark's Nutcracker	4
Scrub Jay	1
Black-billed Magpie	31		2
Blue Grouse	1

Brown Thrasher	1
Gray Catbird	3
Brown-headed Cowbird	25
Bullock's Oriole	1

Common Grackle	37
Red-winged Blackbird	98	2		2
Hairy Woodpecker	47	7	4	3
Red-shafted Flicker	5

Williamson's Sapsucker	2
Red-naped Sapsucker	9	1
Downey Woodpecker	11	2	1	1
House Wren	78	1	9	8

Violet-green Swallow	1	1		5
Cliff Swallow	2			2
Virginia's Warbler	11			1
Townsend's Warbler	3

Tennessee Warbler	1
Yellow Warbler	26	2
MacGillivary's Warbler	33	1
Wilson's Warbler	383	18	18	1

Nashville Warbler	11
Northern Waterthrush	5
Yellow-rumped Warbler	64
Orange-crowned Warbler	29		2

Mourning Dove	4
Band-tailed Pigeon	1			1
Northern Pygmy-Owl	3
Great Horned Owl	2		1

Northern Goshawk	1
Cooper's Hawk	2
Sharp-shinned Hawk	1
Hammond's Flycatcher	9

Dusky Flycatcher	8
Cordilleran's Flycatcher	27	1		1
Western Wood-pewee	14
Least Flycatcher	2

Willow Flycatcher	7
American Robin	17
Mountain Bluebird	7
Swainson's Thrush	1

Western Tananger	4			1
Lazuli Bunting	5
Green-tailed Towhee	180	3	9	3
Spotted Towhee	1

Chipping Sparrow	136		2	7
Lark Sparrow	4
Vespers Sparrow	2
Savannah Sparrow	1

Song Sparrow	21
Tree Sparrow	14
Lincoln's Sparrow	210	8	6	12
White-crowned Sparrow	241	12		3

White-throated Sparrow	6	1
Brewer's Sparrow	1
Fox Sparrow	1
Slate Junco	57

Gray-headed Junco	301	27	9	4
White-winged Junco	32
Oregon Junco	341
Cassin's Finch	287	29	53	41

House Finch	278	5	10	5
Pine Siskin	897	47	70	68
Lesser Goldfinch	2	1
American Goldfinch	25	2	4

House Sparrow	11
Evening Grosbeak	8		8	1
Black-headed Grosbeak	101	3	10	7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	4		1

Pine Grosbeak	1
Red Crossbill	49		27

TOTAL BANDED BIRDS	6441	323	401	239
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES	118	30	25	25

...Rosey Finches...

      When Mother Nature cooperates, it literally 'rains' Rosey Finches at the house!  Every early Spring   brings Scott his snow days and thousands of Rosey's just waiting to be banded.  The days are hit and miss depending on the weather and anyone is welcome if you are brave enough to tackle the roads to get here!  They normally show up when the weather is at it's worst and icy roads are always the issue.  Once again, please try and call ahead of time to let Scott know you are coming and always be mindful of the private property of our neighbors.

...Northern Saw-whet Owls...

         Scott started his Northern Saw-whet owl banding three years ago.  Fall migration occurs roughly during the month of October here in Estes Park and this is when it all happens.  Banding from 9:00PM to about 12:00AM each night Scott has averaged about 11 owls a year.  Netting on private property, the nets are checked every 15  to 30 minutes.  He always has a second body and pair of hands, "I band alone, but never trap alone at night".  Local wildlife includes Mountain Lions, Bob Cats, Bears and Coyotes and they can all be a real threat.  So far so good!  The small owls have always been Scott's favorites, and this is one of his favorite times of year.

Banding is an important phase in tracking any bird.  Their migration patterns and relative life span can give us insight into not only the bird itself, but the condition of their habitat as well.  Banding takes place during nesting season in early Spring.  After each nest is located it's monitored until just before fledging time, once they fledge they're banded.  Adults are trapped by netting as they migrate or come and go from the nest during early Spring.  They are weighed and measured before banding and no harm is ever done.  Nest sights are never disturbed to the point of displacing the birds, a failed nest is not expectable.

Below is a typical banding night for our Northern Saw-whet Owl.  The photos below were taken between 8:00PM and 1:00AM  The nets are stretched just before dark and the birds are called in by CD.  The nets are checked every twenty minutes with a total banding time of about fifteen minutes.

All information on this site is the Copy Right of Scott Rashid Art & Rehabilitation