The weather has cleared up more than I expected this afternoon. It is also clear north of us, so I think that I will give it a shot tonight, especially since this is one of the few nights that I will be able to get out this week. Unless things change for the worse quickly, I will plan to open the nets at the regular time this evening.
Clair Mellinger
We need the rain. I guess we will just enjoy the next few days for that reason and forget the saw-whets that we might have banded. Although it doesn’t look like it will be raining tonight, winds will be from the south and the rain could begin again around midnight. I doubt that intelligent owls are going to be migrating tonight. I don’t see a good night for banding until Saturday. We will see.
Tuesday, 29 November – closed
Wednesday, 30 November – closed
Thursday, 1 December – closed for RBC meeting
We caught only one saw-whet last night and I am beginning to think that the migration season is over. I thought that it would maintain some strength into early December from the earlier reports from stations north of us.
We will not open tonight. The winds in the early evening will be higher than I like and the rain might start before midnight. Tomorrow we will be between rains but I doubt that conditions will be favorable for migration in our area or north of us. I doubt that we will open. Wednesday night looks like more rain; and Thursday night both of us will be at the Rockingham Bird Club meeting to hear Joanna Morelli’s (our faithful assistant over the past three years) talk about her summer research with Atlantic Puffins in Maine.
SCHEDULE
Tonight, Monday, 28 November – closed
Tuesday, 29 November – ?????
Wednesday, 30 November – probably closed
Thursday, 1 December – closed for RBC meeting
I am planning to open the station tonight. It looks like the weather will be bad for banding on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Clair Mellinger
Despite the fact that my two grandchildren were along last night to bring me luck, we didn’t catch any owls the first two net-checks. So they headed home to bed. The third time up Larry Martin and I found nothing … but a Barred Owl. This is an owl that we banded on 13 November. At that time we relocated him about 5 miles away from our nets. He has come back. I suspect that he may have been part of the reason that we haven’t been catching saw-whets lately. Then again … maybe not. Migration could be ending sooner than we thought for this year.
Tonight winds are forecast. They would have made opening a marginal prospect; with
Jonathan Martin offers our returning Barred Owl a new home
the question of what we need to do about our Barred Owl friend, I think that we will not open tonight. Weather conditions look more favorable tomorrow night, so I think we will wait and give it a shot then.
SCHEDULE
Tonight, Saturday, 26 November – closed
Sunday, 27 November – open
Monday, 28 November – probably open
Tuesday and Wednesday – probably closed; rain
I am going to open tonight with the hope that conditions will be suitable to open the upper nets. If not I will open only the lower nets … but I plan to give it a try.
Tomorrow night looks a lot like tonight. So I am reserving judgment about opening tomorrow night until I see what tonight is like.
Clair Mellinger
The radar shows showers at Highland right now. After they pass, it will be raining north of our station and later will be raining at the station itself. I have decided that there is no point trying to band tonight. I hope that none of you are on the way to Highland. Sorry for the delay in making the decision.
Clair Mellinger
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
