Hummingbird Project Spring Newsletter 2012

Hummingbird Project Spring Newsletter 2012 Happy 2012 to all Hummingbird Enthusiasts! A Bit About the Hummingbird Project The Hummingbird Project is...
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Hummingbird Project

Spring Newsletter 2012

Happy 2012 to all Hummingbird Enthusiasts! A Bit About the Hummingbird Project The Hummingbird Project is part of Rocky Point Bird Observatory and it was initiated in 1997 by Cam Finlay, a well-known Canadian Master-bander, ornithologist, author and naturalist. The project is dedicated to the conservation of hummingbird populations and their habitats throughout Western Canada. The Project is entirely volunteer run and it is through the tireless and selfless dedication of our volunteers that so much is achieved. We always welcome new volunteers. So please let us know if you are interested in learning more. This newsletter summarizes our activities last season and provides an update on coming events. Cam trapping in Princeton (June 2011)

Table of Contents Highlights of the 2011 Season................................. Rufous Hummingbirds............................................ Upcoming Activities................................................. Feature Story - Nest Rescue by Eric Pittman.......... Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden.......... - Nesting Materials.............................................. - Food.................................................................. - Hummingbird Flowers by Agnes Lynn........... - The Scoop on Hummingbird Feeders (includes a nectar recipe)............... Research................................................................... News from the Field................................................. - Southern Gulf Islands....................................... - Southern Vancouver Island............................... - Mid- Vancouver Island..................................... - Lower Mainland................................................ - Sunshine Coast/ Squamish................................ - Interior BC........................................................ - Alberta.............................................................. Notice Board............................................................. In the Press............................................................... Data Entry and Management................................. Support..................................................................... Banding Schedules & Volunteer Opportunities... Site Data...................................................................

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Rufous around a feeder on Saltspring

A male Anna’s hummingbird

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Highlights of the 2011 Season Our hummingbird teams put in an excellent season, despite a cold spring, bad weather and a poor early return. They banded a total of 1729 birds and recaptured another 270 across BC and Southern Alberta. In addition, 134 hummingbirds were captured by RPBO during migration and MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship). The data we obtain from catching hummingbirds help us learn about populations as a whole, as well as examine breeding patterns, feeding activity, health and migratory routes. In banding, we all hope for that most special event, a foreign recapture. This year, the long-distance prize was shared by Gail Loughridge in Vernon, who exchanged a bird with Kelly Bryan in the Davis Mountains of Texas, and Curtis Culp in Dunster, who not only recaptured the bird he exchanges with Kelly, but also had one of his birds recaptured by Fred Bassett in Alabama. We also had a shorter distance recap, which was very interesting when you think about potential routes and the route disruption observed last year. One of the birds banded by Ben McKinnon in Victoria in 2010, was recaptured this year by Victor Elderton and Garry Cotter in Brackendale. Congratulations also go out to Dan Harville, who bands in Washington State. He had a longdistance recap of an AHY-F Rufous banded in May 2011 on Lopez Island and recaptured by Nancy Newfield in Baton Rouge (Louisiana). Interestingly, he has also had birds recaptured by Kelly Bryan. In 2012, we welcome a new team member, Gwen Baluss, who lives in Juneau, Alaska. We are looking forward to working with her and learning more about Rufous in the north.

Rufous Hummingbirds As spring arrives, we start to look for Rufous, Calliope and Black-chinned hummingbirds. Sadly, the population statistics for Rufous are becoming increasingly worrying. In 2010, Partners in Flight considered them to be in “steep decline”, with numbers having fallen by 63% since the mid-60’s. In 2011, we had a very odd return that coincided with a very late spring. Many sites in BC and Alberta (banding and non-banding) reported extremely low returns, while other sites appeared normal. Late season arrivals of birds were noted in many places. These birds often stayed about a week and then left. We won’t really know how the Rufous population has fared until the 2012 results are in. Given the season last year, it is more important than ever that we learn about the Rufous, in order to advocate appropriately for their conservation.

Upcoming Activities No Annual Meeting in 2012 As many team members are planning to attend the 2012 North American Ornithological Conference in Vancouver in August, our annual meeting has been deferred until May 2013.

International Migratory Bird Day 2012 This year, the theme for IMBD is “Connecting People to Bird Conservation”. The Hummingbird Project will be participating in the Capital Regional District/RPBO IMBD event on Saturday May 12th, 2012 at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park (9:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Beaver Lake Picnic Shelter). This is a great public outreach opportunity and we encourage everyone to join us or perhaps hold your own IMBD events.

A poster by Rafael Lopez celebrating the 20th anniversary of IMBD. It symbolized “ the joy, curiosity, and beauty of birds, while sharing the importance of community in bird conservation”.

http://birdday.org/birdday

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Feature Story - Nest Rescue This fascinating story was written by Eric Pittman, who has been the ‘nest finder extraordinaire’ behind the nesting project. He also supplied the beautiful photos. “The email had an urgent edge to it. Max was asking for help with regards to a hummingbird nest on his property. I helped him find it a week before and since then, he had developed a paternal interest and become quite protective of it. He named the chicks Cam and Camille, for the camellia bush they were in. When I arrived the next morning, it was obvious they were in distress. The nest had tipped nearly 90 degrees on its side from a windstorm and one of the chicks appeared A precarious position injured. Cam and Camille were hanging on for dear life and could not move around at all in the nest. This nest had been built upon an old one and was essentially a two story nest, much taller than normal and not as secure on the branch. We developed a plan which included cutting the branch and righting it by re-positioning it with zap straps in the tree. The chicks were only a few days from fledging and had a tight grip on the nest. They sat stoically during the procedure looking at us with anxious eyes and absolutely no movement. A hummingbird’s first line of defense is to be still, their next defense is to fly away. The chicks, not having any other options, sat still. The feet of hummingbird chicks have a natural default position of clenched claws. They only relax when the birds can flap their wings and are old enough to fly. This helps them stay in the nest during high winds and other upsetting events but makes them very vulnerable during this period of their development.

A bird in the hand Mother hummingbirds will often chatter away at potential threats to their nests in hopes of distracting or driving it away but Mama was sitting nearby without complaint. She knew things were not right. We successfully righted the nest and stepped back to see if Mama would be OK with it. We had observed her previously sitting on the side of the nest feeding the chicks that morning. Within minutes she returned to inspect the renovations and fed the chicks. Upright again

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Max and I congratulated each other and went on to feel good about ourselves until the next morning. Overnight, the nest had again been twisted by the wind and now the chicks were out of the nest sitting on the side of it like sailors on the hull of an overturned boat. Cam and Camille were obviously close to fledging and must have flapped hard enough to get to the top of the nest. Max and I discussed the plan and discovered that since the nest had been built upon an older one, the grip with which it was attached to the branch was very loose and unsecured. This time we would have to right the branch again and secure the nest to the branch. We decided on a course of action, but since it would be more involved than the previous day, we decided to remove the chicks while we worked. We got a box with a towel to place the chicks in and I placed my hand gently over one of them. This prompted Cam's first flight which luckily, was not very far. Simply by keeping my hand under him I was able to retrieve him as he landed on my finger. Buoyed by his success, he decided to fly again and once again flew to my waiting hand as I followed him. Again, before I could place him in the box, he flew once more, this time to a small cedar twig. Because of the Cam in the bush natural clenching of the feet we decided it was easier to simply break the cedar twig and place Cam into the box while he held onto it. Camille proved nearly as hard to manage because she refused to relax her grip on the nest. Unwilling to pull Camille off the nest and risk harming her feet, I placed my hand over her and cupped her while attempting to get her to flap and release. Finally after several minutes of persuasion, she flapped and let go, fluttering between my fingers to the ground where she sat unharmed and allowed us to place her in the box. After bracing the branch again and using clothespins to secure the nest from twisting, Cam and Camille cooperated fully and allowed us to place them back in the nest without fuss or bother. However, Cam held onto his cedar twig and we had to place him in the nest with it.

Camille being fed

Mama, during all this, sat in a bush watching quietly. Once we had returned the chicks to the nest and backed away, she quickly came to inspect it and give Cam and Camille a feeding. The birds seemed completely unfazed by the action and the next morning Cam flew off to the top of the bush. Camille remained in the nest four more days as she healed from some feather damage incurred during the windstorm. During that time, both got regular feedings from Mama and by the end of the week, they were healthy little hummingbirds and welcome additions to Max's back yard.”

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Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden Many hummingbirds will just pass through your garden, perhaps on their way to breeding grounds or on their return to wintering grounds. However, we can try to encourage them to spend longer and perhaps nest. The garden ‘attributes’ may include food, nesting sites and nesting materials. Hummingbirds need protein and carbohydrates in their diet. They find these by gleaning insects and drinking nectar, which can be either natural or artificial. Their nests require spider silk, soft materials and decoration (usually lichens and mosses), as well as suitable safe branches upon which to rest. How your garden matches up to the birds’ requirements can have a strong influence on your success. In the following section, we share some tips and advice to help you maximize your hummingbird attractiveness quotient.

Nesting Materials John Berry is a site host in the aptly-named Paradise Valley. As you can see from this photo, he encourages the birds to nest in his garden by providing nesting material in close proximity to the feeders. This way it may be found easily. John hangs bulrush heads, which contain tiny seeds produced the previous season. These seeds are held together by a soft downy parachute that aids their dispersal by wind. Clearly this female considers the down to be perfect insulation for her nest.

Female collecting bullrush down beside a feeder Photo courtesy of John Berry

Since nests are held together by spider silk, it may also be prudent to leave a few webs hanging, at least during the nest-building season.

Food Hummingbirds obtain protein by gleaning insects and spiders from the plants they visit. A garden that does not use pesticide is, therefore, far likelier to be attractive to hummingbirds and all sorts of other insect eaters. Allowing a natural food web to develop in your garden will not only provide a world of wonder, it can make it more desirable to birds. We often think of flowers as the major natural nectar source for hummingbirds and Agnes Lynn has provided an inspiring article for any budding gardeners. What we don’t often think about is where the birds feed when the flowers are not making nectar, such as at dawn and dusk. Yes, these are the times we see them at our feeders, but if you look closely, you will often find them at sapsucker holes. Next time you see that carefully arrayed set of holes on a tree – make note – it may be visited by hummingbirds too.

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Hummingbird Flowers by Agnes Lynn “I am often asked how I get so many hummingbirds to visit the garden. True, feeders with sugar water will get visitors to the garden but it’s all the plants that keep them coming back so faithfully. Mostly the hummers like red and orange flowers but in the winter they will go for the pink winter blooming Flowering Cherry and they also like the cream-coloured Winter Honeysuckle and the yellow Oregon Grape. In spring, they go for the native white Arbutus flowers and the creamy Twinberry. Two sure-fire early spring natives are the Flowering Red Currant and the dark pink Salmonberry. I even have a double Salmonberry that looks like a Rose. Don’t believe people who say the hummers don’t like double flowers. I see them on my Fuschia double hybrid Fuchsias that I keep out over the winter unless it Photo courtesy of Agnes Lynn gets really cold. I grow most of my Fuchsias as standards, trained as a tall single stem. This prevents the neighbour’s cats from catching the little gems. Shrub favourites for spring and summer are Weigela, Buddleia and Phygelius. Later in the summer, the Trumpet Vine is very popular. Buy the species, not the hybrid. Another favourite shrub that blooms for months starting in early spring is the pinkish red Grevillea Canberra Gem which needs a sheltered hot spot. I do make the odd exception for lower growing plants such as the Penstemons which are real hummer magnets. Try to get the taller varieties to keep them away from the cats. I even have an annual plant for the hummers. It’s the orange Cuphea, the Cigar Plant. It bloomed way into the fall for them. Of course, once you have the hummers in the garden, also keep those feeders clean and filled to keep them coming back.”

The Scoop on Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird plants provide sucrose to the birds and most ornithologists agree that the nectar in your feeders should be as close as possible to that provided by nature (~20% sugar). Recipe The best sugar solution can be made easily. Just boil 1 cup white table sugar (sucrose) with 4 cups water for 2 min, and then fill your feeder when it has cooled. Higher sugar concentrations, although enticing to the bird (think ice cream sundaes at every meal), have the potential to cause kidney damage and being sticky, make it difficult for the bird to preen.

Photo courtesy of Jane Brown

Some scientists think that the large water volumes obtained from nectar, may be necessary to assist with cooling. Imagine how much water you would go through flying out in the heat of a mid-summer’s day! NEVER use honey, brown sugar, icing sugar, juice or artificial sweetener!  Honey contains sugars that are less palatable to hummingbirds. Since it also ferments rapidly when diluted in water, honey can kill the birds.  Brown sugar contains molasses, but more importantly, it has 5X more iron than white sugar. Since iron is relatively rare in a hummingbird diet, its body hoards the metal, and it will be poisoned.  Commercial nectar preparations sometimes contain food colouring and sodium benzoate. Neither is necessary for feeding hummingbirds. Since questions have been raised about the long-term safety of these chemicals for hummingbirds, it might be better to err on the side of caution. After all, what the hummingbirds really enjoy is plain sugar and water!

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Research Conferences NAOC The 5th North American Ornithological Conference will be held at the University of British Columbia in August. The Hummingbird Project has submitted the following 3 poster abstracts to the conference: Nesting behaviour of resident Anna’s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) in Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia by Christina Lam et al. Nest composition and interspecific competition for nest site in Calypte anna and Selasphorus rufus by Tiffany Olsen et al. Swollen ankles: Can tarsal swelling be used to distinguish between Rufous Hummingbirds that are actively nesting and those that are passing through? By Alison Moran et al.

BCFO The BC Federation of Ornithologists meeting will be held in Princeton in June. Alison Moran has been invited to speak about the Hummingbird Project. Our Princeton bander, Sue Elwell, will be demonstrating hummingbird banding techniques for conference members.

New/Ongoing Studies The Pollen Project This study started last year and will continue in 2012. Banders collect pollen from the hummingbirds and transfer them to microscope slides for later analysis.

Hummingbird Nesting Project A Hummingbird Nesting Study started in February 2012 The Hummingbird Project is starting a number of long-term studies on hummingbird nesting. One will look at the behaviour of nesting female Anna’s and Rufous hummingbirds and a separate study will examine nest placement.

Tiffany Olsen preparing pollen slides

The team leaders are looking for volunteers and nest-finders Volunteers are needed for nest observation, video annotation and data entry. These studies are noninvasive, as birds are monitored from a distance. As nests are found, the study will be expanded into Capital Regional District (CRD) parks or private lands, but the first site is on the Matson Lands, which are a sensitive habitat and volunteers must respect the property and vegetation. Waivers must be signed and a membership to either RPBO or VNHS is necessary for participation in the direct observations. Please contact us if you find a nesting bird or an abandoned nest. Short data sheets will be made available for general data collection. More detailed observations will be performed on nests within assigned study areas. If Rocky Point Bird Observatory

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a nest is found within the study area, we will ask to arrange a meeting for a team leader to observe the nest directly. For more information you can contact Tiffany Olsen or Christina Lam ([email protected]).

Hummingbird Syrup Consumption Study by Mike Hoebel, Galiano Island Do you feed lots of hummingbirds? If you put out several hummingbird feeders each spring and summer, and the birds consume over one liter of syrup (1:4 sugar solution) per day at the height of the feeding season, then I would like to invite you to participate in a study. I am hoping to document the syrup consumption throughout the season in a number of locations in order to look for patterns of consumption related to spring migration, nesting, fledging of young, and late summer migration. Although syrup consumption is influenced by confounding variables such as the abundance of flowers in bloom locally, number of other nearby hummingbird feeder locations, wind-caused spillage, evaporative loss, competition from finches, bees, ants, etc., as a generalization the amount of syrup consumed at a feeder will be related to the number of hummingbirds visiting the feeder. Hence the syrup consumption is a rough measure of how many birds are in the vicinity at any given time. If enough data about syrup consumption can be collected from enough locations over a wide enough area, it should be possible to estimate relative hummingbird abundance as it varies from place to place, and from week to week through the season. The protocol that study participants will be asked to use is as follows: 1) on one day each week, fill your feeders, weigh them using a kitchen digital scale, and record the starting weights of each feeder 2) put your feeders out and let the birds feed for 24 hours 3) after 24 hours weigh all your feeders again, and record the finish weights of each feeder 4) subtract the finish weights from the starting weights to get the weight of syrup consumed per feeder 5) add the weights of syrup consumed to get the total weight of syrup consumed over the 24 hours at your location 6) record this total weight on the data form that will be provided 7) repeat the above procedure a week later, and every week through the feeding season, -- if possible on the same day each week If you are interested in participating in this study, please send me an email ([email protected]). Thank you!”

Stay Tuned Please check back with RPBO in the autumn. We will have lots of news in our end of season supplement. It will include some highlights from the season, updates on the scientific projects and wintering range maps determined by isotope studies.

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News from the Field Southern Gulf Islands Saltspring and Galiano In 2011, like many sites in BC and Alberta, Saltspring had a very poor year for Rufous hummingbirds. It was one of the areas that suffered most from the late spring and in some places, the Rufous return was less than 1% compared to normal. Although we did not catch many birds, it was important to go out and document their absence. Our disappointment was alleviated by the joy of seeing our site hosts, who are wonderful and spoil us. In 2011, we visited Bold Bluff, Hope Point and Annie’s Oceanfront B&B. Galiano was not so dramatically affected and the Team leader, Mike Hoebel, had success with a couple of north island sites, as well as his regular HMN site at Betty Kennedy’s.

Catching some rays on the Saltspring ferry

Bold Bluff At the south of the island, we enjoyed our visits with Tamar Griggs at Bold Bluff. She is at one with nature in that lovely cove and it is with great sadness that we heard that she is moving. We greatly appreciate her years of support for the Hummingbird Project and will miss seeing her every spring. Bold Bluff usually has a higher female to male ratio than other sites. Although numbers were very few, this pattern was seen again in 2011 and about a third of the birds were recaptures.

Tamar (second from right, standing next to Cam). Photo from 2010 season Thanks so much for supporting the Hummingbird Project for so many years Tamar. We will miss seeing you!

Enjoying ourselves while waiting for a hummingbird.

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Anne’s Oceanfront B&B At the north of the island, our site-hosts Rick and Ruth-Ann Broad, made us welcome as always. This site is usually abuzz with Rufous, and while there were birds here, the numbers were also down considerably. Thankfully, birds were caught every session and we recaptured some males and females from the year before. After the Victoria meeting, we made a trip over to Saltspring and were accompanied by a Vernon team member, Barb Harris, who not only helped band, she convinced her husband Colin to do the trapping. Yeah Barb!

Colin at work

Update by Andrea Panich..... “April 5, 2012. We had a successful banding day at Anne’s B&B on Saltspring Island to start off the migration season. Although the weather at the start of the day was questionable - the sun and the birds came through. We banded 37 new birds, had multiple same day recaps and 3 birds from previous years. To our excitement, we saw a male and female Anna’s and banded 10 Rufous females.

Rufous at the feeders Photo by Andrea Panich

A great day was completed enjoying Rick’s famous brownies!” (photo to left) Site host Rick Broad takes a turn at trapping for the first session of 2012

Hope Point Although we visited Hope Point a few times, we only captured one bird. This is a site where Rufous numbers traditionally resemble a swarm of bees. The contrast was very concerning. Our thanks to the site hosts (Dorothy and Dan), and all the team members, for their amazing level of patience and support in 2011. Our fingers are firmly crossed for a better (and hopefully more normal) return in the upcoming 2012 season. Dorothy – thank you.

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Galiano Island Mike Hoebel writes.... Hummingbird Banding Host Betty Kennedy “The Hummingbird Monitoring Network’s banding site on Galiano Island is located at Betty Kennedy’s beautiful home overlooking Active Pass. Betty has been feeding hummingbirds for many years, and Cam Finley started banding hummingbirds at her home in the 1990s. This work is carried on today by a dedicated crew of volunteers. One of the attractions of banding at Betty’s home is of course the number of birds and the amazing view, but I think what keeps volunteers coming back year after year is Betty’s wonderful hospitality. She is always cheerful, even when we have to start at 5:30 am, and she sees that we’re amply supplied with coffee, tea, and home-baked cookies or scones. Betty Kennedy Photo by Mike Hoebel Betty turns 90 this summer, and the Galiano banding crew is planning a celebration on one of our banding mornings to thank her, and to recognize how important she has been to our banding project. And of course we’ll all look forward to our annual end-of-season party on Betty’s deck in August!”

Southern Vancouver Island There are a number of banding locations in the Southern part of the island. Francis King Park is the only HMN site, but Goldstream Hatchery was also monitored every two weeks. Unscheduled banding occurs at Beaver Lake and this site is used for International Migratory Bird Day in May. Dave Lynn bands Anna’s at Ten-mile Point in Victoria every spring, Dave and Agnes and Cam Finlay host a successful hummingbird banding demonstration for the public. Rocky Point also captures hummingbirds during MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) and Migration. These banding sessions occur at Madrona Farm, Witty’s Lagoon and Rocky Point. Lynn Courville started a couple of new sites, Koksilah and McAlpine, in the Mill Bay/Shawnigan area. They were used for the 2011 Hummingbird Meeting and we are looking forward to following their hummingbird activity over the next few years.

Beaver Lake Public outreach is very important to the Hummingbird Project and so we were very pleased to participate in International Migratory Bird Day 2011, which was hosted as a joint CRD/RPBO event at Beaver Lake. The Hummingbird Project area was well attended and we enjoyed answering the multitude of questions. We also banded at this location a number of times, but to the disappointment of the watchers, no birds deigned to be caught at IMBD.

Activity at the IMBD hummingbird display Rocky Point Bird Observatory

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Francis King Park Ben McKinnon writes...... “Thank you to all the volunteers! We had a good year in 2011 at the Francis King Monitoring Station with 48 birds banded. We recaptured one female Rufous on April 3rd, 2011 that was first banded on the 18th of April, 2010 at Francis King. Another female Rufous banded May 30th, 2010 at our site was caught by the team at the North Vancouver Outdoor School in Brackendale, B.C. on May 25th, 2011.

The Forrester’s cabin at Francis King We are looking forward to another good year after a delayed start due to cold weather. We are also gaining access to the nature hut to conduct our banding, thanks to the generosity of the Capital Regional District. This should help with lighting while banding, as well as keeping the birds warm on cold mornings – and maybe even the volunteers too! A special thanks to Bryce, the resident warden, who stocks the feeders diligently.”

Coralroot. One of the lovely spring orchids enjoyed at Francis King Park

Goldstream Hatchery Banding continued at Goldstream Hatchery in 2011. Despite a poor return, we were glad to see a number of birds from previous seasons. It was also interesting to note that all 41 birds captured at the Hatchery were female.

Gail and Barb (front: Vernon team), Ron (Saskatchewan) and Andrea at the Hatchery As always, we were made very welcome by the Hatchery volunteers and our banding efforts were quite successful, especially when Art demonstrated his catching magic for us. Andrea enjoys a quick coffee – perhaps because Art (behind) wasn’t trapping? Rocky Point Bird Observatory

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Mill Bay/ Shawnigan As many of you may know, we have been hoping to develop some long-term sites in the Mill Bay / Shawnigan area. Lynn Courville kindly arranged two new sites, one a lovely river-side location called Koksilah, and an ocean-side location that was abundantly supplied with Anna’s.

Meeting participants band at the McAlpine site The two sites were visited on the second day of the Victoria meeting and provided participants with the opportunity to handle both species found locally. Lynn (left) and Sharon (right) busy making bands

More information about last year’s meeting can be found in the late-season Hummingbird newsletter supplement hosted at our web site www.rpbo.org

Mid-Vancouver Island There are a number of different mid-island sites. Port Alberni and Franklin Mill are HMN sites started by Stan Acton. As many of you know, he has been hoping to pass on the torch. In 2011, Stan and his wife Diane kept the Franklin Mill site going but not under the HMN protocol. Stan is very good about providing mentoring for other banders and we encourage mid-islanders to contact us if they are interested in helping at this site. Shirley Prince took over the Evans site in 2011 and her team has done very well in its first season. For the last two years, we have also appreciated the opportunity to band at Nanoose, at Tony Markle’s. Sadly, the Markles are planning to move this year. We hope that a new site may be found close by, to maintain our understanding of the area in the long term. For the 2012 season, the return appears to be underway. On the east side of the island at Nanoose, Tony Markle sighted his first Rufous on the 26th of March and reported numbers climbing to about 70 birds by the 6th of April. He had around 200 by our first banding session on April 14th, and almost all were gravid females. On the west side of the island in Port Alberni, Stan Acton had reports of Rufous as early as the beginning of March. However, he found that numbers only started to rise significantly in the first week of April. These arrival dates are relatively normal for the Rufous and it looks like the start of the season is progressing as expected.

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Franklin Mill Stan Acton and his wife Diane continued to run the Franklin Mill site in 2011 and we thank them for their great dedication to the Hummingbird Project.

Stan Acton writes..... “The most memorable moment of the 2011 season was the enthusiasm shown by my two young neighbours, ages 6 and 8. Also their help in trapping the birds and the questions they asked regarding the program. The season was somewhat slow starting and the young late in arriving, but it continued for about four weeks beyond what seemed the norm in past years. There was also the helping hands from the groups Alison brought in that had experience in parasite collection, and with the onsite exchange of ideas in banding and assessing the birds that was provided.”

Stan (left), Lindsay and Diane (trapping)

A note from Alison.... Overall, Franklin had a promising start to the season. Jessie Fanucchi and I joined Stan for the first session, to catch the early birds on their way north. It was exciting to see that almost a third of the birds were recaps. However, Franklin was one of the BC sites that was particularly strongly hit by the poor return, and a very few birds followed the early wave. Sadly, the banding team outnumbered the hummingbirds on a later trip. Unexpectedly, late season numbers rose to almost normal levels. Although this pattern was unusual, it was typical of reports received from many sites in BC. It will be particularly interesting to observe the population dynamics at this site in the 2012 season. Ready for action

Evan’s Despite battling some very unseasonable weather, Shirley Prince had a good season at the Evan’s. Although the first year at this site for Shirley and her team, Evan’s has been monitored for a number of years. This meant that the team had the excitement of recaptures from previous seasons. In fact, a 13.6% recapture rate – well done! Shirley has some new volunteers starting this season and we welcome them to the team.

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Lower Mainland There are a two HMN sites in the lower mainland, one on the top of Grouse Mountain led by Devin Manky and another in Coquitlam, run by Roy Teo. In addition, Roy has sites in the Coquitlam watershed, Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park and Campbell Valley Regional Park.

Widgeon Marsh Roy Teo shares some highlights... “With the arrival of the Rufous hummingbirds in mid-March, I am starting to fill with excitement in anticipation of the upcoming spring. For the past seven years, I have been fortunate to run a monitoring station at Widgeon Marsh Regional Park Reserve. Located an hour’s drive from downtown Vancouver, on the northwest reaches of the Lower Pitt River, it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As a result, our monitoring sessions over the years have become a therapeutic retreat of sorts - a place to set aside all worries for a few hours every two weeks. Toss in the presence of a few hundred hummingbirds, and it is pure bliss for any nature lover. The remoteness of the site, and the restricted access of a park reserve, however, does present some challenges. As much as I enjoy the tranquility of Widgeon Marsh, I would very much prefer to share the beauty of the site, and the spectacle of its hummingbirds with more people. Despite these challenges, we have tried our best to overcome them. Last year, we were able to host youths from Earthheads at one our monitoring sessions. The visit was made possible with the assistance of Kiyoshi Takahashi, who kindly agreed to meet the group at nearby Minnekhada Regional Park to escort them pass the reserve gate – did I mention that there is a 10 km drive on a gravel road just to get to the gate? However, I am sure Kiyoshi would agree that it was all worth it, having seen the excitement in the participants’ eyes, and the cheer in their voices. Because it is not always possible to accommodate groups at the site, our team has also made a concerted effort to do more public outreach away from it. This has included several banding demonstrations at Campbell Valley Regional Park and Stanley Park, as well as presentations to the Langley Field Naturalists and the White RockSurrey Naturalists Society. For the latter, I was able to put together a Powerpoint presentation thanks to Alison Moran, who graciously offered to share many of her slides, photos, and notes. Of the banding demonstrations, last year’s Stanley Park BioBlitz stood out as a highlight. We were able to engage an enthusiastic crowd with help of several very cooperative hummingbirds. The pace could not have gone any better with each bird coming exactly 15 minutes apart – what are the odds! This allowed me demonstrate the banding process without delay or haste. What’s more, we got to cap off a wonderful day with an evening of bat monitoring. I would like to thank Amy Thompson and Wallis Moore Reid for their assistance at the event, and Robyn Worcester of Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) for the invitation.

Rocky Point Bird Observatory

Hummingbird Banding Demo at Stanley Park BioBlitz, 2012. Photo by Peter Woods.

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Lastly, I would to thank Henry Epp, Rob and Pat Dean for hosting us at Widgeon Marsh; and all the volunteers who assisted with monitoring last year. I look forward to working with you all again in the season ahead.”

Hummingbird Banding Demo at Stanley Park BioBlitz , 2012. Photo by Peter Woods.

Sunshine Coast/ Squamish District The Hummingbird Project has three banding sites in this area, the North Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS), Chekamus and Paradise.

NVOS

Rufous male Photo: Victor Elderton

Although the North Vancouver Outdoor School has hosted banding for many years, this was their first year of independence. Gary Cotter and Victor Elderton had a very good first season. They re-trapped many birds from previous seasons and most excitingly, caught one bird banded by Ben McKinnon at Francis King, in 2010. They also banded at Chekamus and Paradise, John and Lloyd’s beautiful home in the Paradise Valley. The Rufous have just returned to the Valley and John Berry sighted his first of the season on April 4th.

Interior BC In the North Okanagan, Gail Loughridge runs two HMN sites; one is at Paul’s on Okanagan Lake and the other is at the Hammerl’s in Lumby. Gail also has a number of other sites around the region. In the southern interior, Linda Szymkowiak leads an HMN site at the Davie’s in Rossland and a non-scheduled site at the Molinard’s. In the Princeton area, Sue Elwell has a number of sites including White’s, Middleton’s, Crimmon's and Westridge. Susanne Maidment has three sites in the Fort Steele area and Curtis Culp bands at two sites in Dunster.

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Dunster Curtis Culp likes to collect our stars of the long-distance recap awards and this year was no exception. He bands in the valley between the Cariboo and Rocky mountains and many birds use this flyway for their southward migration. He had two star performers this year, E72645 and L29175. E72645 was banded as an adult male Rufous, at Dunster on May 9, 2009. He was recaptured twice by Curtis in 2010, on May 2 and 22. He was then re-captured on July 27th 2010 in the Davis mountains of west Texas by Kelly Bryan. Needless to say, Curtis was very happy to see him again on the 6th of May in 2011. L29175 was banded as a juvenile female Rufous on July 19, 2011. Fred Basset re-captured her on December 28, 2011 in Foley, Alabama. When not banding hummingbirds, Curtis is a farmer and he had a rather funny bear encounter earlier in the year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfWuIgeCTWk&feature=related

Princeton The Princeton team is starting its first independent season in 2012. We wish them great success. For a number of years, Cam and Joy Finlay have been visiting and training these new team members. They are under the leadership of our Princeton bander Sue Elwell. In 2011, this team not only had recap success stories, they also caught a hybrid (Rufous x calliope) - what a coup! We wish them great success in 2012.

The Princeton team at the Crimmon’s with Cam (far left)

Rossland The Rossland team leader Linda Szymkowiak writes..... “In Rossland, at an altitude of 3200 feet, it's snowing here on March 14th. We have close to 3 feet of snow on the ground and can only dream of spring! For the last week we have observed some returning Robins and Dark eyed Juncos. This snowfall may send them down to lower elevations where there is bare ground and more likely food for them. We can only hope for an easier spring for returning hummingbirds than what they experienced last year. If all goes well we will expect them to arrive the last week of April. Greetings to all HumMonNet teams and Happy Banding to those on the coast who may already have returning Rufus.”

Fort Steele Susanne Maidment has been banding in the Ft. Steele area for a number of years now. Like Rossland, this site is located in the south of the province and she captures a good number of Black-chins, in addition to Rufous and Calliope. Susanne is also starting to have recaptures from this area.

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North Okanagan Vernon Hummingbird Project leader Gail Loughridge, writes.... “The experts say that hummingbirds are site specific. And to a certain degree they are. They seem to come back to the same site here in B.C. to breed every year. We only had 3 returnees this year from previous years, not a large number. We also had another bird we banded on July 7th and recaptured him at the same site on August 6th. However, this year we have found a big difference in our bi-monthly HMN monitoring sites. The big question is WHY? We could suggest it was the cold wet spring when migrating or it could be habitat loss. Or, other unknown reasons. There have been a lot fewer birds on these sites than other sites I have monitored yearly since 2005, and some new sites added this year. It was a really slow start to the season this year and we got skunked a few times. And that was really disappointing. We did band 208 birds – 154 Calliope, 41 Rufous and 13 Blackchin (an all-time high for this area). Last year we banded 384 hummingbirds. We had new and exciting sites that produced the most hummingbirds to be banded and that was encouraging. Our most exciting news this year was a report from Fort Davis, Texas that one of our Vernon, B.C. birds banded 3 years ago was caught in July. This is exciting news as we now know that birds do travel through Texas from here to their wintering grounds. Also, the last 2 years a hummingbird banded in Dunster, B.C. was captured at the same place. Amazing birds! I would like to take this opportunity to thank the North Okanagan Naturalist Club for sponsoring this scientific based project. Without this support all this information and data would not be available. I would also like to thank the Humband Network Monitoring sites, the Paul’s and the Hammerl’s for allowing us to come to their homes so early in the morning, twice a month and band the wee birds. And finally, I would like to thank each and every volunteer new and old for their time and effort to make this yearly project possible. THANK YOU EVERYONE.”

Alberta, Kananaskis and the Lethbridge Research Centre Although we band primarily in BC, we have a few Alberta sites too. Susanne Maidment bands in Kananaskis and students from Edinburgh University band at the Lethbridge station with Andy Hurly and Sue Healy, as part of their PhD research activities. These banding activities are extending the scope of the Hummingbird Project and giving us a much better understanding of hummingbird population movements on both sides of the Rockies.

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Notice Board Hummingbird Cards

The well-known Vancouver Island photographer Mike Yip has generously let RPBO use a pair of his Rufous photographs for fundraising. On the back, there is information about Rufous hummingbirds and safe feeding instructions. The cards come in packs of 10 (5 males and 5 females) for $10. If you are interested in purchasing cards or selling them on behalf of RPBO, please contact Alison to arrange shipping etc. Mike Yip’s beautiful male (above) and female (below) Rufous photos

Our new cards

RPBO Items

For single purchases of fundraising items such as mugs and T-shirts, we have an online shop

at Zazzle.ca.

Interested in learning bird songs?

RPBO is now are an affiliate of Larkwire.com. If you purchase a license and use the coupon code “RPBO”, you will receive a 10% discount and Larkwire will send 20% of the purchase to RPBO.

Community Outreach

In addition to IMBD, Hummingbird Project team members speak at open days, community events and give talks to school children. Slideshow presentations and birding walks for your school or organization can be arranged by contacting [email protected].

In the Press In June, Barb Harris wrote a lovely piece about the Vernon Team’s work for the magazine North of 50°. The Fitzhugh Newspaper from Jasper, Alberta, also wrote a good article about Curtis’ recaps. http://www.fitzhugh.ca/newsflash/6003-pit-stop-on-the-hummingbird-highway

Data Entry and Management - Thanks Many thanks to Emily Barnwell for data entry last year. We are looking for volunteers to assist with data entry and project management in 2012. If you are interested, please contact Alison.

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Support A big thank you to all the volunteers (banding teams and hosts) that together dedicated the hundreds of hours it takes to make this project run. Volunteering is a gift of time and energy and this work could not be accomplished without you. Hummingbird Project volunteers did another fabulous job in 2011! A huge thank you also goes out to those who supported the project financially. Your contributions will make a great difference to our future. We wish to extend our gratitude and appreciation to those who donated funds to the project. Our thanks to Peggy Hunter and Janice MacNaught for their kind support. Please consider supporting the Hummingbird Project. As part of RPBO, the Hummingbird Project is entirely volunteer run. There are many ways to help, including by giving your time and expertise or by making a financial donation. To volunteer, please contact [email protected]. Donations made to support our projects are tax-deductible, but more importantly, allow us to continue and expand our activities. RPBO is a registered charity in Canada (Charitable organization number 869770123RR0001). For those looking to leave a lasting legacy, we have an endowment fund set up with the Victoria Foundation.

Banding Schedules and Volunteering Opportunities In 2012, we will continue to use the online volunteer scheduling system called ‘When to Help’. It has been a tremendously successful way of keeping track of what is on and who is coming. Visit When to Help to find upcoming banding times. Please contact [email protected] to find out about volunteer opportunities in your area and if you are covered by the online scheduling system. The Hummingbird Project has banding sites throughout many areas of BC, which covers much of the Rufous and Calliope breeding range, as well as the northern edge of the Black-chin and Anna’s breeding ranges. We also have a few sites in Alberta, which represent the easternmost extent of the breeding range for these birds. Many of our sites are sampled a number of times a season and we are continuing to expand our efforts in order to build a better picture of the hummingbird population across BC and into Alberta. Some of our BC banding teams have joined the Hummingbird Monitoring Network (HMN) efforts to monitor hummingbird populations every two weeks, according to a set protocol. HMN links scientists, citizens, land managers and property owners who are dedicated to the conservation of hummingbird diversity and abundance throughout the New World. HMN teams band in the US and BC, when hummingbirds are in their regions. The data we obtain are providing a continental overview of the ebb and flow of hummingbird populations as they migrate. For the 2012 season in BC, we have HMN monitoring teams in Southern Vancouver Island (1), Mid-Vancouver Island (2), Galiano Island, Grouse Mountain, Coquitlam, Vernon, Lumby, and Rossland.

Rocky Point Bird Observatory

HMN Monitoring Dates 2012 Thursday to Wednesday

Apr 5 - 11 Apr 19 - 25 May 3 - 9 May 17 - 23 May 31 - Jun 6 Jun 14 - Jun 20 Jun 28 - July 4 July 12 - 18 July 26 - Aug 1 Aug 9 - 15 Aug 23 - 29

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Team Leaders and Site Data for 2011 Susanne Maidment Caught 165 total (4 sites) Fort Steele Area, BC BRGR: 19 BCHU (19 new, 10 AHYF, 9 AHYM), 59 CAHU (54 new, 33 AHYF, 21 AHYM; 5 recaps, 4 AHYF, 1 AHYM ), 51 RUHU (50 new, 12 AHYF, 38 AHYM; 1 recap, 1 AHYM) E&R: 5 BCHU (5 new, 4 AHYF, 1 AHYM), 2 CAHU (2 new, 1 AHYF, 1 AHYM), 1 RUHU (1 new, 1 AHYM) S&P: 1 CAHU (1 new, 1 AHYF), 1 RUHU (1 new, 1 AHYF) Highwood Junction, AB: 17 RUHU(15 new, 10 AHYF, 5 AHYM; 2 recaps, 2 AHYM), 9 CAHU (8 new, 7 AHYF, 1 AHYM; 1 recap, 1 AHYF)

Kate Morgan Caught 13 total (1 site) Lethbridge Research Centre, AB: 13 RUHU (11 new, 11 AHYM; 2 recaps, 2 AHYM)

Mike Hoebel Caught 150 total (3 sites) Galiano, BC (HMN site): 2 ANHU (2 new, 1 AHYF, 1 HYF); 129 RUHU (109 new, 60 AHYF, 14 AHYM, 23 HYM, 12 HYF; 27 recaps, 20 AHYF, 7 AHYM) Galiano, BC (Fitzgerald): RUHU (9 new, 5 AHYF; 4 AHYM) Galiano, BC (Friedman): RUHU (11 new, 11 AHYF)

Linda Szymkowiak Caught 62 total (2 sites) Davies, Rossland, BC (HMN site): 4 RUHU (3 new, 2 AHYM, 1 AHYF; 1 recap, 1 AHYM); 30 CAHU (27 new, 4 AHYM, 16 AHYF; 5 HYM, 2 HYF; 3 recaps, 1 AHYM, 2 AHYF); 11 BCHU (11 new, 2 AHYF, 8 AHYM, 1 HYM) Molinaro, Rossland, BC: 2 RUHU (2 new, 2 AHYM); 11 CAHU (11 new, 8 AHYM, 3 AHYF); 4 BCHU (3 new, 1 AHYM, 2 AHYF; 1 recap, 1 AHYM)

Roy Teo Caught 353 total (6 sites) Widgeon Marsh, BC (HMN site): 307 RUHU (215 new, 42 AHYM, 127 AHYF; 24 HYM, 22 HYF; 92 recaps, 12 AHYM, 80 AHYF). JK, Vancouver BC (new site): 2 ANHU (2 new, 2 AHYM) Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, BC: 6 ANHU (6 new, 4 AHYM, 1 AHYF, 1 HYM; 2 recap, 2 AHYM). Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC (new site): 11 ANHU (10 new, 3 AHYM, 5 AHYF, 1 HYF, 1 HYU; 1 recaps, 1 AHYM) 6 RUHU (6 new, 6 AHYF). Campbell Valley Regional Park, Langley, BC (new site): 3 RUHU (3 new, 1 AHYF; 1 HYM, 1 HYF). Coquitlam Watershed, BC (new site): 30 RUHU (30 new, 5 AHYM, 9 AHYF; 14 HYM, 2 HYF).

Stan Acton Caught 308 total (1 site) Franklin Mill, BC (HMN site): 308 RUHU (267 new, 77 AHYM, 165 AHYF, 2 HYU, 23 HYF; 41 recap, 10 AHYM, 31 AHYF).

Shirley Prince Caught 90 total (1 site) Evans, Port Alberni, BC (HMN site): 88 RUHU (76 new, 12 AHYM, 53 AHYF, 8 HYF, 3 HYM; 12 recaps, Rocky Point Bird Observatory

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12 AHYF).

Ben McKinnon Caught 53 total Francis King Park, BC (HMN site): 53 RUHU (48 new, 14 AHYM, 32 AHYF, 2 HYF; 5 recap, 5 AHYF).

Devin Manky Caught 12 total Grouse Mountain, BC (HMN site): 12 RUHU (8 new, 8 AHYF; 4 recaps, 4 AHYF).

Gail Loughridge Caught 219 total (9 sites) Paul’s Okanagan Lake, BC (HMN site): 2 RUHU (2 new, 2 AHYF); 46 CAHU (40 new, 11 AHYM, 14 AHYF, 12 HYM, 3 HYF; 6 recap, 5 AHYM, 1 AHYF). Stockdale’s, Enderby, BC: 2 BCHU (2 new, 2 HYM); 5 CAHU (5 new, 2 AHYF, 22HYM, 1 HYF); 2 RUHU (2 new, 1 HYM, 1HYF). Belavista, Vernon, BC: 1 BCHU (1 new, 1 HYF); 2 RUHU (2 new, 2 HYF); 2 CAHU (2 new, 1 HYF, 1 HYM). Deerwood, Vernon, BC: 4 CAHU (4 new, 3 AHYF, 1 AHYM). Frederick, Vernon, BC: 3 RUHU (3 new, 3 AHYF); 21 CAHU (21 new, 9 AHYF, 8 HYM, 4 HYF). Lavington, Vernon, BC: 34 CAHU (34 new, 7 AHYM, 21 AHYF, 4 HYM, 2 HYF); 1 BCHU (1 new, 1 AHYM); 9 RUHU (9 new, 4 AHYM, 4 AHYF, 1 HYM). Martin, Vernon, BC: 19 CAHU (18 new, 5 AHYF, 13 AHYM; 1 recap, 1 AHYM). Christie, Vernon, BC: 7 CAHU (7 new, 4 AHYF, 3 HYM). Hammerl, Lumby, BC (HMN site): 27 CAHU (24 new, 2 AHYM, 15 AHYF, 6 HYM, 1 HYU; 3 recaps, 2 AHYF, 1 HYM); 9 BCHU (9 new, 5 AHYM, 2 HYF, 2 HYM); 24 RUHU (22 new, 17 AHYF, 3 HYM, 2 HYF; 2 recaps, 2 AHYF).

Victor Elderton and Gary Cotter Caught 114 total (3 sites) North Vancouver Outdoor School, Brackendale, BC: 93 RUHU (74 new, 65 AHYF, 7 AHYM, 1 HYM, 1 HYF; 19 recaps, 19 AHYF) Chekamus, Brackendale, BC: 18 RUHU (18 new, 11 AHYM, 7 AHYF) Paradise Rd, Brackendale, BC: 3 RUHU (3 new, 3 AHYF).

Curtis Culp Caught 240 total (2 sites) Curtis, Dunster, BC: 220 RUHU (202 new, 82 AHYM, 52 AHYF, 1 HYF, 67 HYU; 18 recaps, 4 AHYM, 14 AHYF). Andy, Dunster, BC: 20 RUHU (19 new, 19 AHYF; 1 recap, 1 AHYF).

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Alison Moran Caught 181 total (8 sites) Goldstream Hatchery, Vancouver Island, BC: 41 RUHU (36 new, 35 AHYF, 1 HYF; 5 recaps, 5 AHYF). Markle, Nanoose, Vancouver Island, BC: 36 RUHU (34 new, 21 AHYF, 8 HYM, 5 HYF; 2 recaps, 2AHYF). Anne’s B&B, Saltspring Island, BC: 61 RUHU (59 new, 22 AHYM, 28 AHYF, 5 HYM, 4 HYF; 2 recaps, 2 AHYF); 1 ANHU (1 new, 1 HYM). Hope Pt., Saltspring Island, BC: 1 RUHU (1 new, 1 AHYM). Bold Bluff, Saltspring Island, BC: 25 RUHU (16 new, 14 AHYF, 2 AHYM; 9 recaps, 3 AHYM, 6 AHYF). Beaver Lake, Vancouver Island, BC (new site): 2 RUHU (2 new, 2 AHYF). Koksilah, Vancouver Island, BC (new site): 5 RUHU (5 new, 5 AHYF). McAlpine, Vancouver Island, BC (new site): 4 ANHU (4 new, 1 AHYF, 3 AHYM); 5 RUHU (5 new, 4 AHYF, 1 AHYM).

Dave Lynn Caught 15 total Victoria, BC: 15 ANHU (13 new, 7 AHYF, 4 AHYM, 2 HYM; 2 recaps, 2 AHYF).

Sue Elwell Caught 64 total (3 sites) Jura, Princeton, BC: 6 RUHU (6 new, 3 AHYM, 3 AHYF); 14 CAHU (13 new, 5 AHYM, 8 AHYF; 1 recaps, 1 AHYM). Middleton’s, Princeton, BC: 6 RUHU (6 new, 4 AHYM, 2 AHYF); 7 CAHU (5 new, 1 AHYM, 4 AHYF; 2 recap, 1 AHYF, 1 AHYM). Westridge, Princeton, BC (new site): 12 RUHU (12 new, 8 AHYM, 4 AHYF); 18 CAHU (18 new, 6 AHYM, 12 AHYF); 1 UNHU (1 new AHYM Calliope x Rufous).

RPBO 44 ANHU and 83 RUHU during MAPS and 7 RUHU at fall migration.

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