Máistir Nádúraí: Meek Road Great Gray Owl Banded

3.18.2005

Meek Road Great Gray Owl Banded

The Meek Road Great Gray Owl was recently banded by Dennis Haessly and Richard Smallwood-Roberts. Kris Kesselhon was also on hand (seen holding owl below).

Richard writes: "More than likely male, wing chord (unflattened) of 410mm, tail 270mm and very abraded, three generations of primaries - some very old, several with fault bars, 1.5 years old, or in banding terms a Third Year bird (TY) (spring/summer of 2003)

2003 = HY (1st Year)
January 1st, 2004 = SY (he did a partial molt of flight feathers in 2004)
January 1st, 2005 = TY

The owl is very healthy and has been eating well (MAPS scale 3 for fat, not bad), including the snack I gave him afterwards which he gulped down in about a minute."

Here are some photographs of owl taken during the banding process:

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow00.jpg

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow01.jpg

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow02.jpg

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow03.jpg

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow04.jpg

http://www.birddigiscoper.com/bandggow05.jpg

Above images © 2005 Richard Smallwood-Roberts.

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range firearms. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry and has more binoculars than you.