June 16, 2003, twenty-one nestling Great Egrets (one more than last year)
were banded at
the heron colony on Motor Island on the Niagara River by Dr. D. V. Chip
Weseloh, Wildlife Biologist for
Canadian Wildlife Service-Ontario Region, Mark Kandel, Senior Wildlife
Biologist, John
Curtis, Senior Wildlife Technician, both of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation, and myself.
Once again I will be asking for birders to look for Great Egrets with RED
BANDS WITH WHITE LETTER-NUMBERS ABOVE THE KNEE OF THE LEFT LEG
AND THE TRADITIONAL ALUMINUM BAND ABOVE THE ANKLE OF THE
RIGHT LEG. The band code on the red band can usually be read with a spotting
scope as
the letter numbers are nearly an inch high.
Last year these birds were observed on July 27 and 31 at Cuylerville
Greenway
Pond in Livingston County, New York, by Jim Kimball, on August 8 at Como Park
in Lancaster, New
York, on August 26 at Conneaut Harbor, Ohio, on September 1 and 2 at Montezuma
NWR, and two were observed at the same location September 23. Oddly, no one
reported
any of them at Iroquois NWR.
This year the nestling egrets were generally younger and had a wider
variety of
ages. One of the nestling was so mature, that it could not be caught and
banded. Others
were too young to be banded. One nest contained two recently hatched
nestlings and
three eggs. The oldest of the banded birds should start fledging at the end
of June and
Buffalo Ornithological Society member should start looking for them in
Western New
York and Ontario near the Niagara River. During July, some fledglings will
stop using
Motor Island for a night roost and start their summer dispersal. Many of the
adults started
their post breeding dispersal at the end of June this year. Now in August the
banded fledgling should be widely dispersed.
If you see any, please, if possible record the letter(s) and number(s).
Report all
sighting of Great Egret with red color bands to at least one of the following
locations.
D. V. Chip Weseloh
Canadian Wildlife Service-Ontario Region
4905 Dufferin St.
Downsview, Ontario
M3H 5T4
Phone: 416-739-5846
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
and/or
Mark Kandel
NYSDEC
270 Michigan Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone (716) 851-7010
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I would like to know of any sightings also.
Bill Watson
Tonawanda, NY
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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