Fall 2000 Data From
Thunder Cape Bird Observatory

The twenty most common species banded at Thunder Cape
in the fall of 2000 compared to their previous fall totals.

Species	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992	1991
Northern Saw-whet Owl	350	642	311	392	216	263	400	110	48	61
Black-capped Chickadee	147	392	56	301	95	1879	166	930	331	310
American Redstart	140	118	114	100	269	239	255	247	532	217
Sharp-shinned Hawk	120	388	147	358	248	145	468	329	292	174
Tennessee Warbler	114	17	14	27	130	247	180	394	178	72
Dark-eyed Junco	101	156	216	1490	8	1332	16	391	38	456
Brown Creeper	90	44	41	38	34	69	40	91	75	130
Golden-crowned Kinglet	87	105	61	25	59	247	125	222	0	0
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	61	43	10	29	20	108	29	94	308	70
Black-throated Green Warbler	59	30	21	35	46	60	99	137	95	67
Savannah Sparrow	59	124	104	103	135	212	57	85	27	58
Magnolia Warbler	56	75	64	53	104	111	121	104	177	79
Northern Waterthrush	45	51	79	75	58	73	45	27	47	29
Song Sparrow	41	34	52	52	70	94	69	65	37	26
Nashville Warbler	40	74	39	77	152	150	209	266	120	142
Downy Woodpecker	40	19	24	15	5	186	33	126	515	102
Yellow-rumped Warbler	38	76	50	154	119	462	187	423	167	266
Black-backed Woodpecker	38	34	3	1	0	1	0	2	0	0
Western Palm Warbler	36	173	68	199	295	403	145	230	293	295
Cedar Waxwing	36	12	11	70	19	272	39	20	35	32
Fall banding total	2322	4063	2544	4480	3607	9209	4320	6520	4614	4427
Number of species & forms	89	100	88	92	85	101	86	99	90	92

This was the quietest fall to date. In total 2322 birds were banded, representing 89 species or forms. Total species or forms encountered were 161. The only rarities this season were Townsend Solitaires, but these are soon to be taken off the rare bird list for Northern Ontario as they are becoming a yearly sighting.

Though the most popular reason proposed at the cape for the lack of birds this year involved Nanibishu, the Sleeping Giant, somehow being offended by a volunteer (or warden) and subsequently blowing all the birds away from the Cape, a more plausible, though less satisfying, explanation (which doesn't necessarily exclude the first explanation) could be due to the unusually warm fall and many clear nights allowing for a rapid passage of migrants.

Even though the last few years at the Cape may look like the end of the world is near, we must remember that Thunder Cape represents a small piece of a bigger picture, since all information collected by the Cape and many other monitoring stations contributes to the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN). Analysis of the data accumulated by the CMMN can provide a better representation on how bird populations are doing.

Black-billed Cuckoo: one heard calling August 16
Merlin: one caught August 18, 5th capture for the Cape
Chimney Swift: one flew by August 21
Pine Warbler: one observed August 30
Northern Hawk Owl: banded October 28, first for the Cape
American White Pelican: 18 on September 1, 5 on September 2
Black-bellied Plover: one observed on beach September 12
Townsend's Solitaire: September 30, October 3, 10, and 21
Long-eared Owl: one caught September 24;
another flushed by a tree-climbing porcupine October 4
Gray Catbird: one banded on October 5 with 3 individuals counted,
another bird banded on October 6
American Woodcock: one landed on lawn October 6
Three-toed Woodpecker: individuals observed October 8, 10, and November 11
Bohemian Waxwing: one observed October 8, 5 observed October 21
Great Horned Owl: one heard the night of October 12, another seen November 11
Brown Thrasher: one banded October 14
Western Meadowlark: one caught on October 15
Northern Shrike: single individuals flew by on October 15, 19 and 24
Northern Cardinal: one male banded October 22 (3rd for the Cape),
a second seen November 11
Northern Hawk-Owl: one caught October 28, a first time capture for the Cape

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