Tues, March 20, 2007

Bryan and Vince set up near the walk-in trap at the Mormon row lek before the dawn. The first grouse appear around 6:30am. All grouse stay near the western end of the lek and seem uninterested in or afraid of the trap.

Tom sets up at the MacCallester barn blind with a fresh deer leg next to the carcass. A piece of hide and a few bones were dragged out to the West the morning before and a dozen ravens feed on those instead of the bait. Of the 3 ravens that come to perch a moment above or near the bait, none are banded. Of the first 9 birds to come peck at the bones and hide, none are the GPS transmitter bird.

Bryan and Tom set up next to the NER sign with some Cheetos. Within 5 minutes, one bird of the pair begins to feed, possibly the female. The other bird, "Male," is chasing other ravens out of their territory. After about 15 minutes, the male comes and the two begin alternating coming to the bait and either eating or cashing cheetos. After 10 minutes of this both land on the bait at the same time and are captured. Derek and Vince join and the birds are sexed. The female was considerably lighter, had shorter measurements, and displayed the beginning of a brood patch. The male was fitted with a transmitter and released. While the male was being fitted, 5 ravens were mobbing the pairs nest, and only departed when the male was released.

Bryan and Tom check on MacCallester bait with no birds. Tom spots the Molten barns transmitter bird flying alongside the road near the Mormon row junction when he is wildlife viewing that afternoon. He also has to ask Wildlife Expeditions for directions to the local moose, thus disgracing himself and the project.

At 6am set up at Molton Lek w/ Brian in green tent. First SAGR heard at 645am about 100 ft south of the tent, HOLA heard around 630am. SAGR seen E, W, N, and S of blind but nobody in the direct vicinity of the trap. About 10 SAGR flew in at 9am 100 yards E of trap. Brian and I left the lek at 915am. Came back to the office and went to the dump to test fire net launcher that Derek fixed. 1200 pm I went to the lek to retrieve banding kit and net and drove to meet Brian, Derek, and Tom who had just captured M and F ravens at sign nest. Watched D and B band and put on the satt transmitter. During banding 6 ravens seen around sign nest fighting over the nest area. This activity continued most of the time during banding.