From Intermountain Bird Observatory

September marks the height of migration season at Lucky Peak, and the excitement is in full swing across all three of our projects!

After a quiet August, songbird numbers and species diversity are climbing steadily, keeping our team on their toes. Flycatchers, warblers, sparrows, and adorable surprises like the Golden-crowned Kinglet are brightening everyone’s day.

Our owl banding crew is off to an incredible start, having already banded three species this season! Along with the usual Flammulated and Northern Saw-whet Owls, we were treated to a stunning Long-eared Owl-a rare and special visitor to our station.

And, to top it all off, Hannah, our lead trapper at Lucky Peak, had a moment every raptor bander dreams of-on Friday, she banded and released a magnificent young Golden Eagle!

Stay tuned for more on this incredible eagle story in an upcoming post. What thrilling discovery will our team make next? We hope you’ll join us at the peak soon to witness it firsthand!