Under the auspices of the Center for Conservation Biology, David Whalen and his assistants monitored the migration of the Northern Saw-whet owl at three sites, near the tip of the Eastern Shore, including Kiptopeke.
The results were fascinating. Because the tiny Saw-whets are so secretive during winter, little was known about the southern limit of their winter range. It was believed that they did not migrate as far as the mid-Atlantic states. We know more now! One thousand seven Saw-whets were caught, banded and released. Thirty individuals had previously been trapped at stations to the north including Cape May and Assateague island. The large numbers captured mirror the experience of banders at stations north of Virginia, demonstrating that this was clearly an invasion year of astonishing proportions. David writes that "the density of Saw-whets was so great at times that vocalizations could be heard throughout the woods."
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