A response from Mr. Dan Strickland

Read the first post here: http://realworldnumbers.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/tracking-bands-on-gray-jays-in-algonquin-park/

Hi Justin,

The jays Mr. Best photographed are members of the Arowhon family group who nest south of Arowhon Pines between the Arowhon road and Joe Lake (north of the old track). There may have been 5 birds in the group but his e-mail showed only three separate birds. ROSLPORR (Red Over Standard Left, Purple Over Red Right) was a nonbreeding extra attached to the breeding pair from fall 2008 up to the 2009 breeding season and is obviously still there. YOBLYOSR (3 photos of the same bird; Yellow over dark Blue Left, Yellow Over Standard Right) is the breeding male on the Arowhon territory and he is at least 13 years old. The third bird photographed is POSLTOTR (Purple Over Standard Left, lighT blue Over lighT blue Right) although I admit it looks very much like POSLWOWR (two white bands on the right leg instead of light blue). That bird was banded as a nestling in the 2009 Arowhon nest this past May 2nd.

Mr. Best says there were 5 birds and that he has other reference photos so I am asking him by copy of this e-mail to see if he can see any other colour band combinations and, if so, if he could forward the photos. I expect there should have been at least one other bird (the old or a replacement breeding female; last spring it was GOSLKOOR, namely dark Green Over Standard Left, pinK Over Orange Right). Also, if Mr. Best was not confused by the comings and goings of 4 birds, there should be yet another combination as well to make up his reported total of 5 different birds.

Thanks for sending this report and the photos to me and I look forward to any other information and photos Mr. Best may have.

Dan

Here’s the original gallery of crops… I need to make some more.  Some may not be so clear.