Fall Season 2008 |
Hannah Suthers |
Dry periods in July and the August drought resulted in less than usual wild fruit yields.
Hurricane Hanna came through on 6 September. Tropical Storm Ike followed on 13 September and blew some migrants to western England and Ireland. Migrants poured through between 16-18 September. Tropical Storm Kyle came through on 25-27 September. Migration peaks were reflected in the mist nets four out of 11 weekends of banding from 31 Aug-16 Nov. The fall being unusually warm, low temperatures did not reach freezing until the third week in November and we cancelled banding on 23 Nov.
Of 518 encounters there were 443 newly banded, 59 recaptured from previous banding, and 16 unbanded escapees. Forty five species were banded, two more species not banded, 34 more seen, totaling 81 species, of which 31 species were Neotropical migrants, 26 species temperate migrants and 24 species residents. Four flycatcher species, 4 thrush, 13 warbler, 2 finch and 6 sparrow species were banded. White-throated Sparrows age 4 and 5 years returned. Most Chickadees were Carolina x Black-capped hybrids. A 4-year-old apparent Black-capped Chickadee banded in 2005 returned for the winter. A 5-year-old apparent Carolina Chickadee banded in 2004 was recaptured. Two 'pure' Black-capped Chickadees come south to overwinter were banded on 16 Nov. Feather samples and cloacal swabs were taken on 100 birds for the UCLA/NIH Avian Flu Project.
Sighting and banding highlights, dates, (number of birds):
Common Name | Count & Comments |
Great Blue Heron | in residental retention pond, Nov |
Black Vulture | 9 Nov |
Turkey Vulture | throughout |
Cooper's Hawk | escaped net 12 Oct; seen 9, 23 Nov |
Red-tailed Hawk | throughout |
Wild Turkey | (30) taped on surveillance camera 2 Nov |
Eastern Screech Owl | pair calling throughout |
Great Horned Owl | calling 29 Sept; seen end Nov |
Ruby-throated Hummingbird | released from net 21, 29 Sept |
Red-bellied Woodpecker | throughout |
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 26 Oct, 28 Nov |
Hairy Woodpecker | 12 Oct, 28 Nov |
Downy Woodpecker | throughout |
Common Flicker | banded 7, 29 Sept (3); 2 Nov |
Pileated Woodpecker | throughout |
Eastern Wood Pewee | banded 7 Sept |
Traill's Flycatcher | banded 7 Sept |
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | banded 14 Sept |
Alder Flycatcher | banded 21 Sept |
Great-crested Flycatcher | last seen 7 Sept |
Common Raven | overhead 12, 19 Oct |
Hybrid Chickadee | banded 12 Oct |
Carolina Chickadee | banded 26 Oct |
Black-capped Chickadee | banded 16 Nov (2) |
Eastern Tufted Titmouse | banded 19 Oct (2); 2 Nov (2) |
Red-breasted Nuthatch | 21 Sept; end Nov |
Winter Wren | 26 Oct, 23 Nov |
Golden-crowned Kinglet | banded 26 Oct; 2, 16 Nov |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | banded in Oct (12); Nov (5) |
Eastern Bluebird | throughout |
Hermit Thrush | banded 12 Oct (2); 19 Oct (13); 9 Nov (2) |
Gray Catbird | (72) last banded 29 Sept |
Cedar Waxwings | 7 Sept, 26 Oct, 4 Nov |
White-eyed Vireo | banded 14 Sept |
Philadelphia Vireo | banded 29 Sept, 12 Oct |
Black-and-white Warbler | banded 14 Sept (3) |
Nashville Warbler | 8 Sept, banded 29 Sept |
Northern Parula | banded 14 Sept |
Magnolia Warbler | banded 14, 21 Sept (4) |
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | banded (41) 12 Oct; 2 Nov |
Black-throated Green Warbler | 21 Sept |
Black-throated Blue Warbler | banded 29 Sept; 12 Oct; escaped 19 Oct |
Yellow Palm Warbler | banded 12 Oct |
Ovenbird | last banded 14 Sept |
Northern Waterthrush | banded 29 Sept |
Common Yellowthroat | last banded 29 Oct |
Connecticut Warbler | banded 14 Sept, 12 Oct |
American Redstart | last banded 14 Sept (6) |
Scarlet Tanager | banded 14 Sept; last seen 21 Sept |
Purple Finch | banded 2 Nov (5) |
House Finch | throughout |
Pine Siskins | 2 Nov |
Northern Cardinal | throughout, banded (21) |
Rose-breasted Grosbeak | last seen 29 Sept |
Eastern Towhee | last heard 12 Oct |
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) | 12 Oct; banded 2 Nov (18) |
Chipping Sparrow | last seen 21 Sept |
Field Sparrow | banded 9 Nov |
American Tree Sparrow | first seen 29 Nov |
White-throated Sparrow | banded (56) Oct 12-16 Nov |
Fox Sparrow | banded 2 Nov |
Swamp Sparrow | (11) banded 12, 26 Oct |
Song Sparrow | throughout, banded 19, 26 Oct; 9 Nov |