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Breeding Season 2003
Hannah Suthers
The 2003 breeding season at Featherbed Lane, Hopewell,
started out wet and cold. The late appearance of fledglings indicated
that early nesting for the most part failed, and birds re-nested. There
was ample rain throughout, and some record hot days. Great-horned Owl,
Screech Owl, Red-tailed Hawk and Pileated Woodpecker were down to 1
pair each from 2 pairs each last year, possibly because of the February
blizzard. Crow numbers held but Blue Jay numbers dropped from 22 terr
to 16. Other woodpecker breeding numbers remained essentially the
same, likewise chickadees and titmice. But White-breasted Nuthatches
were down from 13 pairs last year to 7, Carolina Wrens down from 11
pairs to 5, and Mockingbirds down from 6 pairs to 3. Ovenbirds had a
very productive year, 27 territories (terr) and 27 fledglings banded,
perhaps because of the lush ground cover and absence of a feral cat.
Highlights of the 62 species of terr males and proofs of breeding are
as follows:
| Great Blue Heron | pair flyover in May and June |
| Turkey Vultures | 2 pair present throughout |
| Red-tailed Hawk | fledgling July 10, Aug 2 |
| Ruffed Grouse | flushed 6 times June-Aug |
| Wild Turkey | with about 20 poults mid June, flock of mixed ages 24 July |
| Chimney Swifts | observed throughout in Hopewell Borough, flyovers Featherbed Lane in June |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | came to a nearby feeder regularly |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | numbers, 19 terr |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 3 terr, distraction behavior June 8 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 7 terr, 5 fledglings banded June 29-July 27 |
| Yellow-shafted Flicker | 6 terr |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 3 terr, female with brood patch captured May 18, another June 9 |
| Eastern Wood Pewee | 5 terr |
| Eastern Phoebe | 2 nests |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | 2 migrants banded Aug 25 |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | 9 terr, fledgling July 6 |
| Warbling Vireo | 2 terr at adjacent farm |
| Red-eyed Vireo | 25 terr, females with brood patches banded June 6 (2), June 15, fledgling July 6 |
| Barn Swallow | 4 pairs, 20 fledglings of 2 broods |
| Hybrid Chickadee | fledgling banded July 27 |
| Carolina Chickadee | fledgling banded July 27 |
| House Wrens | 6 terr, fledgling banded July 20 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 4 terr, fledglings with parents |
| Eastern Bluebird | 2 pr using nest boxes |
| Veery | 20 terr, fledgling banded Aug 21 |
| Woodthrush | 29 terr, 18 fledglings banded June 29-Aug 24 |
| American Robin | 46 terr, nest raided by a Crow, June 9, Robins, Gray Catbirds, Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinal mobbing the Crow |
| Brown Thrasher | observed June 16, 18 |
| Gray Catbird | our most abundant bird, 59 terr, 39 fledglings banded from 4 nestings June 25-Aug 24 |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 3 terr, two fledglings with male banded June 25 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | 11 terr, distraction display June 14 |
| Yellow Warbler | 7 terr |
| American Redstart | observed July 24, two hatch-years banded Aug 21 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | singing at a running brook June 8 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 37 terr, 9 fledglings banded on July 21 and thereafter |
| Canada Warbler | banded on Aug 21, two on Aug 24 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | banded two on Aug 24 |
| Scarlet Tanager | 8 terr |
| Eastern Towhee | 33 terr, fledglings Aug 7 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 6 terr |
| Field Sparrow | 3 terr |
| Song Sparrow | 6 terr |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 14 terr, banded brooding female May 18, male July 13, July 20 |
| Northern Cardinal | 38 terr, banded 5 fledglings in August |
| Indigo Bunting | 2 terr |
| House Finch | 6 terr |
| American Goldfinch | 6 terr, fledglings mid Aug |
| Northern Oriole | 14 terr, fledgling calling June 14 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 7 terr, banded pair June 15; fledgling seen June 15 |
Hannah Suthers and the Featherbed Lane Banding Station Crew
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