Sommer Park Preserve, Hopewell, New Jersey

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):