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Fall 2012
Hannah Suthers
Not to be outdone by Hurricanes Irene and Floyd and the Oct 29 freak
wet snow storm last year, the massive Hurricane Sandy, twice the size
of Irene, with 90 MPH winds, made landfall over 900 square miles in New
Jersey this year on Oct 29-30 devastating the entire sweep of the NJ
shore and laying waste big old trees, especially pin oaks and pines,
inland. A Nor'easter roaring through the following week caused further
damage. The Featherbed Lane birds hunkered down successfully according
to high banding recaptures and censusing.
Otherwise, Fall was mild, Sept ranging from 40 low to 92 degrees
high, Oct from 39 low to78 high, Nov from 28 low to 64 high. Frost
did not appear until Nov 5, 18, 25 & week. A warbler flight occurred
at Sandy Hook on Aug 23, at Baldpate on Aug 29 (Magee), at Featherbed
Lane, Sept 26. Banding peaks were on Sept 16 (warblers), Oct 14
(thrushes, kinglets, sparrows), Oct 21 (Myrtle Warblers). The Catbird
migration was sparse. Grass seed and fruit set were poor due to the
spring drought and migratory birds did not linger.
Of 472 Fall banding encounters at Featherbed Lane Banding Station
398 were newly banded, 31 recaptured from previous weeks, 22 recaptured
from previous years, and 21 escaped. Species banded totaled 49 of
which 26 species were Neotropical migrants, 11 temperate migrants,
4 overwintering migrants and 8 residents. Censusing resulted in 35
additional species of which 5 species were Neotropical migrants, 10
temperate migrants, 1 winter and 2 irruptive species and 17 residents.
A total of 77 species used the area. The returns of note were a 9-year
old Black-capped Chickadee recaptured for the third time, a 5-year-old
hybrid Chickadee, 8-year and 6-year old Cardinals. The following list
is arranged according to migratory strategy. See how the dates have
shifted from when you are accustomed to seeing them, due to weather
changes.
Sighting (s) and banding (b) dates, (number of birds):
Neotropical (long distance) migrants:
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Sep 9 |
| Eastern Wood Pewee | b Sep 2 |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | b Sep 2 |
| Alder Flycatcher | b Sep 2 & 16 |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | Sep 4 |
| Willow Flycatcher | b Sep 23 |
| Veery | b Sep 2 |
| Swainson's Thrush | b Sep 16, s Sep 30 |
| Wood Thrush | b Sep 23, s Sep 30 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | b Sep 30 |
| Gray Catbird | b Sep 2 - Oct 14 (only 35) |
| Red-eyed Vireo | b Sep 16, s Sep 30 |
| Blue-headed Vireo | b Oct 14 |
| American Redstart | b Sep 2, s Oct 16 |
| Worm-eating Warbler | b Sep 2 |
| Common Yellowthroat | b Sep 2, s Oct 14 |
| Black-and-white Warbler | b Sep 9, 16, s Sep 30 |
| Blackburnian Warbler | s Sep 9 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | b Sep 9, s Sep 16 |
| Nashville Warbler | b Sep 9, s Sep 30 |
| Magnolia Warbler | b Sep 9, s Sep 23 |
| Connecticut Warbler | b Sep 9, 23 (2) |
| Northern Waterthrush | b Sep 9 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | b Sep 16, s Sep 23 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | b Sep 16, 30 |
| Ovenbird | b Sep 16, 23, s Sep 30 |
| Blackpoll Warbler | b Sep 23, s Sep 30 |
| Northern Parula | b Sep 30 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | b Oct 14 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Sep 16, 23 |
Temperate (short distance) migrants:
| Cooper's Hawk | Sep 30, Nov 19 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Sep 7, b Sep 23 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Nov 4 |
| Mourning Dove | throughout |
| Northern Flicker | throughout |
| Eastern Phoebe | b Sept 12, s Sep 16 |
| Blue Jay | throughout |
| Brown Creeper | b Oct 14, Nov 18 |
| House Wren | b Sep 2, s Sep 9, 23 |
| Winter Wren | b Nov 11 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | b Oct 14, s Nov 18 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | s Sep 16, b Oct 14, Nov 18 |
| American Robin | breeding population Sep 2 - 16 |
| Hermit Thrush | b Sep 16, Nov 18 |
| European Starling | Nov 4, 18 |
| Eastern Towhee | Sep 2 - Oct 14 |
| Chipping Sparrow | Sep 16, b Sep 30 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | b Oct 14 |
| Swamp Sparrow | b Oct 14, 21 |
| Fox Sparrow | Nov 11 |
| Common Grackle | Sep 9 |
Overwintering and irruptive migrants:
| Snow Goose | Sep 30 (15+ overhead) |
| Black-capped Chickadee | irr, b Nov 4 |
| American Robin | northern cline b Oct 21 |
| White-throated Sparrow | b Sep 30 ff |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) | b Oct 14 ff |
| Purple Finch | Oct 14 |
| Pine Siskins | irr, Oct 14 (20), 26 (dozens), 28 (12+)
(b Nov 2 (15) at 4 View Point Drive) |
Residents throughout:
| Canada Goose | flocks over |
| Black Vulture | Oct 28, Nov 4 |
| Turkey Vulture | |
| Vulture roost at Hart Ave. | both spp over 100 birds |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Sep 16, Nov 11 |
| Wild Turkey | Sept 2 |
| Eastern Screech Owl | Sep 23, Oct 23 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | |
| Downy Woodpecker | b Oct 21 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | |
| American Crow | |
| Fish Crow | Sep 16, Oct 7, 14, 24, 28 |
| Carolina Chickadee | b Sep 5 |
| Black-capped X Carolina Chickadee hybrid | b Oct 23, Nov 20 |
| Tufted Titmouse | b Sep 16, 30, Oct 14, 21, Nov 2 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | b Oct 14 |
| Carolina Wren | b Sep 5, Oct 2 |
| Eastern Bluebird | Sep 9 pair with 2 fledglings |
| Northern Mockingbird | Oct 20, 24, Nov 8 |
| Cedar Waxwing | Sep 18, Nov 2 |
| Northern Cardinal | b Sep 23, Oct 21 |
| Song Sparrow | b Sep 2, Oct 14 |
| House Finch | |
| American Goldfinch | |
| House Sparrow | |
Hannah Suthers and the Featherbed Lane Banding Station Crew
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