No new species were banded at Hilton Pond Center in 2002, but we did capture our second "winter vagrant" Rufous Hummingbird in September. After an exceedingly slow start, numbers of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds finally picked up in mid-August and we ended the season with a total of 186--our fourth best year and well above the annual average of 140.5 (details at An Unusual Hummingbird Year).

A record high was set for only two species at the Center in 2002. Our 65 Swainson's Thrushes eclipsed the old record of 62 set in 1994--interestingly, Gray-cheeked Thrushes tied an old record of 14 set in 1993--and an early January 2002 ice storm brought in three Rusty Blackbirds. The latter species had been banded only once before, 'way back in 1985.

As is typically the case, the most common birds in 2002 were our "winter finches," two of which also occur locally during other times of the year. We banded 474 House Finches (sixth best year and highest total since 1993, male at right), 420 American Goldfinches (third best year and most since 1993), and 317 Purple Finches from January through mid-April (above the 21-year average of 268), but migrant Pine Siskins continued to elude us with only four individuals banded after we averaged more than 200 each year throughout the 1980s. These four finch species made up 51% of all birds banded at the Center during 2002. Other species that exceeded 100 individuals for the year were Common Grackles (132, second only to 164 banded in 1983) and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (186).

Among the more "unusual" birds for Hilton Pond were our fifth- and sixth-ever Nashville Warblers. In a year of "sixes," we also caught our sixth-ever Lincoln's Sparrow and Winter Wren (left), plus our fourth Wilson's Warbler and eighth White-breasted Nuthatch.

In a considerable improvement over the past several years, 45 of 123 species either tied or exceeded the 21-year average at the Center. However, for the 19 species for which we have banded at least 400 individuals since 1982 (see below; click on chart for larger view), some show a downward trend that likely is significant over a 21-year span; this reduction may be due at least in part to local habitat changes but may reflect other problems. These birds include--among others--Blue Jays (nine banded in 2002, well below the 21-year average of 23), Northern Cardinals (69 banded instead of 82), and Eastern Towhees (19 vs. an average of 30).

Poor spring and fall migrations during 2002 again yielded disappointing numbers of wood warblers. Of the 35 species that have been banded locally, 15 do not appear at all in our 2002 banding totals, and nine others are represented by three or fewer individuals. Even Yellow-rumped Warblers--our most common parulid with an average of 91 banded annually--only totalled 27 for the year.

Because of late autumn knee surgery, our Northern Saw-whet Owl project was put on hold during Fall 2002. Only 14 of these rarities have ever been banded in South Carolina--nine of them at Hilton Pond Center (see NSWO Research). We plan to run nets at night in January 2003 to catch saw-whets.

All 123 species that have been banded at Hilton Pond Center are listed below, with numbers of individuals banded in 2002.

Click here for comprehensive 21-year totals (mid-1982 through 2002), and please send any comments or questions about this year's banding results to RESEARCH.