SLOW GOING IN DECEMBER,
BUT INTERESTING RETURNS AND ANOTHER BIG MILESTONE

The first three weeks of December 2023 were extremely slow for bird banding at Hilton Pond Center; winter finches had not arrived and despite near-daily deployment of mist nets few other birds were captured by comparison to previous years. It's not unusual for our first Purple Finches to wait until after the first of January to appear, so we're hopeful that will happen--even though this winter is not predicted to bring a particularly significant finch irruption in the southeastern U.S.

Speaking of winter migrants, each autumn millions of Yellow-rumped (formerly Myrtle) Warblers--better known as "Butterbutts"--depart breeding grounds in the northeastern U.S. and most of Canada and descend upon more temperate (even tropical) portions of North America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Some cold-hardy individuals hang as far north as the Great Lakes and Newfoundland. Most years we get good numbers of them at Hilton Pond--they are our seventh most commonly banded species with 2,754 in 42 years--and this winter looks like a good one with nearly a hundred handled locally through early December.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

On 6 December while running mist nets at the Center we banded four new Yellow-rumped Warblers but were much more intrigued to capture one with a band already on its leg (above). A quick check of the number revealed we caught this bird as a youngster back on 23 December 2021, making it now a third-year individual. This was exciting because we almost never recapture Butterbutts from previous winters AND because this was now the oldest of its species we've observed at Hilton Pond. For a bird that may have flown a thousand miles one-way, we view this as a remarkable demonstration of site fidelity.

Equally amazing, at the very next net check we caught ANOTHER already banded Yellow-rumped Warbler--one whose number showed it was originally recaptured just two days before the previous bird and was also in its third year!

Did these warblers arrive together at Hilton Pond three years ago prior to getting banded? Have they traveled together since, perhaps nesting in the same location up north before returning to a familiar wintering ground that is our tiny 11-acre property in the South Carolina Piedmont? It's a fascinating question for which we'll likely never get an answer, but it's still fun to speculate on and marvel over the life history of these phenomenal long-distance migrants with yellow rumps.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

79,000--AND COUNTING

Cedar Waxwings (CEDW) are more common than usual this fall at Hilton Pond, where they're dining on dried up Pokeweed fruit and berries from namesake Eastern Red Cedars. On average over the past 42 years we've banded eight annually and already have 20 in 2023. One (see photo) captured on 9 December was kinda special because it was the 79,000th bird banded at the Center since 1982!

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

Based on overall plumage, this particular waxwing was an adult and we determined it was male because of extensive dark coloring on its throat. Many waxwings we band--especially youngsters--lack red waxy tips on their secondary wing feathers, but this one had three that were barely visible--one on the left and two on the right.

Cedar Waxwings are considered "nomadic" in that they wander in flocks from place to place during the non-breeding season, always looking for berries on trees, shrubs, and vines. Those that eat fruit from native species have yellow tail tips, while nestlings whose parents feed them berries from non-native plants like Tatarian Honeysuckle (and perhaps Pyracantha) typically end up with orange tips.

In winter CEDW occur throughout the continental U.S, Mexico, and Central America, with a summer breeding range across the U.S. northern tier (north of South Carolina) into southern Canada. South Carolina does have scattered breeding records and the species may nest more commonly in the Carolina Piedmont than is understood. Where Cedar Waxwings DO breed they are sometimes "semi-colonial" nesters, with two or more pairs in the same large tree.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

FIRST PURPLE FINCH

Hilton Pond Center got its first Purple Finch (below) of the new winter season on the morning of 20 December 2023 The last one observed this year was back on 30 March.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

If history is an indicator, Purple Finches (PUFI) will continue to dribble for the rest of the winter, giving us a total of a few hundred banded before they depart in March or April. In five winters (see chart below)--we had no PUFI at all--while in seven others the banding total exceed 500.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center
(Click on chart above for a larger version in a new browser window)

The winter of 2003-04 must have been preceded by a very good Purple Finch breeding season followed by a collapse of winter food sources up north, bringing 1,056 individuals to our banding table. Every year is different, so it remains to be seen whether we'll get a ton more seed-gobbling PUFI in the winter of 2023-24 at Hilton Pond Center.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

HILTON POND SUNSETS
(from our on-going series)

"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise
or too busy to watch the sunset." --BHjr

Sunset over Hilton Pond, 04 December 2023

With crystal-clear skies this evening, I wandered a ways up
the road that runs in front of the old farmhouse to look
back at our property across a neighboring field. From
there I could see a sunset suitable for The Goddess,
my one and only, whose natal date was today in 1948.

Sunset over Hilton Pond, 20 December 2023

It's almost winter. Contrails, as usual when it's clear and
cold and humid at flying altitude.

Sunset over Hilton Pond, 21 December 2023

The Winter Solstice arrived in the Northern Hemisphere.
No spectacular sky tonight, just the promise that days will
start getting longer as the Sun appears to creep back north.

All text, maps, charts & photos © Hilton Pond Center

Don't forget to scroll down for lists of Hilton Pond supporters and of all birds banded and recaptured during the period.

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