XXXXXX


- Established 1982 -

HOME: www.hiltonpond.org

THIS WEEK at HILTON POND
22-30 November 2021

Installment #758---Visitor #hit counter

Subscribe for free to our award-winning nature newsletter

(Back to Preceding Week; on to Next Week)


Join Us for the
31st Annual
York/Rock Hill
Christmas Bird Count

18 December 2021
(Click on link above for
more information.)


--GivingTuesday Fundraiser--

Until 15 December Facebook/Meta will match donations to Hilton Pond Center and Operation RubyThroat via the link below. Last year our Facebook friends raised $3,750 through GivingTuesday. Can we match or beat that level in 2021?

GIVINGTUESDAY



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

HOW MANY CHICKADEES?

If you put out seeds for birds and live anywhere in the U.S. south of Pennsylvania and east of the Great Plains, you very likely have Carolina Chickadees (CACH) at your feeders (see map below). These tiny black and white and gray dynamos zoom in to grab a single sunflower seed and are off in a instant--only to return a minute or two later in a repeat performance. But wait! Did that first CACH actually come back, or was it a look-alike cousin demonstrating similar behavior? Could it be you have more chickadees than you think? That was the question that came to mind this week as we watched Carolina Chickadee activity at a tube feeder outside our old farmhouse at Hilton Pond Center.

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

Most mornings we see at least one Carolina Chickadee snatching seeds. Some days there seem to be two birds alternating visits. Occasionally we spot as many as four chickadees at one time, so four CACH is the number we report almost daily to eBird--the on-line survey of avifauna operated by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Even so, we've always suspected the population is larger than that.

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

Accurately estimating population sizes for free-flying wild birds is difficult at best. Our attempt to determine how many Carolina Chickadees we have is complicated because their sexes are monomorphic and they all look pretty much alike to human eyes. However, there may be some rules of thumb we can use for various species. Based on nearly four decades of research with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (RTHU),at several U.S. locales, we concluded most backyard feeding stations can have, on average, as many as three or four times as many RTHU as homeowners think. (Some stations, of course, will have hummers in ratios more or less than that.) We've been able to arrive at that estimate because we band and recapture hummers and get a more accurate count than by simply watching sugar water feeders through a window. We decided to apply this same cap/recap procedure to determine just how many Carolina Chickadees we're hosting this fall at Hilton Pond.

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

We caught our first CACH at the Center 'way back on on 3 October 1982 (see chart above) and in 40 years since have banded a total of 714--our 17th most common local species. On average we capture 18 per year and recapture quite a few--the latter not surprising since we've had banded chickadees live into at least their eighth year. However, knowing we've hosted 700-plus CACH over the long haul doesn’t tell us how many we have right now, so to get a better estimate of the current chickadee population we looked at capture-recapture numbers just for the latest two-month period (October through November 2021).

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

Since 1 October this year we've banded six "new" Carolina Chickadees, probably participants in what we like to call the "fall shuffle." (Since CACH are non-migratory, these newly captured birds--all young of the year--undoubtedly were produced somewhere nearby but off-property and eventually wandered into our mist nets. A fall shuffle, common among non-migrant species, helps minimize inbreeding and enables a shuffler's genes to be disseminated over a wider area. To that end, it's likely some chickadee chicks fledged and banded at the Center this past spring and summer shuffled away prior to 1 October.)

All but one of this week's six new captures were recaptured at least once this fall--a good sign they are on premises and frequenting Hilton Pond feeders. They'll likely stay, at least until a possible "spring shuffle" when some chickadees go looking for relatively scarce nesting cavities and establish off-site breeding territories.

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

Of perhaps more significance than the new captures, during the past two months we recaptured 16 "old" Carolina Chickadees--all of which have been in our nets or traps numerous times through the years. (The eldest was a male banded as an adult in June 2014, putting him in his eighth year--a local record.) Thus, if we add our six new CACH to the 16 old-timers, it seems the current local population is at least 22--nearly six times the maximum four we see visiting Center feeders.

Does our recent analysis suggest you have 10-12 Carolina Chickadees if you see two at your feeder? Probably not, for several reasons. For one, our results from October and November 2021 are a one-time effort; some years we may have more chickadees, some years less. Furthermore, 11-acre Hilton Pond Center is likely different from many urban and suburban backyards in terms of size, diverse habitats, and a well-established (40-year) feeding station. In any case, we'll bet you DO host more CACH than you can count as they parade constantly to and from your feeder--undoubtedly grabbing a single sunflower seed before caching it in some nearby hiding space. It's what Carolina Chickadees do and the circus is fun to watch--no matter how many birds you have.

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



A LOCALLY RARE RUSTY-COLORED SPARROW

Our "most unusual" capture at Hilton Pond Center during the last ten days of November 2021 was a Fox Sparrow (FOSP), one of our favorite members of the Passerellidae (a "new" family for the New World Sparrows). FOSP are BIG sparrows--at 6¼" in length they're noticeably larger than streak-breasted Song Sparrows (5½") with which they’re often confused--and they absolutely dwarf American Goldfinches (4¼") they sometimes associate with at feeders (see photo below from a past winter).

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

Fox Sparrows take their name from the Red Fox-like coloring of their body feathers, although western races tend to be grayish. Their breasts are heavily streaked and they bear a big rusty cheek patch bordered in gray, a white eye ring, and a distinctive large bill that is at least partly yellow (see below). The rump and rusty tail are usually the brightest plumage. FOSP are ground-foragers--we've never observed one at an elevated feeder--using stout legs to scratch through leaf litter and seed refuse.

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

The Fox Sparrow we banded this week was just our 47th in 40 years. All have been captured in fall or winter when they migrate down from breeding grounds in northern Canada and Alaska. (Hilton Pond Center's early and late dates: 26 Oct 1994 and 20 March 1984.) If you want this species in your yard, maintain thickets and brush piles near your feeding station. (One can NEVER have too many brush piles.)

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

Don't forget to scroll down for lists of all birds banded and recaptured during the week.



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

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

Sunset over Hilton Pond (above), 25 November 2021
On Thanksgiving Day, we were thankful for this sunset--in
honor of the birthday of dear friend Donna Bailey--and
for sunsets throughout the year. We're likewise grateful
an iPhone 11 Pro and this Web page allow us to
share all "our"
Hilton Pond sunsets with others.

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

Sunset over Hilton Pond (above), 28 November 2021
For this image we took about 75 exposures with the iPhone
11 Pro--all different as the evening progressed--and
finally settled on this one from the very end.

Photoshop image post-processing for this page employs
DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI, and other Topaz Lab tools



"This Week at Hilton Pond" is written and photographed by Dr. Bill Hilton Jr., executive director of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History

Please refer "This Week at Hilton Pond" to others by clicking on this button:


Follow us on Twitter:

@hiltonpond




Comments or questions about this week's installment? Send an E-mail to INFO.

--SEARCH OUR SITE--
You may wish to consult our Index of all nature topics covered since
February 2000, or use our on-line
Hilton Pond Search Engine:

For your very own on-line subscription to "This Week at Hilton Pond,"
just click on the image above. It's guaranteed fat-free!


Thanks to the following fine folks for recent gifts in support of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History and/or Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project. Your tax-deductible contributions allow us, among other things, to continue writing, photographing, and sharing "This Week at Hilton Pond" with students, teachers, fellow scientists, and the general public. Please scroll below if you'd like to make a gift of your own.

We're pleased folks are thinking about the work of the Center and making donations. Those listed below made contributions received during the period. Please join them if you can in coming weeks.

Gifts can be made via PayPal (funding@hiltonpond.org); credit card via Network for Good (see link below); or personal check (c/o Hilton Pond Center, 1432 DeVinney Road, York SC 29745). You can also donate through our Facebook fundraising page.

--GivingTuesday Fundraiser--

Until 15 December Facebook/Meta will match donations to Hilton Pond Center and Operation RubyThroat via the GivingTuesday link below. Last year our Facebook friends raised $3,750 through GivingTuesday. Can we match or beat that level in 2021?

GIVINGTUESDAY

The following donors made contributions to Hilton Pond Center during the period 22-30 November 2021:

  • Jean Bohs (long-time donor)
  • Ramona* & Jim* Edman ("Top Tier" repeat supporters)
  • John McCoy ("Top Tier" repeat supporter; via PayPal)
  • James F. & Nelle E. Burgess Foundation, thru Pam Shucker (repeat supporters)
  • Barb Stenross
  • Claire Stuart (repeat donor, via PayPal)
  • The friends below contributed via the "Donate" button on one of the Center's Facebook postings or fund-raisers; some may be repeat contributors. Several have set up through Facebook to make a recurring monthly donation to benefit the Center. Many are long-time donors.
    Lizz Burris, Lisa Stephens Foster, Lynn Biasini McElfresh, Laura Crompton, Susan B. Hilton*, Anne Ballard, Ann Judd, Kim Beard, Jacob Schnuckelsberger, Linda Rhyne, Kathy Tinius, Mary Alice Koeneke, Mary Tucker, Carolyn Yost, Mindy Waldron, Eleanor Sommerville, Sara Carolyn Blair, Glenn Koppel, Nancy Biggins, Anita Clemmer, Cindy Massey, Kathy Davis, Carla D'Anna, Lyn Boozer, Amy Girten*

    (
    * = past participant in Operation RubyThroat Neotropical Hummingbird expedition)
 
If you enjoy "This Week at Hilton Pond," please help support
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History.
It's painless, and YOU can make a difference!

(Just CLICK on a logo below or send a check if you like; see Support for address.)


Make credit card donations
on-line via
Network for Good:
.
Use your PayPal account
to make direct donations:
If you like shopping on-line please become a member of iGive, through which 1,800+ on-line stores from Amazon to Lands' End and even iTunes donate a percentage of your purchase price to support Hilton Pond Center. ..Every new member who registers with iGive and makes a purchase through them earns an ADDITIONAL $5 for the Center. You can even do Web searches through iGive and earn a penny per search--sometimes TWO--for the cause! Please enroll by going to the iGive Web site. It's a painless, important way for YOU to support our on-going work in conservation, education, and research. Add the iGive Toolbar to your browser and register Operation RubyThroat as your preferred charity to make it even easier to help Hilton Pond Center when you shop.

The Piedmont Naturalist--Vol. 1--1986 (Hilton Pond Press)
is an award-winning collection of timeless newspaper columns that first appeared in The Herald in Rock Hill SC. Optimized for tablets such as iPad and Kindle, electronic downloads of the now out-of-print paperback volume are available by clicking on the links below. The digital version includes pen-and-ink drawings from the original print edition--plus lots of new color photos.
All sales go to support the work of
Hilton Pond Center.

BIRDS BANDED THIS WEEK at
HILTON POND CENTER
22-30 November 2021

SPECIES BANDED THIS PERIOD:
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--2

Dark-eyed Junco--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler--5

Fox Sparrow--1*
Northern Cardinal--1

White-throated Sparrow--5
House Finch--2

American Robin--5
Blue Jay--1
Mourning Dove--1

* = new banded species for 2021


PERIOD BANDING TOTAL:
11 species
25 individuals


2021 BANDING TOTAL:
81 species (40-yr. avg. = 65.7)

2,964 individuals
(40-yr. avg. =
1,869.2)

265 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds


40-YEAR BANDING GRAND TOTAL:
(Banding began 28 June 1982; since then 173 species have been observed on or over the property.)
128 species banded
74,766 individuals banded

6,909 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds banded since 1984

NOTABLE RECAPTURES THIS WEEK:
(with original banding date, verified sex, and current age):
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
11/29/20--after 2nd year male

Carolina Chickadee (3)
06/02/19--3rd year female
05/29/20--2nd year female
06/01/20--2nd year unknown

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
11/07/20--after 2nd year female

White-throated Sparrow (5)
02/01/16--7th year unknown**
12/28/19--3rd year unknown
04/04/20--after 2nd year female
01/05/21--2nd year unknown
01/10/21--2nd year unknown

Tufted Titmouse (3)
07/27/18--4th year male
10/27/20--after hatch year female
11/08/20--2nd year male

Carolina Wren (1)
10/13/18--4th year female

Eastern Bluebird (1)
12/04/20--2nd year male

** Notable local longevity for species
(none this week)

OTHER NATURE NOTES:
--As of 30 Nov, the Center's 2021 Yard List stood at 111--about 64% of 173 avian species encountered locally since 1982, tying our record set last year. (Incidentally, 106 of those species so far this year have been observed from the windows or porches of our old farmhouse!) If you're not keeping a Yard List for your own property we encourage you to do so, and to report your sightings via eBird, where you, too, can be a "citizen scientist!") New species observed locally during the period 22-30 Nov: None this week.

--Our immediate past installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond" was about uncommon bandings and old birds recaptured. It's archived and always available on our Web site as Installment #757.

All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center



Oct 15 to Mar 15:
East of the Rockies please report your sightings of
Vagrant & Winter Hummingbirds

(immature male Rufous Hummingbird at right)


(Back to Preceding Week; on to Next Week)

Back to "This Week at Hilton Pond" Main

Current Weather Conditions at Hilton Pond Center


Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a non-profit research, conservation & education organization in York, South Carolina USA; phone (803) 684-5852. Directed by Dr. Bill Hilton Jr., aka "The Piedmont Naturalist," it is parent organization for Operation RubyThroat. Web site contents--including text and photos--may NOT be duplicated, modified, or used in any way except with express written permission of Hilton Pond Center. All rights reserved worldwide. To request permission for use or for further assistance, please contact Webmaster.