What with this year's failure of some seed crops across Canada, ornithologists have predicted 2012-13 will be a good "finch winter" in the southern U.S. and even that a few other northern species may come on down and show up at our feeders. When we started hearing reports of migrant Red-breasted Nuthatches in the Carolinas as early as August, we wondered if we'd see one. We did "This Week at Hilton Pond," when we snared a very brightly colored adult nuthatch in one of our mist nets. To read all about our "irruption" of this locally rare species, please visit our photo essay for 1-10 October 2012 at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek121001.html
While there, don't forget to scroll down for a list of all birds banded and recaptured during the period--our most diverse week so far in 2012--and to review some miscellaneous notes about White-breasted Nuthatches, Palm Warblers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and a special Swainson's Thrush. Happy (Fall) Nature Watching! BILL P.S. Please "Like" our new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HiltonPond for timely updates on nature topics. ========= RESEARCH PROGRAM c/o BILL HILTON JR. Executive Director Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History 1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA office & cell (803) 684-5852 fax (803) 684-0255 Please visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net): Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org "Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org ==================
