Records of NJ Birds: Featherbed Lane
Breeding Season 2002
Hannah Suthers
The 2002 breeding season at Featherbed Lane, Hopewell, started out wet with cold snaps and an unseasonal freeze that apparantly affected early nesting, followed by a July of record drought and record number of consesutive days in the high 90's. Proof of breeding and other sightings are as follows:
| Double-crested Cormorant | four birds flew over June 30 |
| Turkey Vulture | fledgling on 8 June |
| Red-tailed Hawk | July 5, fledglings July 21, Aug 8 |
| American Kestrel | July 7, Aug 6 |
| Ruffed Grouse | flushed July 28, 29, 4 Aug |
| Wild Turkey | with 5-6 poults June 9, July 21, 27 |
| American Woodcock | foraging holes May 26, flushed July 27 |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | 2-Jun |
| Eastern Screech Owl | June 16, July 21 (two), July 28 (three), Aug 4 (two), Aug 11, Aug 25 (two) |
| Great Horned Owl | June 16, 23,30 (two terr), July 6, 18, 28, Aug 4, 11, 18 (two terr), 25 |
| Chimney Swifts | observed throughout in Hopewell Borough, flyover Featherbed Lane July 21 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | fledgling banded Aug 18 |
| Hairy Woodpecker | observed June, July 18, 28, |
| Downy Woodpecker | fledgling banded June 30, July 28 |
| Yellow-shafted Flicker | banded June 16, fledgling banded Aug 4, & two observed Aug 18 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | observed weekly through July 9 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | fledgling June, July; chasing a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Aug 18 |
| Easterm Wood Pewee | observed throughout |
| Eastern Phoebe | nesting in May and June, young banded Aug 11 |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | 2 migrants banded Aug 25 |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | observed throughout |
| White-eyed Vireo | observed June 30 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | observed June 2, 30 (two terr), July 18, August 4 |
| Red-eyed Vireo | observed throughout, banded June 2, July 28 |
| Barn Swallow | 4 pairs, 14 fledglings |
| Hybrid Chickadee | banded on June 2, Aug 11 |
| Carolina Chickadee | adults banded, family observed June 2, fledglings banded June 23, July 6, Aug 11, 25 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | adults banded, fledglings banded June 30 |
| Eastern Tufted Titmouse | adults banded, fledglings banded June 23 |
| White-breasted Nuthatches | observed throughout |
| House Wrens | observed throughout, fledglings banded |
| Carolina Wrens | adults banded, fledglings banded June 30, Aug 18 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | fledglings June 23, 30 |
| Eastern Bluebird | using nest box |
| Veery | several adults banded, fledgling banded July 23 |
| Woodthrush | many adults banded, fledglings banded July 7, Aug 18 |
| American Robin | nest raided by a Crow, June 9, Robins, Gray Catbirds, Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinal mobbing the Crow |
| Brown Thrasher | observed June 16, 18 |
| Gray Catbird | our most abundant bird, many banded, fledglings banded 18 July and thereafter |
| Cedar Waxwings | observed June 9, 30, July 27, 28 |
| Blue-winged Warbler | fledglings banded June 30, Aug 11, male with fledgling 21 July |
| Yellow Warblers | observed throughout, fledglings June 23, 30 |
| American Redstart | observed June 16, young banded Aug 4, 11, 18, 25 |
| Ovenbird | adults banded, fledglings banded July 18, 21, 28 |
| Northen Waterthrush | observed August 4 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | observed August 3 |
| Common Yellowthroat | many banded, fledglings banded on July 21 and thereafter |
| Hooded Warbler | female banded Aug 25 |
| Scarlet Tanagers | observed throughout |
| Eastern Towhee | observed throughout, fledglings banded Aug 11, 25 |
| Chipping Sparrows | observed throughout, feeding nestlings June 30 |
| Field Sparrows | three pairs, observed throughout |
| Song Sparrows | observed throughout |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | observed throughout, with fledgling |
| Indigo Bunting | females banded June 9, 16 |
| House Finch | observed throughout |
| American Goldfinch | observed throughout |
| Northern Oriole | male and fledgling observed June 23 |
Hannah Suthers and the Featherbed Lane Banding Station Crew
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