Winter 2006
December was mild (20's at night, 40-50 during day), the warmest on record since 1895, with sparse precipitation. The first cold snap came on January 26 with a low of 8 and again on February 5 with a low of 6 degrees..Seasonable weather followed with three waves of snow/sleet/freezing rain in mid-to-end February, staying on the ground and driving birds to feeders.. Heavy mast crops in Canada are thought to be keeping the northern finches there; no Purple Finches, Redpolls nor Red-breasted Nuthatches at Featherbed Lane this year. There were 38 overwintering species. A surprise was a Chipping Sparrow in adult plumage seen 3 times in December. Astonishing were Black Vultlures coming in to deer carcasses: 44 on Dec 25, 17 on Jan 4, and 103 on Jan 7, arriving within an hour, in little groups soaring in from the West. How did they know?
Highlights are as follows:
| Black Vulture | cited above |
| Turkey Vultures | daily |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 15,16,17 Dec, 17 Feb |
| Red-tailed Hawk | throughout, immature 11 Jan |
| Great-horned Owl | Dec (2) |
| Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Pileated Woodpeckers | throughout |
| Common Flicker | throughout |
| Crows, Blue Jays | harassing a fox at deer remains |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 4 regulars (no invasion) |
| Carolina Chickadee | throughout (10) |
| Tufted Titmouse | throughout (23) |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | throughout (12) |
| Carolina Wren throughout | lost some in cold snaps |
| N. Mockingbird throughout | (2), survived cold snaps |
| E. Bluebird | 15 Dec (6), 19 Jan (pr), 5 Feb (pr), 17 Feb (pr) |
| Robin | northern subspecies throughout (36) eating thawed crabapples |
| Cedar Waxwing | 18 Feb (15) eating thawed crabapples |
| N. Cardinals | throughout (18) |
| Am. Tree Sparrow | 16 Dec (2), throughout Feb (2-3) |
| Chipping Sparrow | cited above |
| Song Sparrow | throughout (3) |
| White-throated Sparrow & Junco | flocks throughout |
| Am. Goldfinch | throughout but sparse |
| House Finch | throughout, (4 pr) |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 24 Feb (4) |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 19 Feb (2) |
| Common Grackle | 25 Feb (2) |
Hannah Suthers and the Featherbed Lane Banding Station Crew
