Fall 2010
Fall 2010 had several strong weather fronts with major migrations. Nexrad radar at nights and ground truthing the following mornings showed major migration flights at Cape May on Sept 11 (huge), 15, 19 (heavy), Oct 21 (heavy), 28 (mega), Nov 5, and 7, where tens of thousands of songbirds were counted. Peaks of the weekend banding mornings at Featherbed Lane were on Sept 5, Oct 10, 17, and 24. On the dates of the largest radar detection, birds evidently did not stop over at Featherbed Lane. The local fruit and grass seed supply was severely limited because of the summer drought. The first killing frost on Nov 29, three weeks later than last year, took insects except midges.
Usually the species leader, only 33 Catbirds were banded, compared with a median count of 73 in the previous 7 years. An unusual total of 39 Hermit Thrushes were banded, compared with a 7-year median count of 13. An astonishing 53 Tufted Titmice were banded, compared with a 7-year median count of 20. The seven Swainson’s Thrushes and 5 Gray-cheeked Thrushes were up from a 7-year median count of 2 each.
Of 485 encounters at Featherbed Lane Banding Station 401 were newly banded, 57 recaptured from previous weeks, 13 recaptured from previous years, 11 escapees, and 3 not banded. The returns from previous years were: an 8-year-old, and a 7-year-old Cardinal; 6-year-old and 5-year-old White-throated Sparrows; 5-year-old and after-4-year Tufted Titmice; three third-year Black-capped x Carolina Chickadee hybrids; an after-2nd -year and a second-year Carolina Chickadee.
Forty-five species were banded, 38 more species seen, totaling 83 species, of which 32 species were Neotropical migrants, 21 species temperate migrants, 6 species overwintering migrants and 24 species residents. Two of 7 flycatcher species, 6 thrush, 12 warbler, 3 finch and 6 sparrow species were banded. A few more feather samples were taken for the UCLA West Nile Project.
Sighting and banding details, dates, (number of birds):
| Canada Goose | flocks overhead throughout |
| Black Vulture | 17 Oct |
| Turkey Vulture | throughout |
| Northern Harrier | 18 Oct |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | last seen 31 Oct |
| Cooper's Hawk | calling juv 4 Sep, throughout |
| Red-tailed Hawk | throughout, pair 7 Nov |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 19 Sept |
| Mourning Dove | throughout |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | throughout |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 10 Oct, 29 Nov |
| Downy Woodpecker | throughout |
| Common Flicker | throughout |
| Pileated Woodpecker | throughout |
| Eastern Wood Pewee | last seen19 Sept |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | banded 5 Sept |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 19 Sept |
| Alder Flycatcher | banded 19 Sept |
| Eastern Phoebe | last seen 24 Oct |
| Traill’s Flycatcher | banded 5 Sept |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | last seen 5 Sept |
| Blue Jays and Crows | throughout |
| Black-capped x Carolina Chickadee | hybrids banded (7) |
| Carolina Chickadee | banded (12) |
| Black-capped Chickadee | banded 3 Oct - 14 Nov (6) |
| Tufted Titmouse | banded (53) |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 5 Sep, banded 6 Oct (2) |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | throughout |
| Brown Creeper | banded 3 Oct, 7 Nov |
| Carolina Wren | throughout |
| Winter Wren | banded 17 Oct |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | banded 3 Oct - 21 Nov (10) |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | banded 3 Oct - 7 Nov (21) |
| Eastern Bluebird & fledglings | throughout |
| Veery | last banded 19 Sept |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | banded 26 Sep - 3 Oct (5) |
| Swainson's Thrush | banded 3 Oct - 10 Oct (7) |
| Hermit Thrush | banded 8 Oct - 21 Nov (39) |
| Wood Thrush | last banded 26 Sept |
| Am. Robin | flock 9 Sep - 7 Nov (75+) |
| Northern Mockingbird | throughout |
| Catbird | banded 5 Sep - 3 Oct (33) |
| Cedar Waxwing | 7 Nov (12) |
| European Starling | 31 Oct |
| Red-eyed Vireo | last banded 3 Oct |
| Black-and-white Warbler | 2 Oct |
| Nashville Warbler | 18 Sep |
| Northern Parula | banded 3 Oct |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | banded 5 Sept - 10 Oct (7) |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | banded 2 - 24 Oct (49) |
| Magnolia Warbler | banded 5 -26 Sep (6) |
| Blackpoll Warbler | banded 3, 10 Oct |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | banded 5 Sep |
| Yellow Palm Warbler | banded 17 Oct (2) |
| Ovenbird | last banded 3 Oct |
| Northern Waterthrush | banded 19 Sept |
| Common Yellowthroat | last banded 10 Oct |
| Canada Warbler | 4 Sep, banded 5 Sept |
| American Redstart | banded 5 Sep - 2 Oct (14) |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | last seen 11 Nov |
| Common Grackle | last seen 17 Nov |
| Purple Finch | banded 17 Oct (3) |
| House Finch | throughout |
| American Goldfinch | throughout |
| Pine Siskin | (4 View Point Dr.) 2 Nov (2), 5 Nov (10) |
| White-throated Sparrow | banded 3 Oct - 14 Nov (58) |
| American Tree Sparrow | 11 Nov |
| Chipping Sparrow | last seen 24 Oct (17) |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) | banded 2 Oct - 14 Nov (35) |
| Song Sparrow | throughout, last banded 7 Nov |
| Swamp Sparrow | banded 17 Oct |
| Fox Sparrow | banded 31 Oct, 14 Nov |
| Eastern Towhee | last seen 14 Nov |
| Northern Cardinal | throughout |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | last seen 26 Sep |
Hannah Suthers and the Featherbed Lane Banding Station Crew
