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Hummingbird Doldrums




Although it appears that many hummingbird enthusiasts are beginning 
to see the long-awaited late summer onslaught of Ruby-throated 
Hummingbirds, things are very slow at Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont 
Natural History near York SC.

As of 31 July, I have banded only 38 new RTHUs in 2002, and 
recaptured 24 returns from previous years.

Looking at my average over 12 full seasons of trapping (and not 
including the seven years for which I was off-site for much of the 
banding season), I am at 74% of where I should be as of 31 July--and 
I have seen only one unbanded bird in several days.

Local hummer activity should be increasing dramatically by now, but 
it may be that our third drought summer in a row has had more of an 
impact than we had thought it might. Unless there's a big influx of 
transient migrants from up north, I don't see much chance of reaching 
my 12-year average of 131 RTHUs banded.


Forlornly,

BILL
-- 

BILL HILTON JR., Executive Director
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
hilton@hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845

The mission of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is "to 
conserve plants, animals, and other natural components of the 
Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, 
scientific study, and education for students of all ages." Please 
visit our web sites (courtesy of Comporium.net) at 
http://www.hiltonpond.org and
http://www.rubythroat.org .

"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
watch the sunset."					BHjr.