Busy as A (Winter) Bee

A much warmer than average January in the Carolina Piedmont had people wearing shorts and flip-flops, and even the Honeybees were flying--despite the absence of flowers on which to feed. You may be surprised--as we were--to find out where these industrious little insects are actually foraging. For a discussion of Honeybee winter behavior, please visit our "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 22-31 January 2006 by clicking on the title above.

As always we include a tally of birds banded and recaptured during the period.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

An Epidemic Of Bird Ticks?

There does indeed seem to be an epidemic of Bird Ticks this winter in the Carolina Piedmont, and it's right on schedule.

For some super-close-up photos and intriguing information about these pesky ectoparasites, please visit the 15-21 January 2006 installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond," keeping in mind that some images from nature can be a little disturbing. The photo essay is accessible by clicking on the title above.

As always we include a list of birds banded during the period, including a partially albino American Goldfinch whose mug shot we took. These are also suggestions for how to deal with a tick-infested bird.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

Another Mystery Bird

Today we're pleased to post the 300th installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond," our on-going series of photo essays about natural history in the Carolina Piedmont--and beyond.

This week we describe a very unusual bird captured for banding at Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History near York SC. For a mini-quiz on this "Mystery Bird," please visit our 8-14 January 2006 installment by clicking on the title above.

As always we provide a tally of birds banded during the week, plus a few miscellaneous nature observations.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

Seedy Silhouettes

When deciduous trees drop their foliage in winter, we lose distinctive shapes of leaves as a clue to species identification. Even in silhouette, however, it's possible to identify trees--especially if we can find the remnants of fruit still clinging to topmost branches.

For a photo essay about these "seedy silhouettes," please visit the 1-7 January 2006 installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond" by clicking on those words in the title above.

As always we include a tally of birds banded, plus some miscellaneous nature observations from the week just past.

Happy (New Year) Nature Watching!

BILL