Crossvine: Haven For Hungry Hummingbirds

Ever wonder what spring hummingbirds eat in the wild before Trumpet Creeper thickets start producing prolific nectar-laden blossoms? In the Carolinas and beyond, a likely candidate is Trumpet Creeper's overlooked little cousin, Crossvine.

The 22-30 April 2006 installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond" discusses Crossvine and its environmental significance. To view photo essay #313, please click on the title above.

As always we include an account birds banded during the period, although they were few.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

Year Of The Moth

Our work with the John Bachman Symposium at Newberry College has thrown us behind on postings of "This Week at Hilton Pond," but the installment for 15-21 April 2006 is now complete. The photo essay is about moths in general and tiger moths in particular. To view the latest installment, please click on the title above.

If you missed last week's installment on Blue Corporal dragonflies--not Eastern Pondhawks--it's at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek060408.html

As always we include a list of all birds banded or recaptured.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

An Hour With A Dragonfly

We've been super-busy getting ready for the upcoming John Bachman Symposium at Newberry College (see http://www.johnbachman.org), but we managed two squeeze in an hour this week to watch some Eastern Pondhawks at Hilton Pond.

These common dragonflies are a delight to watch, although they're not always easy to photograph--especially in late afternoon. To view our "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 8-14 April 2006, please click on the title above.

As always, there's a tally of birds banded and recaptured, plus miscellaneous nature notes.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL

Yellow-throated Warbler

Although Yellow-throated Warblers breed commonly in the southeastern quadrant of the U.S., we seldom capture them at Hilton Pond Center--mostly because they frequent the highest canopy. "This Week at Hilton Pond" we did manage to band one of these elusive warblers, even though we caught it in an unexpected way.

To view the story of this unusual encounter, please visit our photo essay for 1-7 April 2006 by clicking on the title above.

As always we include a tally of other birds banded, those recaptured, and miscellaneous nature notes.

Happy Nature Watching!

BILL