<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">This year my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History tied a record for earliest spring arrival on 27 March, and I've banded an unprecedented number of early spring ruby-throats in the month since then. My analysis of this phenomenon is the subject of my latest "This Week at Hilton Pond" photo essay for 27 Mar-21 Apr 2014. To access the installment, please see <br><a href="http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek140327.html">http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek140327.html</a><br><br>While there, don't forget to scroll down for lists of all birds banded and recaptured during the period; the returns are especially interesting, with a couple of very old American Goldfinches re-appearing in our traps. I also include numerous nature notes and an acknowledgement for recent supporters of our education, research, and conservation initiatives.<br><br>Happy (Spring) Nature Watching!<br><br>BILL<br><br><div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">P.S. Please "Like" our new Facebook page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HiltonPond">http://www.facebook.com/HiltonPond</a> for timely updates on nature topics. Follow us on Twitter @hiltonpond.</div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br></div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">=========<br><br>RESEARCH PROGRAM<br>c/o BILL HILTON JR., D.Sci.</div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Executive Director<br>Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History<br>1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA<br>office & cell (803) 684-5852<br><br>Please visit our web sites (courtesy of <a href="http://Comporium.net">Comporium.net</a>):<br>Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at <a href="http://www.hiltonpond.org">http://www.hiltonpond.org</a> <br>"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at <a href="http://www.rubythroat.org">http://www.rubythroat.org</a><br><br>==================</div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div>
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