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Hummer sightings and notes from my Valrico FL yard.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Me on the FOX News
I forgot tot post this link when the report aired. The following is a link to the FOX News report from my yard:
 
4 feb 10 @ 5:10 pm est

February Banding Results
Doreen Cubie visited the yard today and banded 6 more hummingbirds in less than an hour. All were male Ruby-throateds, 3 adult and 3 young birds. We've banded 18 hummers in the yard this year.
 
I saw a couple that have not been banded so we've had at least 20 wintering birds in the neighborhood this year. I don't think that they are all regularly using my yard but there has been enough daily activity to indicate that many of them are spending at least some of their time in my yard.
4 feb 10 @ 5:06 pm est

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Banding Results - Corrected
I guess I lost track of the numbers while Fred was banding the birds. I received the data cards and photos from Fred and realized my error. We actually had 4 adult males, 4 females, and 4 young birds.
 
I may have seen a banded adult male without a pink spot indicating that it could be a return bird that avoided he trap.
 
More plant destruction with last night's freeze.  Also, more activity. I'm sure there were more than one new bird in the yard today.
10 jan 10 @ 4:12 pm est

Friday, January 8, 2010

Banding Results
Fred Bassett arrived this morning around 7:15 AM. Within a little over an hour, he'd banded 12 Ruby-throateds: 2 females, 3 adult males, and 7 young males. Unfortunately, no other species or any previously banded birds.
 
All banded birds were marked with a pink dot on their heads. This allowed us to recognize an already banded bird that entered the cage a second time so that we could leave it to feed without trapping it again. It also allows me to easily recognize unbanded birds.
 
I've seen 4 more birds that were not banded this morning. Unfortunately, one of them is a young male with a broken lower mandible hanging down on it's breast. Also seen were an adult female and an adult male. The most amazing one was a young male with a large central gorget patch that has been a resident in the yard since October. I assume he's been around long enough that he knew about the feeders still hanging across the street at a neighbor's house and fed there while we banded.  
 
16 hummingbirds in the yard today. Not bad.
 
 
 
8 jan 10 @ 3:27 pm est

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Yard Visits
Friday, 1/8, Fred Bassett will be here to band the hummingbirds in my yard. A reporter from FOX 13 (WTVT) will also be here. I'm not sure when his report will air. I will post any information as I receive it.
 
Sunday, 1/10, Rich Crete of Rich's Backyard Birds, http://www.richsbackyardbirds.com/, will lead a group to view the birds in my yard. They will be meeting at the store at 7:00 AM.
 
Saturday, 1/23, The Hernando Audubon Society, http://www.hernandoaudubon.org/FieldTrips.html, will lead a trip, arriving at my yard around 8 AM followed by a visit to Lettuce Lake Park. 
5 jan 10 @ 11:44 am est

Frozen Again
Sunday mornings freeze, 29 degrees, has damaged many of the blooms for the hummingbirds. Luckily, it was a short enough duration that it only burnt the tips of some of the plants like the porterweeds, some of the salvias, and the protected firespikes. The Chinese Hats and the Flowering Maple appear to have been unharmed. The firebushes, Salvia miniata, and Russelia sarmentosa have been hit the hardest. More freezes are expected over the next ten days so I'm not expecting good news.
 
Luckily, I have plenty of feeders. I believe I'm seeing a number of new birds but it's hard to say how many because some of the previous regular activity appears to have changed.
 
We will be banding on Friday so hopefully more birds will show up, including more species.
 
A few goldfinches have begun showing up in the yard along with the large flock of chipping Sparrows. I've still not seen the Clay-colored Sparrow since mid-December. Robins and Cedar Waxwings have been seen flying over the yard over the past week. A small group of Brown-headed Cowbirds was in the yard one day last week and a couple of female Red-winged Blackbirds have been regulars for about a week.
 
 
5 jan 10 @ 11:29 am est

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ruby-throat Activity
This report is long overdue. Activity picked up around Thanksgiving. I've had at least 8 regular birds since then. I'm still just seeing Ruby-throateds. The Rufuos never returned and I haven't seen any others. I'm keeping optimistic though with the knowledge that many "new" Rufous and Black-chinneds are first reported during December and January after the first frost.
 
The loss of two and a half trees next door may result in fewer territories in the yard this year. I'm doing everything I can to compensate for the loss by supplying additional feeders. I'm currently maintaining 14 feeders.
 
I'm currently seeing one first winter Clay-colored Sparrow regularly at my seed feeders.
17 dec 09 @ 7:47 am est

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Not Many Hummers - New Other Birds
I can usually see or hear a hummingbird in the yard but in general there is very little activity. It appears as though there are three or four birds regularly in the yard, a couple of adult males, one or two young males and an occasional female. Just about the time I figured my wintering birds were here a couple of weeks ago, they all left and have been replaced by new birds.
 
A couple of days ago, I had my first Chipping Sparrow of the year. It stayed two days. I haven't seen it today. Yesterday, I saw a female Black-throarted Blue Warbler. She's still here today. I also saw a female Summer Tanager this morning and my first of the season sapsuckers (two of them).
1 nov 09 @ 1:55 pm est

Monday, September 28, 2009

2 Selasphorus in the Yard
I found a young male Rufous/Allen's in my yard last Thursday that had a full green back so Allen's could not be ruled out based on the amount of Rufous on the bird. I saw the bird a couple of more times over the next couple of days. On Saturday evening, I thought I was watching the bird again when I realized this one had a lot of rufous on its back. A second Rufous/Allen's and this one is a Rufous. I miss the female that was here the past seven years but it's good to see some Rufous activity in the yard again.
28 sep 09 @ 7:49 pm est

Thursday, September 24, 2009

First non-Ruby-throat in the Yard This Season
I observed a young male Rufous/Allen's in the backyard today. His rufous rump and pointed black tipped tail was obvious. He had a few gorget feathers grown but my memory is failing ma and I can't remember exactly where they were. I believe they were on his cheek. His back was green. There was not enough rufous on his back to rule out Allen's.
 
Unfortunately, I was not able to see him again. I believe I heard him once or twice and I saw a number of chases involving unidentified birds.
 
I've been seeing around five Ruby-throateds daily for the past few weeks.
24 sep 09 @ 8:40 pm est

2010.02.01 | 2010.01.01 | 2009.12.01 | 2009.11.01 | 2009.09.01 | 2009.08.01 | 2009.07.01 | 2009.05.01 | 2009.04.01 | 2009.03.01 | 2009.02.01 | 2009.01.01 | 2008.12.01 | 2008.11.01 | 2008.10.01 | 2008.09.01 | 2008.08.01 | 2008.02.01 | 2008.01.01 | 2007.12.01 | 2007.11.01 | 2007.10.01 | 2007.09.01 | 2007.08.01 | 2007.07.01 | 2007.05.01 | 2007.03.01 | 2007.02.01 | 2007.01.01 | 2006.12.01 | 2006.11.01 | 2006.10.01 | 2006.09.01 | 2006.08.01

Link to web log's RSS file

Click on dates above to view archived entries.

Questions or comments?
E-mail me at: Backes1@verizon.net

Invitation to Visit
 
My yard is open to anyone who would like the chance to see the birds and other wildlife it offers. I only ask that you call at
813-689-9967 or e-mail me at backes1@verizon.net ahead of time if possible.  
 
Maps to my yard can be found at:
 
 

Summary of Hummingbirds Banded in My Yard:
 
January 2002
Rufous
After Second Year Female
Black-chinned -
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated -
After Hatching Year Female
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
 
January 2003
Rufous
Second Year Female
 
November 2003
Rufous
After Hatching Year Female
Rufous
After Hatching Year Male
 
January 2004
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
 
January 2005
Rufous - 
After Second Year Female
(Originally banded 11/2003)
Black-chinned -
After Hatching year Female (1)
Black-chinned -
After Hatching year Female (2)
Black-chinned -
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
 
August 2005
Rufous - 
After Second Year Female
(Believed to be the bird originally banded 11/2003 - Not confirmed)
 
November 2005
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
 
January 2006
Ruby-throated
After Hatching Year Female
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male (1)
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male (2)
Ruby-throated - 
Second Year Male (3)
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male (4)
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male (5)
 
August 2006
Rufous - 
After Second Year Female
(Originally banded 11/2003 - Confirmed by photo of 3 numbers on band)
 
January 2007
Rufous - 
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
 
January 2008
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
Rufous - 
After Second Year Female
(Originally banded 11/2003)
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Female
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male
 
December 2008
Rufous
After Second Year Female
Rufous
After Second Year Female
(Assumed to be the one originally banded 11/2003 - but not yet confirmed)
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male - Deformed bill
 
January 2009
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male - Bad bill injury
 
February 2009
Ruby-throated
After Hatching Year Female - x3
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male - x4
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male -x3
 
January 2010
Ruby-throated
After Hatching Year Female - x4
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male - x4
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male -x4
 
February 2010
Ruby-throated
Second Year Male - x3
Ruby-throated
After Second Year Male -x3
 
 
Totals:
Rufous - 6
Black-chinned - 4
Ruby-throated - 53
Return Birds - 5 (Same individual 5 years)

A Few Photos of Hummers That Have Passed Through My Yard

Adult female Rufous Aug. 2006 - banded Nov. 2003

Adult female Rufous 8/2006 banded 11/2003

Adult male Rufous Humingbird banded Nov. 2003

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird banded Jan. 2005

Im. Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird banded  Jan. 06