I've finally added captions to the photos I placed on my site two years ago. Click on the "Hummingbird Banding" link on the left to visit the page.

I'm finally seeing different hummingbirds regularly and also hearing the chases. I've also seen a couple of Ruby-throats at feeders. Until recently, they've only fed at flowers and for the past two weeks, since the Rufous arrived, there has been very little feeding at flowers that didn't end early with a chase.

 

Two days ago, I saw my first adult male Ruby-throat of the season. This is very late as they are usually around by the end of July. In most years, I've had considerably more young birds than adults but last year I had at least 4 regular adults and only one regular young Ruby-throat. It will be intersting to see what this year brings.

 

With the sighting of the adult Ruby-throat, who by the way was trying to feed at a feeder, combined with increased chases and a young bird regularly perching in the cassia outside the front window, also feeding at a feeder, I've decided to increase the number of feeders in the yard. The unfortunate part is that I couldn't decide where to place a couple more that would make the most impact on attracting new birds so I'm now up to maintaining eleven feeders from four. I was having a hard time keeping up with the four.  

 

Also impacting my decision to put many more feeders out was conversation with my brother who lives in Pace FL, just northeast of Pensacola. He said he's been seeing more hummers than ever before in his yard for the past couple of weeks. Maybe they've been delayed in heading south this year and this will result in a higher concentration of birds when they do arrive. Hopefully, they will find what they need in my yard and some will stay for the winter.

 

I was recently contacted by Fred Bassett. He'll try to make it down here around the end of September to try confirm the band number of the Rufous. I'll hang out a couple of trainer cages a week or two before then which will hopefully increase the likelihood of a successful trapping session. In the warm weather with plenty of flowers birds typically don't choose to go inside a cage to feed. The trainer trap is a four sided cage with two fully open sides that a bird can't get trapped in. Over time, they will hopefully lose their fear of the "new" feeder and will venture into the "cage" to feed. Hopefully, this will carry over to when we set up the real cage.

 

Fred doesn't typically make trips down here in the heat to watch birds feeding at flowers but the lure of a sixth year returning bird was too much for him to pass up. That and the fact that he'll only be an hour away due to other commitments.

The female Rufous has settled in and declared my yard home again. She appears to have run off the young male Ruby-throat. I arrived home from work yesterday and found her sitting atop the tallest perch in the middle of the backyard feeding area where the young male had been the past week or so.

 

I've seen a second hummer on a couple of occasions today but it appeared to have fewer gorget feathers than the previous bird. It also was only allowed to perch once. The Rufous chased him the other times.

A banded female Rufous Hummingbird appeared in my yard today. I'm sure she's the one we banded back in 2003. She wants to sit in a sour orange that's so close to me that I can't focus my binoculars. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to rest up after long trip because there's one aggressive young male Ruby-throat that won't leave her alone. I'm sure in the end, she'll still  be around and he probably won't.

I got very distracted by many things last spring. It was a month or so after the last hummer left my yard that I realized that I had not posted anything since late February. And, then it's still not until August that I'm back. I'll blame my distraction on finding time for my then 8 year old son but in reality, I had many excuses that I won't waste the time to list.

 

I've been seeing young Ruby-throats for the past few weeks but nothing regular. I have to be looking a lot to find one every day.

 

Last Thursday, Bob Sargent banded an adult male Rufous in Alabama, the earliest they've ever banded one there. Noel Payton reported a banded female Rufous this morning in Slidell Louisiana. I'm reminded that my 5th year returning female Rufous arrived on August 9th a few of years ago. That's only a week away. And, if they are arriving early in parts north of here, she may be even sooner. The feeders are clean and I'm spending more time watching for her.

 

Last year, my Rufous returned on August 13th. It was the 11th the year before and I believe it was the 9th the year before that. Prior to then, I believe it was around the 16th and late in August the year before that. She had been getting here earlier each year up until two years ago so I would start to worry the later it got into August. I realize that one year she won't come back and that will hurt. Each year I also realize that the odds are less in favor of her returning. I'm hoping for an early arrival.

 

As always, please report any non-Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to me anytime of the year along with resident Ruby-throateds during the winter. Feel free to contact me via e-mail or phone regarding any questions about hummingbirds not addressed on my FAQ page. Maybe I'll actually find time this year to clean up that page. Also, my yard is open to visitors if you're interested in seeing my birds or just seeing what I've done to attract them.

 

I'll try to be more diligent in updating the reports on my yard.