It's still in the development stages but I have gone live with it hoping to begin accumulating data. I'm hoping to get
enough traffic on the site from people with hummingbirds, that will add comments to the blog regarding their numbers and approximate
location, to begin to build a database of where and when we can expect to see hummingbirds. These comments in turn will provide
others the opportunity to see where birds are being seen and possibly encourage them towards further efforts to attract hummingbirds.
I've also opened the door to asking other questions that in time may be answered by other visitors to the site. I know
about the birds in my area and what they like but I can't really speak for other areas of the state. Hopefully, we'll
be able to attract other "local" experts to advise on their locations.
It's also got a photo album which I would like to use to share everyone's photos. I'm in the process of developing
a "Species" page and need decent photos submitted of each species in each of their plumages to be incuded on this page.
Other plans are being evaluated.
Please stop by the site and give me your thoughts. Post them under the appropriate post or e-mail them to me at backes1@verizon.net
In addition to the hummingbirds in the yard this year, we finished off with two surpises. The first, the female
Painted Bunting, stayed around until mid-April. The second bird was a male Painted Bunting who showed on April 15th,
returning to the feeder all day but then was not seen again. A number of Indigo Buntings have visited the feeders
throughout the spring.
Busy times and sick times have resulted in over a month without posts. There has actually been lots to post about. This
one is to announce the departure of the two Rufous.
The old female, believed to be the one banded in 2003, left on March 15th, the same day she was last seen the past
two years. She didn't have any long absences prior to this day. There were maybe a day or two when I had little time
to watch for her that she went unseen but they weren't even days in a row.
The other female Rufous was last seen on March 20th, the day before the first day of spring.
May they have safe migrations, successful summers and come back again in August for another winter season.
