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.

I thought I had posted this information on the day that we banded but apparently I only posted it to the various Listservs I'm subascribed to. I will need to update the tally on the right of this page soon.

 

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1/15/08

 

Doreen Cubie arrived at my yard this morning around 7:15 AM in hopes of trapping a banded female Rufous who was assumed to be the same one banded by
Fred Bassett in November of 2003. That Rufous was then trapped again in January of 2005 but avoided the trap in 2006 and 2007. I was able to photograph 4 digits of her band in August of 2007.

We set up a borrowed cage that Doreen had recently picked up from Bob Sargent in one of the Rufous' preferred spots, which is also where I'd hung a trainer cage the past couple of days, and she almost immediately entered the cage. Unfortunately, I'd left the feeder port facing the door and she was nervous, refusing to sit on the perch, and she kept rapidly dipping in for a sip and then pulling out of the door to look around. Having a slightly itchy trigger finger, I allowed the trap door to close about an inch, scaring her away. Doreen's earlier warning of 'you may only get one chance, make sure she's in the cage, then close quickly' was weighing heavily on my mind at that point.

An adult male Ruby-throat quickly entered the cage after the departure of the Rufous and was trapped. Doreen had trapped one in the front yard as well. As she was processing them, the Rufous returned and quickly entered the cage and was easily caught. At the same time, Doreen was removing a second bird from the front yard trap as well. We quickly processed the Rufous confirming the number, N62404. It is She!!!

Thanks to Bob for the cage, Doreen for her time today, and to Fred for all he's done here in the past as well as his part in arranging today's session.

In the end, in about an hour, we banded 4 adult male, one second year male, and one female Ruby-throateds in addition to confirming the identity of the female Rufous. Seven birds in about an hour. And, I've been hesitant to say much about the birds in my yard because I'm not seeing the usual activity that I've seen in the past few years.

Doreen Cubie will be here on Tuesday to band my birds. I've set up trainer cages over four feeders in hopes of increasing the likelihood of trapping hummers by getting them comfortable with going into a cage like environment. The training cage is a four sided cage with two open sides so that the birds can get comfortable going into an enclosed area to feed while still having plenty of room to escape.

 

The female Rufous is still around and I may be seeing a few more adult male Ruby-throats along with a couple of young males. There's been a considerable amount of hummer activity in the yard today. Much of the activity appears to be surrounding a new bird... my first probable female Ruby-throat of the year. Hopefully, more surprises lie ahead before Tuesday with the passing front.

 

The freeze last week did minimal damage to my flowers as I still have a number of blooms in the yard. I was hoping for more damage in hopes of getting more hummers to my feeders.

 

 

I feel let down that I have yet to find a Clay-colored Sparrow among the chippies this year but I am seeing a Nashville Warbler occasionally. There's at least one good warbler flock that includes at least one each of parula, Yellow-throated, Pine, Black-and-white, Palm, and Yellow-rumped. A dozen or so goldfinches are also coming to the feeders with the sparrows.

I'm seeing very little hummer activity in the yard recently. I may have seen a young male Ruby-throat on one occasion today but all other hummers seen (other than the female Rufous) have been adult males. The adult males are being seen in 5-6 different areas of the yard but I can't tell how many individuals these sightings actually represent. I did see a couple of territorial disputes today indicating at least one new individual is around. The residents have pretty much grown to accept one another so I don't see or hear many chases anymore.

 

I was surprised to look out my window today and see a young male Baltimore Oriole under a mister just after commenting on my previous report of one as being a one day wonder. Also seen today were first of the season Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers and a House Finch. I had a nice flock of warblers including a parula, a Yellow-throated, Pine, Palm, and Yellow-rumpeds. Last week I had a late Swainson's Thrush for a day and the week before I had a male Hooded Warbler for two days. The Hooded may have been a first for the yard. I've also been seeing a House Wren for the past week and robins have been flying overhead the past two days.

 

I'm assuming some of the birds I'm seeing came in on the last front and may stay for the winter. I'm hoping for more on the next one. Hopefully more hummers.