November 17, Melanie Fox invited us over to her home in
Radford to watch the
banding of two hummingbirds. A week
earlier she had emailed me photos she had
taken of two
hummingbirds at the hummingbird feeder in her front yard.
Mel had
also told me that during the cold spell that had
started a few days early, the
feeder’s nectar (sugar water)
would partially freeze up. So she started
bringing the
feeder in at night. She would put the feeder out early
before
sunrise, because the hummingbirds would show
up at first light looking for
their breakfast.
Odds were that the two unidentified hummingbirds
visiting the feeder in front of Mel’s house would be
Rufous Hummingbirds, the most common late fall
migrant and wintering hummingbirds in the
eastern US. And since they appeared to be
immature hummers, they might also be hatch-year
Allen’s Hummingbirds. It was also possible that the
greener one that visited much less frequently
visiting the feeder in front of Mel’s house would be
Rufous Hummingbirds, the most common late fall
migrant and wintering hummingbirds in the
eastern US. And since they appeared to be
immature hummers, they might also be hatch-year
Allen’s Hummingbirds. It was also possible that the
greener one that visited much less frequently
than the rufous, or chestnut-colored one did,
could be a Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
So our anticipation grew
as we awaited Bruce’s arrival.
as we awaited Bruce’s arrival.
He got to
Mel’s home right on time. We had already
been treated to a couple of quick
flurries of hummingbird
activity. Stan Bentley was there taking pictures, as
was
Nancy Kent. Mel and family were outside, too, watching.
A bit later so were
a few neighbors,
curious and then excited about what was happening.
Stan has
traveled out to the western states many
times, and has seen these species of
hummingbirds
several times before. I have seen a couple of Rufous
Hummingbirds
over the years in Virginia, but never
two in one day. That number in Virginia
visiting at one
feeder was really close to a miracle,
at least it seemed that
way to me.
Earlier that morning, Bruce Peterjohn
had already banded a hummer near
Blacksburg.
That one turned out to be an adult Rufous Hummingbird.
He also told
us that there were two other unidentified
hummers coming to feeders in
Christiansburg, but he
didn’t have the address of the homeowners. Those
would remain mystery hummers, at least for that day.
Bruce set
up his hummingbird trap in only
a few moments. The effort to catch and
band
the mystery hummingbirds became
a bit like a fishing expedition, with the
nectar
in the hummingbird feeder functioning as bait.
The hummingbird feeder
was placed inside
the trap and a door to the cage was open.
Bruce kept the trap door
open by fishing line
that he held spooled out from a distance
of 15 or so feet
from the cage.
In just a
few short minutes, one of the hummers
flew into the cage. Bruce let the cage
door close,
then expertly caught the little guy in his gloved hand.
He took the
hummer over to the back of his
vehicle where he had all sort of equipment for
measuring and banding it.
Before the trap had been set up, Bruce had shown
us the tiny numbered aluminum bands that he gently
places on a tiny leg to identify the bird.
He had to prepare the bands by cutting them
from a printed aluminum sheet and crimping
them around a band holder. The bands must
be smooth and light-weight so that they do
not restrict the bird's movement.
While the banding was proceeding, I held the spool
of
fishing line to keep the cage door open in case
the other hummer came in to
visit the feeder in
the cage. I was never any good at fishing, so
during the
time I kept the cage door open and
ready, the little hummer never appeared.
After the hummer was recorded and banded,
Bruce delicately placed the little creature on
Melanie's hand for her to release it.
With probable relief, it flew away.
Of course
shortly after Bruce had banded and
released the hatch-year male, and had taken
the
fishing line from me, hummer number two flew into
the cage. He deftly caught
this little one, too.
Bruce weighed the tiny creature - about 3 grams,
I think. (An average paperclip weighs about 1 gram!)
He measured the length of its feathers and recorded
I think. (An average paperclip weighs about 1 gram!)
He measured the length of its feathers and recorded
the information with the band number.The 2nd
hummer
turned out to be a hatch-year female.
When
Bruce left us, he was heading to Franklin County
to band yet another hummingbird. He was successful
in capturing and banding this one--it was a hatch-year
female. So that’s a tally of four Rufous Hummingbirds
(Selasphorus rufus) in Virginia one day.
to band yet another hummingbird. He was successful
in capturing and banding this one--it was a hatch-year
female. So that’s a tally of four Rufous Hummingbirds
(Selasphorus rufus) in Virginia one day.
Some
Rufous Hummingbird facts:
The Rufous Hummingbird nests further north than any other
species of hummingbird (61° N).
species of hummingbird (61° N).
Breeding
range is from Prince William Sound,
Alaska to northern California.
Alaska to northern California.
It has a
very short nesting season in Alaska
-shorter than for any other species of hummingbird.
-shorter than for any other species of hummingbird.
There are
more and more records of this species
wintering in the eastern US. Perhaps one reason for
the increase in sightings is the increase in the number
of hummingbird feeders. This fact alone likely
helps with their survival. Bruce told us that Rufous
Hummingbirds are able to endure several days and
nights in a row of sub-freezing weather.
wintering in the eastern US. Perhaps one reason for
the increase in sightings is the increase in the number
of hummingbird feeders. This fact alone likely
helps with their survival. Bruce told us that Rufous
Hummingbirds are able to endure several days and
nights in a row of sub-freezing weather.
Bruce
Peterjohn works at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. He is the Chief
of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL). He
coordinates bird banding activities throughout the
United States and also U.S. Territories.
Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. He is the Chief
of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL). He
coordinates bird banding activities throughout the
United States and also U.S. Territories.
He also
volunteers with the Hummer/Bird Study Group,
and bands hummingbirds in Maryland, Delaware, and
Virginia. HBSG has documented fourteen species of
hummingbirds in the eastern US.
and bands hummingbirds in Maryland, Delaware, and
Virginia. HBSG has documented fourteen species of
hummingbirds in the eastern US.
To learn
more about HBSG, visit their website:
And to
find out more about the
USGS Bird Banding Lab, visit:
USGS Bird Banding Lab, visit:
Photos ©N. Kent unless otherwise noted
Well, that was fun! Several years ago we had two Rufous Hummers in our county...one at Glen Eller's and one here at my house. George and Martha Sargent came up from Alabama to band these birds. Ours stuck around until January, and then on a very cold morning, it disappeared. We were worried, of course.
ReplyDeleteA year later that same hummer was recaptured in NC, much to our relief.