Hummingbirds:
We first experienced hummingbirds shortly
after moving into our house in the southeastern United States more
than ten years ago. During that first spring, we had a Ruby-throated
hummer appear at the bay window in our kitchen, apparently
looking for food. Or, maybe, just admiring his/her reflection
in the glass? We purchased our first Perky-Pet feeder, filled it with 'nectar', mounted
it to the bay window with the included sunction cup and then waited.
It wasn't long before we had numerous hummers fighting for a place on
one of the two feeder perches. |
The image to the left is of a young male(?), ruby-throated hummingbird
which is the most common hummingbird found in SE United States area. I'm
guessing a 'male' due to the signs of a developing gorget (def: brightly
colored area on the throat of a bird). You might notice the darker streaks
on the throat of the hummer in the image. The picture was taken with a
Canon EOS Rebel 35mm camera with a 70mm zoom
lens using Kodak 400 speed film. The slight haziness in the image is due
to the bay window through which the photograph was taken. It was scanned
using an EPSON Perfection 1200S scanner. Click on the image for an enlarged
image in a new browser window.
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Our one-feeder grew quickly to two and three feeders to accomodate the
fluctuating number of hummers that we see each year. During the fall
(early September), we see a dramatic increase in numbers, with as many
as 12 (or more) hummers fighting for a spot on the limited number of
feeder perches. And fight they do! The aerial aerobatics of the hummer are a
site to behold. The swift movements and controlled hovering put the best
of man's flight machines to shame. See this ASF formatted hummer video for a sample of the hummingbirds jockeying for a
space on a feeder. Listen closely and you can even hear the tell-tale
voice (squeak) of the hummer.
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Over the years, we have continued to put out feeders for the hummers beginning the first week in May (or when we first see a hummer at our window) until mid-to-late September. We have switched from the store-bought red-dye nectar to a simple 4:1 water-to-sugar (granulated) 'nectar' that we mix ourselves. It is extremely important to regularily clean and change the feeder every 4 or 5 days. Do NOT wait until the hummers have emptied the feeder! If the hummers don't drink the entire feeder contents in 3 or 4 days, only refill the feeder to last 3 or 4 days. |
This year (approx. 9/1/2002) we welcomed a different breed of hummer - The Rufous (Selasphorus rufus). The
Rufous is affectionately known as the 'bad boy' among hummers. They are extremely
aggressive. So much so that, with the territorial characteristics of
the hummer line, he will NOT allow another hummer to share HIS feeder.
As the video above illustrates, Ruby-throated hummers will reluctantly
share feeders. The Rufous, however, will NOT! When he first arrived,
we wondered about the significantly different brownish-orange coloring
(Latin rufus, red) as compared to the Ruby-throated hummers that we were
used to seeing. The first sign that something was different was the
noticeable decrease in the amount of nectar that was consumed. The one
feeder went from 6 to 8 oz consumed every 3 to 4 days, to only 2 or 3 oz
consumed in the same period. The Rufous was doing an excellent job protecting
his feeding grounds from the Ruby-throated hummers.
Due to his extremely skittish behaviour, which was described to me as the reason the Rufous thrives, we couldn't get a good photograph of the Rufous. However, one of his two favorites perches is on the boxwood bush just below the bay window feeder. We were able to get a distant image of him with a Canon EOS Rebel 35mm camera by shooting through the bay window in our kitchen. We e-mailed an enlarged image to Bill Hilton on September 5th at the Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History. Bill replied almost immediately and identified the hummer from the image as an adult male Rufous. Bill asked permission to forward our information to a bander that is local to our area who might be interested in trapping and banding the Rufous. Bob Sargent with the Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc called the next morning requesting permission to come out that very morning to try to trap and band that very special visitor. Bob stated that while it is a rare event, more and more Rufous' are sighted east of the Mississippi, quite a distance from their normal nesting grounds of the west coast. After almost two hours of patiently waiting, Bob, Martha, and Fred Bassett successfully trapped the Rufous in a large wire cage. The vitals were taken (video), along with a series of pictures, and the Rufous was released. A few of the images below were taken several days later, as is evident by the band around his right leg. The Rufous was last seen on October 15th, 2002. |
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Last modified: 08:58:49 on 12/26/02 |