Morning Glories: Becky's Garden - Fall 2010, 1 by beckygardener

beckygardener wrote:
Thought I'd update this thread.

I am seeing a lot of hummingbirds (likely migrating hummers) trying to get to the feeders and blooms in my yard. The territorial hummers are doing their best to chase the intruders away. I added a 3rd hummingbird feeder in the other corner of my backyard and at least one hummer found it already. Not sure if it is a new hummer or one of the two that guards their territories in my yard. But I was outside checking things out and the hummer headed right for the feeder and some of the blooming plants on that side of the yard. It hovered above me for a few seconds and zipped away! So all 3 feeders are being used. It didn't take this hummer long to find the newly added feeder. I'm a firm believer that if you plant it (or add it), they will come! :-)

I received an email reply from a master hummingbird bander who I had emailed earlier this week and she is going to try to stop by my home in January/February to try to band my hummingbirds. This is something that I have been hoping for ... to determine if my birds are year round residents or migratory. It will be exciting to find out!

AND there IS current research going on by Hummingbird Research, Inc.:
http://www.hummingbirdresearch.net/p66.html

"Overwintering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

A new emphasis for Hummingbird Research, Inc. is Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The numbers of wintering Ruby-throated in the Southeast have been increasing to the point that they are now one of the most common winter hummingbirds. We have started a project to determine whether these birds are migrating into the Southeast in the fall from more northern locations, or whether a population of nonmigratory, resident Ruby-throated Hummingbirds may be evolving. Even though many Ruby-throated have been recaptured for consecutive winters in a number of states in the Southeast, no one has ever recaptured one of them during the summer months."

I am thrilled to see this particular research is currently going on! I do believe my two hummers are resident, nonmigratory ruby-throated hummers. Banding them this winter and then capturing them this summer to check for their leg bands will tell us for sure! :-)

Here's a photo taken this week of the front yard hummer. I thought it was a female, but it may have been an immature male. It is looking more & more like a male ruby-throated hummer these days.

This message was edited Nov 21, 2010 8:22 AM