WESTERN HUMMINGBIRDS VOL 1

how fun.wish i lived in california!

duc: how do get 6 digits on the band--
"identify each captured hummingbird to species, fit a tiny aluminum band with a six-digit number on the leg of unbanded birds, collect a variety of information including age and sex, feather molt, and breeding condition, and at McLaughlin we also collect feather samples that can be used for DNA analysis."

someone has real good penmanship.

Mrs Ed- on the link in the link referenced by duc, one page
http://www.hummonnet.org/monitoring/results.html
shows a hummer tagged in Arizonia found in Louisiana,
who knows there might be one that
gets lost and ends up in your backyard.

duc- as I understand (and from some looking) the females of Anna's and Rufous are very similar,
can you tell the difference after your training?
plus you have to make a pretty good commitment when you take on this fun job- kudos to you.

then I read this -- maybe we have some of the pictures these folks need=


Information Guide to Hummingbirds - Coming in late 2009

We are developing an educational tool to help people learn about hummingbirds. The Information Guide will contain a variety of useful information and feature custom artwork by George West and many photographs. We are in the process of developing the guide but we need more photographs and time to complete the project


http://www.hummonnet.org/resources/index.html

Dirt, I just know from my Anna's and Rufous females that there is a big difference.

Here's a photo of one of my female Rufous' from last year. You'll see the buff color on the underside and part of the tail. Hope this photo will help you be able to distinguish the difference between the two.

This message was edited Mar 29, 2009 8:46 AM

dear duc. (red in the face) -- have you thought you knew something that you didn't ever bother to
look up. Of course you haven't but I just did.
You see, since I could remember I was told by those who knew (who I thought they knew) that rufus and anna's f. are hard to
tell apart and looked alike and I thought your pic above was immature males. My uncle told me that when we visited his
place long time ago and never bothered to look it up. I swear I read about it being like that also. Will check the only two
books about hummingbirds.
Funny, its good in a way that means more annna females
hang out around here than I thought. And will sheepishly report when I see a ruf female--
Over the last couple of decades we thought we saw other hummers but couldn't be sure,
but now I question those thoughts.
oh well at least I admitted I was dumb before and I just proved it.
so I'm going now and finish gnawing on that big toe on by foot.

btw nice picture.

beautiful day up here and hardly saw a hummer,
they were buzzing the almost opened mahonia
so hopeful will get some shots.

ok I read it but I read wrong.
I have Stoke's Hummingbird Book (1989) and on page 39 under Identification it says
that two species of female hummingbirds -- "Cannot be told apart in the field"
At least I remembered that and helped my wronged perception of what I saw,
however there was one wrong specie, one is a rufous and the other is an
allen.
so there's half of my mistake. I just thought the females were rufous in the
summer because I hardly saw anna males-- rufous rules the last couple of years-
With all the internet sites I really didn't go to too many and not much on hummingbirds-
I really liked crows and ravens.
anyways dummy gone.
over out.

Dirt, we all have lots to learn about all the birds every day. That's part of the fun in watching them. Don't be so hard on yourself.

My male Rufous is starting to get used to me at least taking his photo through the dirty windows. Guess I'd better get to cleaning them or step out into the wind for better pictures.

I believe this is a male Rufous. Can someone confirm?
Last night they put on an unbelievable aerial ballet - this male was dominating the largest feeder. He managed to keep the other dozen or so Anna's and Ruby throats (don't know which species they are) at bay all evening.

Great pics guys!!!

Looks like a Rufous Begonia, but it could also be an Allen's. Even the experts have to measure the first tail wings. Great picture!

I'm up to 3 Rufous' and at least 6 Anna's so far! Here's another one of my male Rufous.

I wish I knew the difference just by looking at them. Here's the same one, resting in between dive bombing the other Hummers.

One that almost got a sip before being driven away. Anna's I think? Can you tell Duc?

One more. Anna's?

I'd say you have a female Anna's. Their neck just has a small portion of the colors where the male has much more including their head.

gorgeous beautiful pictures, begonia and duc

today's anna belle

This is a 3 min video of the male Anna that was around at the end of Dec last year
and was chattering and preening himself. Shot in shady gray winter light through
double pane window (there's a horizontal striping)
Cut out another 2-3min of doing the same.
I named myself on photobucket from chewing on my foot previously.

http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/dirtybigtoe/?action=view¤t=xhummerforonline-01-090331.flv

Very cute little guy dirt! Looks like he was enjoying the rain. I love the way they catch the raindrops with their tongues.

Have you tried a light sprinkle (when it's warmer outside) with the hose yet? I have photos from last year when hubbie was watering the lawn every morning. The hummers loved their person baths.

Very nice video dirtybigtoe!!! :-)

Nice pics guys!

Great video! Thanks!

One of my female Anna's

Another one. She's got the sugar water on her tongue.

One of my Anna's males

Still nothing in OK. My feeders are up and I have lots of blooming flowers to attract birds. I walked up on the hill behind the house this a.m. to check for sprouting wildflowers. There has been crocus for awhile, but now the Indian Paintbrushes are sprouting, so I'm thinking hummers are due.

Check out this Columbine in the shade bed. Wouldn't you be on this if you were a hummer?:)

This message was edited Apr 1, 2009 10:53 AM

That's a beautiful bloom reddirt. I have lots of Columbines but nothing in bloom yet. Hope you'll soon be seeing the hummers.

Gorgeous pics duc!

great pictures duc.
my columbines are still sleeping, reddirt (I like your nom de plume)
duc, do you have a light source on your
hummers the last couple of pics.?--
the iridescence is grand. (besides detail)
We don't get much sun, (something
shiny and bright comes out once in a blue
moon and I hide :-),
the feeder is in shade don't want to use
a flash setting unless you do. Actually the
book I referenced uses multiple flash and
a sheet or background material- really intricate
set up but the pics in the book are really good.
Also says to add a branch or flower to the
feeder to get the natural look. Been a long time
since I read the book and have to reread it.

I never get hummer pictures although I have two feeders and at least one nesting pair. The feeders are so far from the house that pics are impossible unless you make a specific effort. I played hookey today andhave been working on pruning roses. To my delight, the hummers were very active around the feeder that I was pruning by, and I just so happened to have my camera in my pocket when one came up to the feeder. Unfortunately it was overcast enough and this feeder is behind a large japonica, so had to use a flash, but still got an ok pic.

That's a good one Rarejem!!

Yes, that's a cute female Rufous (or an Allen's) Rarejem. Any way you could move the feeder closer to a window for photos?

Dirt, I never use the flash on my camera, unless I'm taking them as the sun goes down. I wait for the sun to shine on the feeders and birds.

Since our feeders are two floors up on the deck, I use the trees or lake below us for my background colors. I also just put out some strong tree limbs on the railing for more pictures in the future when I have more than nine hummers. I really think they love people's voices because we can walk by them and they ignore us.

After these high winds we've been having start calming down, I'll put more potted plants under the limbs to cover them more.

This message was edited Apr 2, 2009 8:43 AM

One of my Anna's kinda looked grumpy.

Male Rufous.

Female Rufous (I think).

And what I think is an Anna's.

Lovely pictures Adel! I'd love to see a rufous!

Wow this is weird I made a post after the last 2 pics but it's not here.

Anyway great pics guys!

wow, these pictures are really awesome. I wish I lived in the southwest...

The western hummers are much more sociable than my yard birds. At the house a male will stake out a feeder and keep others run off. The western species will feed together. It's not uncommon to see a bird on every blossom of a feeder.

We are planning on spending August near Grand Canyon in the RV. For sure I'll take a long a HB and tube feeder. In fact, I keep some feeders in the basement of the RV.

I'm still waiting for the first HB on my feeder this year.

Great photos Adel!! I had another male Rufous show up yesterday and I don't know how many Anna's I have now. I can't believe everyone is getting along so well. It's always been fighting from the minute the Rufous' have shown up.

This male Anna's going to keep everyone from his feeder-he thinks!

Aww he is so handsome!

duc......you are used to seeing Anna's. Do you think the last pic I posted is an Anna's?