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Post by beverley on Jul 1, 2009 22:50:37 GMT -5
Hey Steve,
I have been seeing some hummers the past few days. On the porter weed..look like a young male or female.. Saw to going at in in the back yard. Did not get a close look at them.. Not coming to feeder. Steve, we were just up at our property in Va. It was awesome! So many hummers RB's were coming to my feeder. They even came when I was just holding the feeder in my hand...
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Post by Steve Backes on Jul 3, 2009 17:10:57 GMT -5
Hey Bev,
I finally saw my first bird of the summer/fall (migrant). It was a young bird so it probably wasn't technically a "migrant". It's most likely post-breeding dispersal of a bird that fledged nearby, stretching its wings getting ready for migration. An increase in the numbers of young birds along with the arrival of adult males will indicate the beginning of fall migration.
In any case, my hummer season is starting right on time. The first bird is typically seen in the last week of June or the first week of July. Last year, I saw one about now but then didn't see another until the end of the month.
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Post by johntampa on Jul 4, 2009 7:11:19 GMT -5
Should I have my feeder out now? Didn't think hummers were in the Tampa area until the fall.
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Post by Steve Backes on Jul 4, 2009 14:02:48 GMT -5
John,
The young birds are beginning to move around now so anything is possible. When I lived near USF along the Hillsborough River, they came to my feeders throughout the summer but not in winter. When they may be found in Tampa depends on where you are in Tampa. It never hurts to maintain one feeder, minimally filled, at any time. You may be surprised.
Southbound migration picks up in August and continues through September. I see some fluctuation of resident birds through October or November and that's usually when most of the wintering birds have settled in. The Rufous Hummingbird that has wintered here every year since we banded her in November of 2003, arrives every August .
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gardengirl
New Member
Where's the baby Romaine?
Posts: 17
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Post by gardengirl on Jul 4, 2009 14:48:30 GMT -5
Steve,
That's amazing the the same bird visits your yard. Aren't they the coolest little things on earth?
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Post by Steve Backes on Jul 4, 2009 14:56:12 GMT -5
gardengirl, Yes, they are amazing. I've tried to maintain a blog of the activity in my yard over the past few years, including the banding results, at: mysite.verizon.net/resu64md/yardhummers/I haven't always had the time to post everything that I've wanted to but I have been able to post the most important things, eventually. Steve |
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Post by johntampa on Jul 5, 2009 9:03:38 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, I'll get a feeder out. Have trumpet flowers and other plants I think the bids will like, Hope so
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