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Post by snookerdude on Mar 6, 2015 14:24:08 GMT -5
finally!!! after 80 years i see a rufus hummingbird. it is a female and the first time i tried to approach it for a better look [with binoculars]it flew away. so i wondered if the rufus was more shy than the ruby throateds that i am accustomed to. an hour or so later i went to the location where she had been perching to remove a feeder. after removing the feeder from the hook i looked above me and there she was; it had returned while i was 7ft below it. i walked away and 30ft away i turned around and it had not moved... so much for shy. two rt females and one male are still around.
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Post by snookerdude on Mar 10, 2015 20:00:34 GMT -5
this evening was even better; i saw the first black chinned male i've seen in three years, two male r.t.s, one female r.t. and one female rufus. the greatest variety i've ever seen in one sitting. one of the males is a 4th year visitor. i've referred to him in the past as "peanut", next to the rufus he is only about 3/4 her size. but she is bigger than the other hummers too. are they normally larger than the r.t.s?
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Post by Steve Backes on Mar 17, 2015 6:02:27 GMT -5
Rufous and Ruby-throateds are theoretically the same length with Rufous being bulkier. Individuals may vary some and males may be 1/2 inch smaller than females.
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Post by snookerdude on Mar 29, 2015 20:08:41 GMT -5
my female rufus is still around. at about 7:35 this evening i had 5 hummers in my shrimp plant at once; 4 male rt's and one female rt. before the female showed up, the rufus was in the shrimp plant with 3 male rt's. the rufus does not seem as intimidated by the straffing of the rt's. i've watched a male rt make 22 diving passes and finally give up and go perch in the live oak tree. i've never seen another rt sit there for more than 4 passes. any one else ever observed this difference???
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