Subject: GIANT hummer - revised update
Date: Jul 1 07:59:47 1997
From: Vicki Vallastro - troutrus at juno.com


Tuesday, July 01, 19976:52:45 AMto birders out there:[ comments
appreciated from Brenda, Bob, Dick, Jane, Cathi..]thanks for the replies
on my "sighting of ?giant hummer "have been reviewing more of the field
guide photos/descriptions, after noting comments for some of the likely
alternative bird id.sbeing five feet from the bird in poor lighting
(without being under the influence _ ie. toddy-free) i think that the
size, shape, and behavior are most reliable, with the color /field marks
being least reliable. believe my eagerness to interact with other
birders got the overzealous blues.reassessing : must say that the bird
seen past sunday was definitely 6 inch body, elongated and thinner, total
length with tail ( not bill ) had to be 8 1/2 or 9 inches with a
relatively slender,pointed bill. i live in piedmont region of virginia,
lots of evergreen shrub, low canopy trees and many berry vines,
hummer-flavored" plants, and water cascading with a nice fishing hole
nearby. Also, this spring have abundance of assorted flies, spiders,
crickets, and bee/wasp bugs.my thought for the moment, anyhow, is that I
may have seen a flycatcher .. olive-sided or great-crested. the fact that
the wings were beating so rapidly while the bird hovered there before me,
sort of through my id. I have never seen a flycatcher, nor any closeup
of orioles....as some of you suggested for options.would rule out any
hummingbirds native to the us. though, based on the actual size, and lack
of brilliant flashes of color .. as bird quickly zipped from my cedar
bush to a higher place amid tulip tree in good camouflage. unable to
catch anymore of it, I retreated to tell my neighbor to get a witness !!!
- we will have to await more visits from this bird.realize unlikely to
see such "unusuals, from the andes, excepting severe storms or other
exceptional natural stressors .. though note that there was someone on
one bird bbs list who also had spotted such andes migrant, (british
columbia or southern texas ?? ), have to find that note i saved.thanks
for input, ENCOURAGEMENT, look forward to chatting/listening. I will do
more reviewing of my sighting(s) before I post/write next.vicki
vallastrocharlottesville, Va. (greene county)troutrus at juno.com