On Tue, 1 Jul 1997 07:48:02 -0400 Vicki Vallastro <troutrus at JUNO.COM>
writes:
>Tuesday, July 01, 1997
>6:52:45 AM
>
>to birders out there:
>[ comments appreciated from Brenda, Bob, Dick, Jane, Cathi, etal]
>
>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's.
being 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 vallastro
>charlottesville, Va. (greene county)
>troutrus at juno.com