I was sent this message asking for a Hummingbird ID ... I don't have my
books at the office, could someone help out? (Description included below)

Susan

Susan Collicott play:camel at serv.net work:susan at nw.verio.net
If you were dirt upon a road, in sultry summer weather, I'd be a cloud
and rain on you, and we'd make mud together.

*****

Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 12:09:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Hummingbirds and (binoculars or bifocals)

Recently I commented that I hadn't seen any hummingbirds in Maryland.
Last Saturday evening Jeaneen and I walked across the street to a park,
she to read and me to look at birds through my new binoculars and enjoy a
fine cigar. The park bench was surrounded by flowers and there was a
bumblebee and a small hummingbird among the flowers. At first I thought
the bird was a bee because it was about the same size but skinnier.
Smallest bird I've ever seen. I discovered that binoculars are useless
for hummingbirds. If you're far enough away to focus the binoculars the
bird is too small. The bird was will for be to get close enough to look
at him (her?) with my reading glasses.

The bird was about 2 1/2" long total, body about the diameter of a pencil,
black beak. The body was about an inch long with the beak about 3/4" and
the tail about 3/4". The bird was a dust gray with two 1/4" black bands
across the tail feathers. When he buzzed past my ear the hum was about E
below middle C.

He wasn't in any of my field guides. Who was that stranger?

bob