At 9:29 PM -0700 05/31/1998, Wilson E Cady wrote:
> We have also noticed a drastic reduction in our Hummingbird
>numbers as well as in the numbers of species of them at our feeders, with
>no BLACK-CHINNED or CALLIOPES this year.

Two weeks ago, Rufous Hummingbirds were scarce at feeders in the valleys
around Cle Elem, and Calliopes practically non-existent. However, there
were plenty of Rufous well up in the mountains, for example around
Snoqualmie Pass. I visited a feeder at a house on top of Cle Elum Ridge
that has six or eight 1.5-quart-capacity feeders. A mixture of Rufous and
Calliopes -- mostly the latter -- were draining the two most popular
feeders in a morning. The owner estimated 60-100 of them coming in. She
has been feeding them there for years, and says that these are quite
typical numbers for the date.

Maybe the majority of the hummers are just a little higher up this year?

Hal Opperman