Subject: Tardy Rufous, Junco, Pecker
Date: Sep 24 09:22:06 2002
From: JLScott53 at aol.com - JLScott53 at aol.com
A lone rufous hummingbird has been buzzing around my place too (on Bainbridge
Island). One day last week, I looked up from my desk and there he was
outside, investigating the branch where I usually hang a feeder (they have
remarkable memories, those hummers). He looked around for several long,
pitiful minutes until he was finally chased away by a curious chickadee. I
put out fresh nectar as soon as I could, but I didn't spot him (or his
compatriot?) again until yesterday, when he sat down at the bar (I have one
of those feeders where hummers can perch) and had a good long drink. Most
years at my place, the rufouses all disappear by mid-August, but I do always
see a few stragglers return about this time of year. (Strangely, I've never
thought of these as latecomers but always as returners.) Saw the first junco
in a while yesterday too.
Last week also brought a pileated woodpecker to my yard! We've seen the other
little woodpeckers here before (downy? hairy? I can never remember -- as I've
said before, I'm no expert birder), but this is the first pileated. Man, is
that bird big. And what a hairdo. Like a punk-rock pterodactyl.
Jennifer Scott
Bainbridge Island
<<Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2002 11:19:32 -0700
From: "Robert Sundstrom" <ixoreus at scattercreek.com>
To: "tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Tardy Rufous Hummingbird
Message-ID: <006001c2619b$6ef0dfa0$6b15a8d1 at teninogwtenino.com>
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Tweetsters,
I was very surprised to see a Rufous Hummingbird in our yard outside Tenino
this morning. We watched Rufous Hummers all spring and nearly all summer in
the yard, with peaks of around 25 birds in May and July, but the last
previous sighting was Aug. 31. Today we watched for a couple of minutes a
typical female/immature plumaged bird with a few iridescent gorget feathers
visit various pink and red perennials still in bloom. Despite watching
carefully all summer, we have yet to see an Anna's Hummingbird in the yard
or anywhere nearby. In other respects, typical fall birds are well on the
way here, with a dozen Golden-crowned Sparrows around since Sept. 15 and a
first Varied Thrush heard the same day, plus continued movements of Evening
Grosbeaks.
Bob Sundstrom
ixoreus at scattercreek.com
Tenino, WA>>