Cascadia Hummingbird Report 02/17/2003

Multiple RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD reports from the Columbia River Estuary
suggest that the migration front has reached the 46th parallel. Inland
reports from the Willamette Valley and Puget Sound should be picking
up any day now. A feeder in Astoria reports a one-day stop by a Rufous
on Jan 31. No Rufous were there seen again until about Feb 8 (ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRDS are there pretty much year-round). This is probably another
example of a migrant coming from a (relatively) close over-wintering
site. There are now at least two males coming to that feeder, though
they refused to show themselves while I was visiting (probably the heavy rain).

Astoria, OR 01-31-2003 31 46.1835 123.8290
Astoria, OR 02-08-2003 39 46.1835 123.8290
Gig Harbor, WA 02-08-2003 39 47.3289 122.5879
Temecula, CA 02-10-2003 41 33.5027 117.1288
Eureka, CA 02-10-2003 41 40.7953 124.1557
Nahcotta, WA 02-11-2003 42 46.5167 124.0625
Coos Bay, WA 02-13-2003 44 43.3784 124.2310
Ocean Park, WA 02-13-2003 44 46.4853 124.0514
Lyngstad Heights 02-14-2003 45 46.1473 123.8441

A comparison of migration patterns for the past 3 seasons and the known
breeding ranges based on Breeding Bird Surveys shows an intriguingly
close correspondance to the major watersheds of the Cascadia Region.
Rufous Hummingbirds appear along major river arteries before smaller
ones
and the "boundary" for breeding is pretty close to the extreme reaches
of the Columbia and Fraser River watersheds.
Coincidence? I don't think so. Compare for yourself at:
http://home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/humm/watershed.html

In flowers news, along the Columbia River Estuary Salmonberry (_Rubus
spectabilis_) in open sun areas is beginning to bloom, but plants in
canopied forest are still a couple weeks from showing any flowers.


To follow along with the hummingbird migration for 2003 and report
hummingbird arrivals in your area, visit:
http://home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/humm/count.html
--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com