Tweets,

Sorry for the tardy posting, but I just got back from a business trip to
Pendleton, Oregon, during which time I was able to get away Tuesday evening,
June 28, to visit Tom Lamb's "humminbird heaven" just out of Dixie, WA (I
counted the 106 extra miles from Pendleton against my green birding account,
but the rest was business!).

I arrived about 7:15 PM not expecting to see the female Broad-tailed Hummer,
as Tom reported that overall numbers were down to about 1/2 or less of their
peak in early June, though apparently someone had reported it a few days
prior. There were lots of male and female Black-chinned and Calliope Hummers
and female Rufous and still maybe two male Rufous Hummers coming in for the
late evening feed.

As luck would have it, I did manage three multi-second studies at close
range of the female Broad-tailed, which seemed similar in size and shape to
the Black-chinned, if a shade larger, but a somewhat golden green to the
entire upper parts rather than the dark green to gray dorsal coloring of the
female Black-chinneds, with some fine spotting at the sides of the base of
the throat, contrasting with the immaculate whitish ventral coloring of the
female Black-chinneds. It held its tail quite still, either in line with the
body or "kinked" slightly, without the persistent nervous twitching of the
Black-chinned's tail. The female Rufous Hummers all seemed rather less
"cleanly" marked with substantially more throat streaking and more extensive
pale rufous beneath, including the under tail coverts, as well as being
smaller. I do not believe I saw any juveniles, so it may still be a bit
early for them. The female Broad-tailed seemed quite silent, at least I
didn't notice any of the burring and buzzing of the other species. One of
these years someone will have to locate some breeding males up in the Blues,
as they knock your socks off.

I had a very enjoyable visit with Tom who says he has lived in this house
for 81 years, that is, since he was born!

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA
enhunn323 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "mike denny" <m.denny at charter.net>
To: "tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>; "Inland NW Birders"
<inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 9:39 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] Broad-tailed Hummer


> Hello All,
> Yesterday afternoon along with Marv Breece we birded Tom Lambs hummingbird
> central near Dixie Washington. While there we all saw a female
> Broad-tailed Hummingbird come into his feeders at about 1630 hrs. There
> are still many Black-chinned and Calliope and even two male Rufous Hummers
> coming into Tom's yard. We watched the Broad-tailed for about 45 sec. in
> great light at about 15 feet away. Lambs "Hummingbird Crossing" is south
> of Dixie about two miles down Biscuit Ridge Rd. on the right. If you reach
> Seaman Rd. that goes off to the left you have gone to far. Its the house
> behind you on the right. Good luck.
> Later Mike
>
> ********************************************************************
> Mike & MerryLynn Denny
> 1354 S. E. Central Ave.
> College Place, WA 99324
> 509.529.0080 (h)
>
> IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
> *******************************************************************
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters