Darn...wish I could change the title of the thread!
I meant an Allen's or Rufous...sorry folks.
...here in Lincoln Nebraska!
Here's a blurry cropped pic...
This message was edited Jul 28, 2010 1:41 PM
OMG! We could have an anna's or Rufous Hummingbird!!!
What are the differences between the two? and (I take it that it was unusual to see either where you are) which types usually frequent your area? [sorry for all the questions but I'm new to the hummingbird scene]
LOL...Brusedthumb,
Yep, that's a lot of questions I could fill a book with. You can just "google" to find out all the specific differences.
We just had a Nebraska bird bander here that was unsucessful to trap it to positively ID it. Since the bander had to go to work, he will be back this afternoon for another attempt. This is a major rare sighting here in eastern Nebraska!
The hummer is still here and since it's nearly 2pm, i'm confident it will hang around here til at least tomorrow.
I'll update everyone later today-early this evening :)
Rufous migrate back south through Colorado this time of year - the males are fairly common for 2-3 weeks. So it could be a wandering Rufous. If it is an Allen's, it is way way way off course.
Pollengarden,
Yep! So far from the pics we have so far it's looking like a mature female Rufous. Since we are here in eastern Nebraska, it's a rare sighting. In the panhandle of western Nebraska it can be common to see one pass through.
We have a Nebraska Ornithologist Union bander at our home trying to trap it in order to rule out it being an Allen's...which is determined by it's tail feathers. If the hummer doesn't get trapped, we are all trying to take pics and videos of it so we can at least positively ID it...hopefully before dusk tonight! :D
This message was edited Jul 30, 2010 9:23 AM
Did you get a positive ID before it left?
Can anyone identify this Hummer for me? He/She has a totally white underbelly.
Thanks!
Underside
Crit: you might have better luck with an ID on the Bird watching forum.
I bought a copy of "Beginners Guide to Hummingbirds" by Donald & Lillian Stokes - it has the best ID information I have. Looking at your pictures, I get:
Probably a female Ruby-throat, maybe a female Black-chinned. If it is still around, notice its flight pattern. Black-chinned pump/flick their tails up and down, Ruby-throats hold them steady. Also, where is Sand Springs? Ruby Throats are an Eastern bird, Black-chinned are Western.
Northeastern Oklahoma
Okay, then I will say it is a female Rubythroat Hummingbird, since no-one else has offered an opinion.
I have the Rubies here this year and they look just like that. Cute little things!
Here is a simple ID site for hummers. I know that there is a lot of varieation of color over the season. And it is asking a lot to see several characteristics is a couple of seconds. Use this as a general thumb guide. The colors are not as definite as these are depicted in most birds.
http://whatbird.wbu.com/obj/225/_/Rufous_Hummingbird.aspx
Crit, notice the undertail color of the female at the feeder in your picture. The band of brown over the white would rule out a ruby throat. I have read on Humnet that there are lots of rufous hummers all over the place right now. My female rufous looks like your bird.
flicker
Susan,
Take a good look at these hummers. The info is great.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse.aspx?shape=37,11
flicker
Thanks Flicker. I must have 50 hummingbirds now! They kept fighting over the 4 feeders I had up, so I added another one. They continued to fight so I added 4 more!!!! Now the bullies have their own and the more docile ones convene on the others! LOL
I put three up (feeders) around my house...but since I don't have as many hummers around fighting over them, everyone gets to get their fill. The only problem seems to be the honey bees - which come around to feast on the nectar..lol
my birds are all gone, but the wasp and bees are on them now so I'm leaving them up for a while. I don't notice the bees when the HB are around.
Sometimes I want to shoo away the bees.....but I've heard that there is a "shortage" of bees everywhere ...so if they want to have some nectar, it's okay...Plus maybe they'll remember to come back around when it's time to pollinate my fruit trees...lol
This message was edited Oct 21, 2010 11:26 PM
Sometimes my back deck, where the hummingbird feeders are, have a swarm of hundreds of bee's all over the feeders. The hummers don't really like it, yet they don't seem to be in conflict with the bee's. It was a bit unsettling at first for me, but after a while I just ignored them when working back there, which is all the time. I've got to the point where I will walk right through the swarm to get to whatever it is that I'm doing, and so far the bee's haven't paid any attention to me at all.
I have a little phobia of bees and wasps, so I don't think I could ever walk through a swarm. Around, yes; through, no. I've read that bees only defend their hive, not their nectar source - so one would have to seriously disturb them to to get stung when they aren't near their hive. I also read that one of the differences between Africanized (killer) bees and Honey (Italian) bees is what they consider "too near their hive" and how large a territory they defend.
This is pretty cool hummingbird video link. It seems as though a young man rescued a baby hummer, nursed it back to health, and tried to set it free. The relationship between the two is heart warming. I posted this link on the other DG hummingbird forum too.
http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/
That is really cool. That looks like a teenage boy, I was expecting an older guy!!!!
Deepwater I think the only way I could ignore bees is if I had my ipod on. It's the buzzing that specifically freaks me out.
Hello Folks,
Just wanted to update...the hummingbird was officially ID'd as a Rufous by Nancy Newfield and one of our state bird banders who came to our house. It was also recorded by our seasonal state bird recorder for Nebraska, Ross Silcock...a rare sighting for here in eastern Nebraska. The last Rufous recorded around here was about 5 years ago!
The Rufous was here from 7/28/10 - 7/30/10...and we hope it returns this year :)
Here's a close-up pic of our special visitor...
This message was edited Jan 28, 2011 11:42 AM
I share your excitement, SusanLouise. What a treasure!
Did they decide if it was male or female? I'm guessing a young male?
Hello MissMary,
Thank you! :)
Pollen,
Unfortunately, since our state bander was unsuccessful trying to capture it, it was left as "Rufous"...and not ID'd as a female or juvie male in the state records. We don't have a hummer bander in the state, so the equipment/netting used wasn't the best. The bander tried his best though. Female Rufous also have dark feathers under the beak like juvie males do.
I think if the Rufous returns, it will be interesting to see if it is a mature male. That would be AWESOME! Crossing fingers and toes for it to have been a juvie male when passing through here last July!!! :D
This message was edited Feb 3, 2011 12:01 AM