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Re: Unusual hummingbird



BOB . . .

This is the time of years when hummers are poking their heads into 
Trumpet Creeper blossoms, which have stamens at the top of the 
tube--just in the right place to dump a load of whitish-yellow pollen 
onto the bird's forehead or crown. Sometimes the pollen accumulates 
in significant amounts.

Other flower species may cause pollen accumulation on the throat.

See http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUForagingMain.html

Best wishes,

BILL

*********


>      While I was weeding and watering my flower patch today, a 
>hummingbird came by.  Observed in full sun without binoculars, it 
>appeared to be an ordinary female/immature ruby-throat.  Two hours 
>later from inside the house I saw a hummer, so I grabbed my 
>binoculars and took a closer look.  The bird looked like a standard 
>female ruby-throat except that it's forehead and at least part of 
>the crown was white, the same color as its throat.
>     Is this a normal variation or some kind of sport?
>
>Bob
>--
>--------------------------------------------------
>Robert C. Perkins, Ph.D.
>Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
>Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC 28311
>910-630-7037     rperkins@methodist.edu

-- 

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road, York, South Carolina 29745 USA
hilton@hiltonpond.org, (803) 684-5852, eFax: (503) 218-0845

Please visit our web sites at http://www.hiltonpond.org and
http://www.rubythroat.org

"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
watch the sunset."					BHjr.