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NC hummingbird update



Dear All,

Hummingbird activity in North Carolina has indeed slowed considerably over
the past two weeks.  I still have three or four chubby little birds in my
yard--which is pretty typical for this time of the year.  Come the first
good cold front in this beginning of October, they and their brethren across
the state will probably all be gone.

However there has been a good bit of exciting news even as the Ruby-throat
numbers have been dwindling across the state. I received word of two
albanistic birds: one here in Pinehurst (Moore Co.) and one in north
Raleigh.  I immediately made plans to go see and catch the Pinehurst bird
but was a day too late.  A morning of watching and waiting was in vain.  At
the same time, Wayne Irvin went up to see and photograph the Raleigh bird.
He managed to get a couple of excellent shots.  It was indeed a full
albino--probably a young  female.  We planned to go up to catch
that bird very shortly thereafter but the hummer disappeared (again!) the
afternoon before our visit.  The Raleigh News and Observer apparently ran a
story about this bird in last Friday's North Raleigh section and will be
running a short follow up with Wayne's photo this week (maybe today?).  The
photo they will be running is incredible.  Wayne is in the process of
sending it to the Carolina Bird Club website for all to see.  I am sure he
will let you know when it is available for folks to view.

As was mentioned on our local bird hotline, Selasphorus hummers are being
reported across the Carolinas.  Most are migrants passing through.  However
there are already adult male Rufouses that have returned to neighborhoods
that they occupied last winter (presumably banded birds) in a few places:
Murrells' Inlet, SC and Vass & Hampstead, NC.  I have also just received a
report of an adult male that has settled in at a feeder (for the first time)
in Hendersonville.  Wayne and I will be heading up to see and hopefully
catch this handsome fella early this week.

So keep your feeders up and your eyes peeled!  The winter fun is just
beginning--

Susan Campbell
Whispering Pines, NC