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NC hummer update



Dear Hummingbird Enthusiasts,

It is that exciting time of year once again--winter hummingbird season!
With
the temperatures cooling, the reports will really begin to roll in over the
next few weeks.  So, before it gets too busy, I want to give you an update
of my activities and hummingbird happenings across the state.


Last Winter
The winter of 2001-2002 was fantastic for hummingbird activity in our state.
In summary, last year across North Carolina I managed to band 12 Rufous, one
Black-chinned, and 16 Ruby-throateds. I banded my first Calliope and
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (both juvenile males) last season as well. The
Calliope was at a feeder in Winston-Salem (Forsyth Co.) all winter. The
Broad-tailed, our first state record for the species, spent from late
October through mid-April in Gibsonville (Guilford Co.).  We also had the
first state record Broad-billed Hummingbird, another immature male, but
unfortunately, it did not stay long enough for me to catch it.

I encountered a good number of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds last winter.  One
particularly interesting individual was an inland immature male Ruby-throat
that I
banded in Hillsborough (Orange Co.), a very rare find during the cooler
months.  On
somewhat a different note, I managed to confirm a northern extension of the
wintering range of Ruby-throateds along the Outer Banks, well up into
northern
Dare County. I caught several in Manteo, saw multiple birds in Kill Devil
Hills and banded two at feeders in Kitty Hawk.  Further south, numerous
Ruby-throateds were again reported in the Morehead City area and around
Wilmington.  I managed to get to a greater proportion of these hummers this
year but still a good number went unbanded as time ran out in February.  I
hope to be able to spend even more time along our coast this winter in order
to catch and study a greater number of these birds.  This is a very unique
situation and we know so very little about this species during the
non-breeding season.  I really look forward to taking greater advantage of
the opportunities to band and observe Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at this
time of year.


Recaptures
Recaptures of banded birds are as exciting to a bird bander as capturing
new or rare species of birds.  I was reunited with three familiar Rufous
over the winter, two in Hampstead (Pender Co.; one male and one female) and
one in Vass (Moore Co.).  The Hampstead birds I had banded as juveniles the
year before.  The Rufous in Vass however had been banded as an a adult two
years before, making him at least three years old last winter.

Catching a bird banded elsewhere by a different bander is even more
exciting.  Last January I had not one but two such events!  I found a banded
adult female Rufous
Hummingbird at a feeder in Pinehurst that had been banded three years
previously in Louisiana by a colleague in a well-known winter hummer haven
near Lake Pontchartrain.  And shortly after that I recaptured an adult
female Black-chinned Hummingbird in Wilmington that had been banded by Gary
Phillips, my subpermittee, in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina about ten
weeks earlier!!


Fall Highlights
Selasphorus (Rufous-type) hummingbirds have already been spotted at a number
of feeders in the last couple months. However most of these birds have been
only passers by; migrating to points unknown.  I did manage to catch a
handsome adult male Rufous in Hendersonville (Henderson Co.).  More recently
I was able to catch two female Rufous Hummingbirds that continue to be seen:
one in Lewisville (Forsyth Co.) and one in Pinehurst (Moore Co.).  Also we
have what I expect to be three Rufous back at feeders
they have used for multiple winters: a male in Vass (Moore Co.) and one in
Hampstead (Pender Co.) and a female in Shelby (Cleveland Co.).  With colder
temperatures forecast for this weekend, I suspect I will hear about the
presence of more of these hardy hummingbirds very shortly.

Of even greater interest, an immature male Calliope Hummingbird has been
seen daily since October 15th in a yard in Castalia (Franklin Co.).  He is
using the vast array of Salvias planted there.  Interestingly, this is the
same yard where I banded a Rufous back in 2000. However with frost predicted
over the weekend, I am hoping that the hummer will find the feeder so that I
may be able to catch him in the near future.  It would be the third banded
Calliope in two years in North Carolina.  So far, several birders have been
to see this feisty little beast and he has put on quite a show, 'bugging' in
his favorite tree and chasing other feeder birds around the yard.  I have a
feeling this is just the beginning of another very exciting winter here!


More News
For anyone that has not yet heard, we now have a hummer web page up and
running in North Carolina.  The North Carolina State Museum of Natural
Sciences, with whom I am a research affiliate, has created a great site at
www.naturalsciences.org/nchummers/.  It contains a variety of information
about the species of hummingbirds found thus far in our state and is loaded
with specifics (including photos), about my banding activities.


Acknowledgements
I must add that last year I had help from two other winter hummer banders
who are relatively new on the scene: Gary Phillips and Rusty Trump.  Gary
spends most of his time banding hummingbirds along the northern coast of
South Carolina near his home in Conway.  Rusty travels from Suwanee, Georgia
throughout the state in search of winter hummingbirds. Rusty banded a few
hummers (two Rufous; one each in Franklin and Bryson City) in the mountains
and Gary banded a number of hummers (6 Ruby-throats & 4 Rufous; in both
Hampstead/Wilmington and Morehead City/Beaufort) along the coast.  Both
Rusty and Gary are very talented banders who through their commitment and
dedication have proven invaluable in our quest to understand more about
wintering hummingbirds in North Carolina.

I would also like to express my sincere thanks to The Museum (for public
relations work including creation and maintenance of the web site as well
as loan of banding equipment) and the Hummer Bird Study Group (Clay,
Alabama; for travel funds) for their continued support in my endeavors.  I
would also like to thank the private contributors who have donated funds to
make my work possible over the past four years.  Without you and the
graciousness of the many hummingbird hosts and hostesses, this work would
not be possible.  I am indebted to you all.

 Please keep in Touch!
So, keep a feeder up and your eyes peeled.  Better yet, tell all your
friends about the fantastic phenomenon of winter hummingbirds across our
state.  And please let me know if you see or hear of any hummingbirds
between now and March 15th.

Best wishes,

Susan Campbell
Whispering Pines, NC
(910) 949-3207