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Update--Hummingbird near Columbia, SC



As a follow-up to my post on Tuesday, the news is that...

		It's a BOY!

On Wednesday, I had a fair view of the front of the little hummingbird 
that arrived at our feeder Tuesday.  The vertical streaks on the throat
suggested that it was not a female, but an immature male, Calliope.  I
could not make out the color (cloudy days).  I also noticed a white spot
between the eye and the bill that looked like some pictures of Calliopes
in my books.

As a member of Bob Sargent's Hummingbird Study Group, I decided to contact
Susan Campbell and invite her down to identify and band the bird.  She
somehow got here just after 7am, in time to see the first feeding around
7:20am.  She immediately confirmed the Calliope ID from the call notes it
seems to make constantly.  Just as she said, the bird came to the feeder
in the trap (cage) very quickly--under 10 seconds!--and was soon under
control and ready to be measured and examined.  

An immature male Calliope in good health.  Not previously banded.  Owing
to some fat deposits, he weighed in a bit heavy at a "whopping"  2.65 grams,
which is still under 1/10 oz.!

He was released in just a few moments, and returned to feeding almost 
immediately.  Thanks, Susan, for a job well-done!

I'll post photos once we have them.

It could apparently leave us soon.  Or it might stay for weeks (those
night feedings every few hours will be tough--Nah!).  Time will tell!

Jerry Griggs     j@sc.edu
Columbia, SC