FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Pale hummer

[Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx]

Good morning,

Sorry to be so late with this post, but I've been busier than a crazy coondog 
chasing its tail!  I'll try to get this squeezed out before I have to leave 
for another meeting.

On Monday afternoon, while I was in the kitchen, a very pale hummer came to 
my feeder.  It was very white with an extremely light 
sort-of-a-slightly-dirty-dishwater-colored back, AND a light pink throat where 
it's "ruby" would 
normally be.  "He" was here four times while I was busy cooking, eating and 
cleaning 
up--at 1:55 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:05 PM (while I was on the deck putting out food) 
and 4:20 PM.  During his appearance while I was on the deck, he flew right up 
in front of my face and hovered for a second--you know how they'll fly over and 
look you square in the face--then zipped away.  At that point, I KNEW that 
the pale pink throat was NOT a reflection from the red on my hummingbird feeder 
as sometimes happens in the "right" light.  This bird's throat was ACTUALLY 
pink when he was face-on to me.  I was of the thinking that these "off-color" 
birds don't often reach maturity, but this bird must be a mature male ruby 
throat or that pink would not cover the entire area of the male ruby-throat's 
"ruby".  At any rate, after I last saw him, I had to rush to a meeting and 
could 
not take time to write then simply didn't have the time in my busy day 
yesterday.

Yesterday, while preparing my lunch, I had a female hummingbird hover over 
and feed from a fresh orange half that I had just impaled on a nail on my deck 
rail.  She fed on that for several seconds, then flew up to finish off her 
orange juice snack with a sugar water dessert.  They really do seem to love the 
fresh fruit on occasion.  I have seen them go for apple and banana as well as 
suck up a little grape jelly once in a while.  I love to watch them hover above 
my althea bush which seems to attract favorite insects which they dart around 
and fetch fairly often.

This morning, I had five ruby-throated "feemies" and "immies" perched 
PEACEFULLY for a few minutes while I ate breakfast.  When I got up to was the 
dishes, 
the playing and food fights began with hummers everywhere.  I think some more 
were in the trees and came down to join in the play and fray!

As I've never seen a banded hummer here, am I to assume that I am not on the 
same longitude (whatever) as any of the hummingbird banding stations anywhere? 
 I cannot recall ever having had a banded bird of any kind here in Charlotte 
Park.  They say the birds usually follow the same route back and forth each 
year, and it would be interesting to know just where MY visitors are coming 
from.

Cheers, Prayers & Happy Birding,

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN   (Charlotte Park/West Nashville/near old Cleeces' Ferry 
Landing on Cumberland River)
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