[va-bird] Smithsonian Hummingbird this afternoon (11/26/03)

This afternoon, on my way home from work, I decided to try for the Smithsonian 
black-chinned hummingbird one more time.  When I first arrived (about 2:45) the 
hummingbird was nowhere to be found, but a common yellowthroat feeding in the 
Clematis growing on the fence on the south side of the garden was nice to see 
this late in November.
 
At about 3:12, I spotted the hummingbird feeding in the Salvia guaranitica 
growing under the silverbell tree with the hummingbird feeder.  After a couple 
of minutes, she disappeared behind the arborvitae trees.  I refound her several 
minutes later at the New England asters at the end of the flowerbed in the 
northern part of the garden (the side closest to the Mall).  I watched her for 
several more minutes (at times from as close as approximately 15 feet) as she 
perched and fed at New England asters and a shrub with small pink flowers (I 
didn't look at the label, but it looks like something in the honeysuckle family 
(Caprifoliaceae)) in the northern part of the garden.  Several times, I saw her 
catch small flying insects.  At approximately 3:25 she flew to the large 
southern magnolia in the Hirshorn gardens to the east.  
 
After my initial sighting, the hummingbird never returned to the Salvias or to 
the hummingbird feeder.  This afternoon, she spent most of her time at the 
pink-flowered shrub.  So...anyone looking for the hummingbird this weekend 
should pay attention to all of the flowers remaining in the garden, not just 
the Salvias.
 
Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Craig Tumer
Washington, DC

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