[va-bird] Re: Winter Hummingbirds

on 9/23/02 5:35 PM, canyon.eagle@xxxxxxxxxxx at canyon.eagle@xxxxxxxxxxx
wrote:

I must agree with Lorrie about these "hard wired" rufous [and other] hummers
that show up in the NE in the fall and late fall, and often hang around for
months.

I do however agree with the MA writer that capturing and "green housing"
hummers  so that you have a "pet" for the winter months, is down right
criminal.  Literally!  Those folks need to be reported.  That book did more
harm than good.

I forwarded the email to Bob and Martha Sargent.  They and their "crew" will
get back to us I am sure.

Barbara Chambers 

> 
> Hello VAbirders,
> 
> I'm sorry, but I respectfully take issue with the following post.  It is
> not true that leaving up your hum feeders will cause hummers to
> stay.  Hummers migrate south as they are programmed to do, whether you have
> a feeder up or not.  The western hummers that over-winter in the east and
> southeast are there because something about their "wiring" is telling them
> not to migrate to Mexico and points further south.
> 
> I'm copying this note to HUMNET, a listserv whose subscription lists boasts
> numerous hummingbird experts, including many hummingbird banders.  Unlike
> me, they can give you the authoritative scoop on hummingbirds.  I am hoping
> that several of them will respond to this issue.
> 
> I also request that Harry forward any and all of their responses to the
> Massachusetts listserv from which the well-intended but misguided post
> originated.
> 
> Thanks very much,
> 
> Lori Markoff
> Vienna, VA
> Fairfax County
> canyon.eagle@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> 
> 
>> I have permission of the author of this posting on the Massachusetts
>> version of va-bird to pass it along to our subscribers.  While winter in
>> Virginia is nothing like it can be in New England, the advice is still sound:
>> 
>> It is exciting that several western hummers are in the state, but a note of
>> caution. Be sure to take your hummingbird feeders down as October begins, mid
>> October AT THE LATEST if the weather remains good. A sad pattern has occurred
>> all too frequently in MA, where the hosts of these hummers keep waiting for
>> the birds to leave....and they don't. Before you know it, the first frosts
>> have come, most of the flowers have died, insects are tough to come by and
>> that hummer at your feeder is trapped there and will most likely not survive.
>> Why these Selasphorus hummers don't move on while the Ruby-throats do is not
>> clear. All I can say is that I have had to deal with several very emotional
>> folks over the years, well meaning hummer hosts, who have had to face the
>> fact that when they now take their feeders down (sometimes as late as the end
>> of November and the bird is still there) chances are it will not survive. It
>> has not been a pleasant situation. We are not an area like the Gulf States
>> where we can expect to maintain hummer feeders outside year round: it's not
>> going to work and despite your best intentions, you may in fact be luring the
>> bird to it's demise..
>> Fish and Wildlife (state or national) will NOT issue any permits to take
>> these birds into greenhouses. The justly famous Ruffy was/is a special case
>> and she (Ruffy) illustrates the problem. Fish and Wildlife folk obviously saw
>> this as a very slippery slope and are adamant about not issuing anymore. I
>> can see their point, judging by Ruffy's behavior, before you know it, there
>> would be a dozen Selasphorus spending winters every year in people's
>> greenhouses: a very UN-NATURAL state of affairs. After all, you don't want to
>> keep Blackpolls indoors. You would rather see them migrating and on their
>> way. There are folks who illegally net and keep these hummers and my advice
>> is DON'T. Let the birds move on.
>> We are not sure what we are witnessing here: true natural vagrancy or a
>> change in migration pattern aided by humans or a bit of both. My intuition
>> says that  small numbers of Selasphorus head east then south every year, but
>> weirdly get way-layed by hummingbird feeders. For some damned reason, many
>> (not all) stay.
>> So if you really care about the bird itself, take tons of photos, and then
>> take your feeders down while the weather is still warm and there are still
>> insects aplenty and lots of blooms for the little buggers to nectar on en
>> route to their final winter destination. And that means pretty soon.
>> 
>> 
>> Harry Glasgow
>> aglasgow@xxxxxxx
>> 
>> 
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