[bristol-birds] hummingbirds wintering in area
- From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: 1-A Bristol-Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 22:15:07 -0400
Apparently three west-coast hummingbirds have
have been in our area this winter.
They all seem to be Rufous Hummingbirds,
which normally nest in northwest America.
They make their summer homes from north
California, Oregon and Idaho north to the Yukon.
Our first bird showed up in Bristol, Virginia about
the first of October and came to a feeder all
winter. It evidently departed on January 18th
when it was last seen in early afternoon.
A second bird has been wintering at the home
of Marilyn and Albert Walton, 1037 Catawba
Street, Kingsport, TN (423) 245-4268.
Some of you birders in the Kingsport area need
to contact Marilyn and Albert to see if they can
get a look at that bird. No birder as seen it
to the best of my knowledge. I talked to them
by phone, about Jan. 15, and it was still coming
in. I have no update. They were very happy
to have me over. I haven't been able
to make it. I now need to get out and check
on another new hummer in Bristol.
Meanwhile, nine days after the Bristol,
Virginia bird left that feeder, what is believed
to be another Rufous showed up at the same
feeder. It looks a little different than the first
bird and does not have as much Rufous in
the flanks. It came in during mid-afternoon
on Jan. 27 and has been there six days. I
have not seen it but plan to try.
These birds are only likely to be either the
Rufous or Allen's hummingbirds. The Allen's
hummingbirds have virtually left their
Southeastern wintering areas and many
are already back on their west coast breeding
grounds. Usually you can only be certain of
the identification in winter by capturing them
and inspecting the markings on their tails.
They are that close!
Rufous are virtually the only ones around at
this late date. Based on that information and
consultation with Bob Sargent (the hummingbird
bander, author and expert), I have submitted
documentation for the Bristol, Virginia bird
(seen on our Christmas Bird Count by Ken
Hale). It is now in the record books as the first
Rufous Hummingbird for a Bristol Christmas
Bird Count. I have studied carefully.
Four years ago, we captured, banded and
photographed an Allen's Hummingbird at this
same Bristol Virginia location. It was the
first Virginia state record for the species,
the first time found on any Virginia
Christmas Bird Count and now we have both
Allen's and Rufous on the Bristol CBC records.
We have several records for Rufous in
Northeast Tennessee, including one at
Unicoi earlier this winter, an Allen's captured
and banded at Johnson City about four years
ago, and a Rufous captured and banded at
Blountville about three years ago. There
have been several others at Johnson City,
Greeneville and Elizabethton and maybe near
Jonesborough.
A Rufous was in Russell County at Rosedale
about a year or so ago and one was at Janice
Martin's feeder near Bristol Virginia Middle
School about two or three years ago.
Can someone get to the Kingsport bird
and post something for us?
Wallace Coffey
Bristol
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Club, Buchanan County Bird Club, Bristol Bird Club,
Clinch Valley Bird Club and Cumberland Nature Club.
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