[texbirds] W Texas hummingbird winter summary

From: Kelly Bryan <kelly.b.bryan@xxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:41:01 -0600
Now that the winter season is officially over I thought I would sum up what
happened here in the central portions of west Texas.  Despite a lot of
travel and family time during the holidays we managed to band at our sample
sites 15 days (mornings) during the three month period.  It was an amazing,
truly amazing, unprecedented season for hummingbird abundance and diversity
here.  In the past we have seen a peak in abundance in December primarily
due to Anna's Hummingbird numbers.  For comparison Anna's numbers peaked in
October and November in 2008, 2009, and 2010.  This year was different and
similar to 2011.  However, the numbers did not crash after January 1 as
they had in the past, particularly down south in the Terlingua Ranch area.
Also, there has been a noticeable reduction in abundance and diversity in
the Davis Mountains region the past two years compared to that in the
Terlingua Ranch area.  With that said this season's results were as follows
for 124 total birds captured including 97 new birds banded and 27 returns
of previously banded birds:
   - Lucifer Hummingbird - 1 adult male return/recap on 2/26 (originally
   banded in Aug 2009 as an adult); first observed 2/23 for the earliest
   arrival date on record
   - Black-chinned Hummingbird - 2 new birds including 1 SY male on 1/17 in
   the Christmas Mts. and 1 adult female on 2/3 in the Davis Mts. (the latter
   totally unexpected)
   - Anna's Hummingbird - 76 birds including 64 new birds banded and 12
   returns/recaps (2 of which were banded last year)
   - Costa's Hummingbird - 1 adult female banded in Study Butte on 1/14
   - Rufous Hummingbird - 36 birds including 25 new birds and 11
   returns/recaps
   - Allen's Hummingbird - 8 birds including 5 new birds and 3
   returns/recaps (1 originally banded 10/27/11)

If you would like to see the project results from all of 2012, that report
can be found on my website under the "activities and information" section
on the header.  For those of you that have not ever looked at the contents
of my website there may be other items of interest including;

   - an article on the proper care and use on hummingbird feeders (by
   Carolyn Ohl-Johnson)
   - detailed information on the most significant returns and recaptures
   documented by this study
   - a handout on aging and sexing hummingbirds (including measurement data)
   - a powerpoint presentation on our Lucifer Hummingbird data (as of the
   end of 2011--to be updated this spring with 2012 data)
   - a printable Guide to West Texas Hummingbirds (updated to Dec 2012)

Spring has officially arrived.  Observed a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird
today at our cabin in the mountains.  Enjoy!  KBB

-- 
Kelly B Bryan
Fort Davis, Texas

To follow the progress of my hummingbird project go to:
http://westtexashummingbirds.com/
To support this project, other bird projects and our educational outreach
in west Texas go to:  http://www.westtexasavianresearch.org/


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[texbirds] W Texas hummingbird winter summary

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