As I traveled around the mid-state this year doing my hummingbird talk at
festivals and various meetings one of the questions I was asked at each
event was ³when do I take down my hummingbird feeders². Well I¹d like to
invite you to leave at least ONE FEEDER up YEAR ROUND. Or at least leave it
up as long as possible continuing with the 4 parts water to 1 part sugar
ratio I recommend. And if possible the best place to keep this feeder up
would be outside where you eat breakfast or look first thing in the morning
or last thing just before dark as that is the greatest chance of seeing one
of these ³winter² hummingbirds.
The last of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds will be passing through Tennessee
over the next few weeksif you have ANY hummingbird at your feeder AFTER
November 15th through March 15th I¹d love to know about it! Most
Ruby-throats are gone from Tennessee by November but last season I banded
one in Memphis in mid-December and in 2014 I banded one in the Nashville
area, however don¹t assume that a hummingbird at your feeder in November or
December IS a Ruby-throat. In the last 35 years there have been 218 banded
and recorded records of western hummingbirds in Tennessee including Rufous,
Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna¹s, Broad-tailed and Allen¹s hummingbirds. In
fact there is already one return Rufous Hummingbird for this year confirmed
near Franklin.
So please consider keeping up a feeder, watching and reporting any
hummingbird activity after November 15th and before March 15th to me, if you
live in Middle or West Tennessee (routledges@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) and/or to Mark
Armstrong (woodthrush@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ) if you live in the East TN region.
Thanks! And happy winter hummingbird watching!
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( \
/ |` Cyndi Routledge
Southeastern Avian Research
Specializing in Winter Hummingbird banding
1515 N. Willow Bend Court
Clarksville, TN 37043
931-206-3517
