Buff-bellied Hummingbird at my feeders (1 Viewer)

For the last few days I've been hosting a "Buffy" in my yard. This species is unusual in that it normally resides in Mexico & S. Texas in the summer, but wanders north in the winter into SE Texas and the other Gulf Coast states east of us. This is the first one I've ever had here since beginning to keep my feeders up in the winter, 5 years ago.

We normally get some Rufous and Black-chinned hummers here on the Gulf Coast, instead of them going down into Mexico & Central America for the winter.

I did get a couple of photos of the Buffy and I've put them on my Winter Hummingbird page on my website. There are also pix of the banded Rufous that has returned to my yard. She was banded here last March. Here's the URL:

http://helensbirds.homestead.com/winterhb02.html

:t:

They're lovely Helen

El Annie :t:

Hummers

Went to the url. Great photos. New England only gets Ruby-throated Hummer. Had the Rufous one time here. Thanks for sharing.

A great series of shots Helen. I love seeing these exotic little birds.

"Buffy" has gone!

Glad you all enjoyed the pix. Glad I got the shots of the "buffy" when I did, as I haven't seen it since Saturday afternoon - so pleased that it decided to visit my garden and feeders for those 3 days. It was fascinating watching the other hummer trying to defend it's territory. In the peak southbound migration time of the Ruby-throated hummers, we've had as many as 30 whizzing all around our deck competing for the 5 or 6 feeders I usually have out then. Its almost unsafe to go out & sit on your deck for the fear of being stabbed by a hummer zipping by at mac 3!!!

I will be updating the Winter Hummer webpage whenever I get new pix, so I'll post another message when there's something new.

Great photos, Helen. Thanks for sharing them.

Do you keep your hummer feeders out all winter, in case a vagrant individual comes by?

Sylvia

Great photos! I envy you having birds like that in your garden!


B

Monkeyman...
They're wonderful little gems - now you know why I love living over here (was born in England, but have lived in the US for the last 15 years)

Hi Sylvia,
Yes, I keep my feeders up all winter, but not just in the hope that a vagrant passes by. Southern Texas and the other Gulf Coast states, get quite a few western hummingbirds, such as Rufous and Black-chinned, wintering here instead fo going down to Mexico or Central America. It used to be thought that they were just vagrants and had got lost on their way south, but humbanders have caught the same birds in the same yards for several consecutive winters, so these hummers are not lost and do know where they are going!

The humbander first came to my home last March (02). He trapped and banded (ringed) a female Rufous. Here's the URL for my webpage on that banding session in March:
http://helensbirds.homestead.com/hummerbanding.html

She then came back to yard on Oct 23rd and was confirmed as being the same hummer on Nov 7th. Haven't got those pix on a webpage yet, but check this one out for the 3 hummers that were caught and banded on Nov 27th.
http://helensbirds.homestead.com/bandingday3.html

This morning we had our first frost - temperature at 30*F at 6:30am. I made sure the sugar water in the feeder wasn't frozen - higher concentrations of sugar to water help in the winter, and Ms Rufous was there having her breakfast at 7:30am. I'm hoping she will stay with me all winter.