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Already Leaving?! (1 Viewer)

My October "Youths"

The_BirdMaster_09 said:
Hello All.

I live here in northern Ohio about 2-3 counties south of Lake Erie.

a day or two ago I was gone for most of the day. I kept watch of my hummingbird feeders for 10 - 20 minutes W/O seeing a single one.

Weird I thought... "They can't already be migrating can they?!"

So finally around one if the feeders in the front of the house I saw a blur of something. There was a female ruby throat.

For the rest of the day it appeared to be the same bird, seems to be an Adult bird, although it may be younger.

Yesterday though, I watched it fly off, then looked away real quick and looked back again to see what looked like another following it.

Anyway, what the heck is up with them this year?! It's already one thing that our activity was way down at times, but they're leaving this early?

So it appears that this same bird is still here and obviously plans on staying a while. The thing is, most have seemingly left now, but yet it is 2-3 weeks early! I don't think I've ever had them leave the 1st week of september in the past.

So:

- It still stay daylight till 8:00 - 8:20
- The weather is very nice
- Plenty of flowers and nectar sources (although I'm aware they'll leave either way)

Why would they decided to leave so early? Any one else in Ohio experiencing anything similar?
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October 2,2009 I still got a few!All of them are juvys as far as i can tell.I am hoping for a Annas or a Rufas,one that stays all winter.Just have to wait and see.I have only seen "Rubys"so far.http://www.flickr.com/photos/akersjc2000
 

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Still getting decent amounts coming through here, more Rufous' than I am used to seeing. By now it is usually Black-chinned, some Broad-tails and Anna's. The Rufous' are still going after the flowers, and fighting each other off the feeders.
 

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There were two juvenile hummers in my backyard this morning that I saw before I left for work. One left its perch to fly into my neighbor's yard and a second one came to feed from flowers right outside my window. I've only seen them feeding from flowers for about a week now, but I'm still keeping the hummingbird feeders clean and filled. It seems like a typical year, they could be gone tomorrow or anytime in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
 
October 5,2009 "still got a few!

Lisa W said:
Still getting decent amounts coming through here, more Rufous' than I am used to seeing. By now it is usually Black-chinned, some Broad-tails and Anna's. The Rufous' are still going after the flowers, and fighting each other off the feeders.
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Its in the low 50,s -"glommy skys" but i still have a few! I think these guys or dolls are watching me not me watching them!:t:
 

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The female Ruby here appears to have moved on. It's been four days without a sighting.

Oct 1st and 2nd she was sitting at the feeder for 30 minutes or more at a time. She would feed, then sit and look around, feed, sit, feed, watch a couple afternoon snacks fly by, feed, etc. I can only guess tha she was trying to expend as little energy as possible in order to fatten up a bit.

The morning of the 3rd I didn't see her.

I'll keep the feeders going as much as possible.
 
October 9,2009 "Still Got One Regular"

:t:http://www.flickr.com/photos/akersjc2000 I still have at least one regular as of Oct.9,2009.Boy this ones hard to photograph!I still have some juvys but its hit and miss with them,dont know if its their last time or not.
 

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Before I left for work this morning there was one hummer at one of the feeders, when a second hummer chased it away.
 
Still Got" One"

zerb21 said:
Before I left for work this morning there was one hummer at one of the feeders, when a second hummer chased it away.
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I still got one,but he or she is real hard to photograph!Cant tell exactly what it is either!:t:
 

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Believe all my birds are gone now,kinda sad but their well being is what its all about.One good thing i bought a new camera to play with and have all fall and winter to learn how to use it.Hopefully i will have more hummingbird type flowers and vines next year.I am still going to leave several homemade feeders out all winter(you never know!)
 
There is still one juvenile male at my place in SE Michigan. He was feeding from a feeder this morning before I left for work. Attached are pics from yesterday. He should be heading South any day now, the latest we've seen a hummingbird at my place is October 23.

Bruce Moorman
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
 

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My leave date this year was October 6. The males had all left about a month before.
Base of the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina.
 
New Record Late Date, October 27!

The juvenile male that was in our backyard was last seen on October 23, that tied our previous late date. No humingbirds were seen on October 24.

Then to our surprise there was another hummer on October 25! Attached are a couple of pics of it. A local hummingbird bander has said it is a probable hatch year female ruby-throated hummingbird. I saw it again yesterday, October 27, as I was leaving to go to work. It had a white, unstreaked throat without any of the red feathers present on the young male last seen on October23.

It's difficult for me to see hummingbirds on my work days as I have to leave by 8:30 AM and don't get back home until after dark. During this time of year that allows only about half an hour of daylight for me to look for them.

Bruce Moorman
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
 

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