Birding Journal Observations / Sept. - Oct. 2011

Immature male rufous hummingbird in first fall flight plumage

Two sightings, one large and one very small, made the latest birding observation period memorable. On September 4 a mature bald eagle flew right across the house on his course to some waypoint in the ACE Basin. Then on October 18 I saw my FIRST EVER Rufous Hummingbird come to a feeder and I was in full panic mode trying to I.D. the hummer using three birding books I keep on hand for such occasions. What made it tough to I.D. was that this was an immature rufous and he was in his first fall flight plumage which is drab. Searching the Internet I was able to find the image by Phil Jeffrey that was an exact match for what I had seen. My ruby-throated hummingbirds had arrived on April 20 and then departed on October 9 - so I knew when I saw the solo hummer on Oct. 18th that it was likely a Rufous. Now I have added the Rufous to my Life List of bird sightings, and can remind birders to remember to leave your hummingbird feeder up a while after the ruby-throated birds leave, because the more cold-hearty rufous hummingbirds may yet migrate through. Other observations include white-breasted nuthatch, dove, tufted titmouse, cardinal, a male Norther parula warbler, female summer tanager, indigo bunting, first-year male summer tanager, red-bellied woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, carolina chickadee, red-headed woodpecker, blue grosbeak, brown thrasher, mockingbird, brown thrasher, bluebird, female American redstart, bluejay, lark sparrow, grey catbird, downy woodpecker, Northern flicker, Canada goose, turkey vulture, yellow-rumped warbler and pileated woodpecker.

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