Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 15:27:16 -0800 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: craig tumer Subject: Smithsonian Hummingbird this afternoon (11/26/03) Comments: To: VA-bird MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii This afternoon, on my way home from work, I decided to try for the Smithsonian black-chinned hummingbird one more time. When I first arrived (about 2:45) the hummingbird was nowhere to be found, but a common yellowthroat feeding in the Clematis growing on the fence on the south side of the garden was nice to see this late in November. At about 3:12, I spotted the hummingbird feeding in the Salvia guaranitica growing under the silverbell tree with the hummingbird feeder. After a couple of minutes, she disappeared behind the arborvitae trees. I refound her several minutes later at the New England asters at the end of the flowerbed in the northern part of the garden (the side closest to the Mall). I watched her for several more minutes (at times from as close as approximately 15 feet) as she perched and fed at New England asters and a shrub with small pink flowers (I didn't look at the label, but it looks like something in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)) in the northern part of the garden. Several times, I saw her catch small flying insects. At approximately 3:25 she flew to the large southern magnolia in the Hirshorn gardens to the east. After my initial sighting, the hummingbird never returned to the Salvias or to the hummingbird feeder. This afternoon, she spent most of her time at the pink-flowered shrub. So...anyone looking for the hummingbird this weekend should pay attention to all of the flowers remaining in the garden, not just the Salvias. Happy Thanksgiving. Craig Tumer Washington, DC --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================