Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 21:19:37 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Catherine Carroll Subject: Re: Black-chinned Hummer (& friend?), S.I. - comment In-Reply-To: <087801c3b68b$66dee960$860101c0@fpsassoc.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I was there this morning around 11:00am (w/ 2 non-birding friends) - just as two were leaving - I don't know if it was you. This said, I, too, had very good looks at only one little bird, perched, feeding, and preening. I guess I am going to go out on a limb here and ask how this bird was identified as a Black-chinned Hummer? Thanks, Cathy Carroll Baltimore, MD clcarroll@voyager.net > The hummer was present this morning at the Ripley Gardens between the > Hirschorn and Arts & Industries museums. > > Ron Staley of Herndon had been observing since about 7:30am, and had > two hummers perched near each other (and may have gotten video) in the > shrubs by the A&I building. They both "appeared to be the same," he > said. When I arrived at 8:50am, it was just in time to see one chase > another off (but at that speed, all I could distinguish were the > sounds of Hummer "conflict" and two blurs). > > One, which seemed to be an immature male, remained in the area for the > next 40 minutes, alternating between many minutes of perching, to many > minutes of feeding actively on the various flowers. When perched, it > offered excellent views in the bright sunlight, frequently preening & > scratching, with the opportunity to see its features and colors from > many angles. > > At one point, the sun glinted off a single metallic-like spot on its > throat. This bird's throat had a pattern of "dots" on it. Its sides > were buff, with the same color above and below its tail. It had a > "broken" eye-ring, with white behind its eyes. Beak was long, > decurved and seemed rather thicker than a Ruby-throat. It's crown had > a grayish color to it. Behind its beak and before the eyes (forgive > me, but I forget what that areas is called), it appeared to have a > spot of buff color. Its back was mainly greenish, interspersed with > that same golden-buffy color. > > Its call sounded different from a Ruby-throat. And, it flicked its > tail frequently at one time when perched (many other times it sat > quietly, moving only its head rapidly as it surveyed its territory). > It seems to have some "weight" to it, appearing rather round, not > unlike a Hummer's weight-gain as it prepares for migration. > > It did not feed from the Hummer feeder while we were there, 'tho it > spent a good portion of its time in that tree. > > In the same area was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. > > Parking at that hour was not a problem. Could have been the very > windy and chilly conditions. During the entire time (both Ron's and > mine) no other birders came by. If you get the chance, it's quite a > treat! > > Frank Powers > Glen Echo, MD > Montgomery County > frankpowers@comcast.net > > ====================================================================== > = > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================