Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 19:39:15 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: David Mozurkewich Subject: Re: Hummingbird Migration Routes In-Reply-To: <182.246192b0.2d08eb77@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 10 Dec 2003, Paul O'Brien wrote: > Sheri Williamson just reminded a few of us to look at Stacy Jon > Peterson's web site that shows Winter Hummers and Tallies at: > > www.trochilids.com/USA/2003rual.html > > It shows the sightings of Rufous Hummingbirds "out of range" this fall > and winter and you can see the birds being swept along from the gulf > states to the southeast and mid-Atlantic states, especially in Oct. > and Nov. The Pacific air masses rake across Mexico and the gulf > states and deposit birds hereabouts. The sheer numbers of them tell me > that we are not dealing with rare deviants. Migrating Rufous > Hummingbirds from the west head into Mexico and collide with this > Pacific air mass and go along for the ride like drifters on railroad > cars (block that metaphor). It's a fascinating picture. Take a look. Paul, While I agree these maps are interesting and while I won't argue against this interpretation, I don't see evidence for it in these maps. As presented. The time resolution is too crude. We can easily argue that the increase of reports in Oct and Nov compared to September is due to cold weather forcing the birds into the sheltered areas where we look for them. Or to the fact that fewer hummingbirds go unidentified late in the season; a poor look at a hummer in September will often be passed off as a Ruby. The same poor look in early November would result in you or me standing in that spot for hours awaiting a better view. Dave David Mozurkewich Seabrook, PG MD USA mozurk @ bellAtlantic.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================