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Subject:

Charles County Birds

From:

"George M. Jett"

Reply-To:

George M. Jett

Date:

Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:19:01 -0400

Folks

Does anyone out there know how much sugar water a Ruby-throated Hummingbird eats per day?  I have been feeding about 2 quarts of sugar water per day recently.  Last night I tried to count the birds last night and got to 647, but I think the beer I was drinking influenced my judgment.  That number is likely high.  It is extremely difficult to count the swarm as they approach the feeders (four on the deck), dive bomb each others, swirl, hover, challenge each other while you are having a beer.  Realistically I estimate at least 20 birds, mostly hatch year (HY) birds.  

Today Dr. Pradip Sedhev, my surgeon, and I did a little exploring parts of Allen's Fresh and Morgantown.    Along the way we encountered 22 Bobwhite Quail crossing the road at the Bowling Farm, singing Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting (still safe dates), and several Grasshopper Sparrow in Allen's Fresh.  We also found one young boy throwing rocks at a group of 7 Forster's Tern at the peer at the farm.  One Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew by as we were leading the farm.  

We then went to Morgantown and found two Green Herons, five Royal Terns including one beautiful HY bird that Dave Brinker missed on his banding efforts this year, and two Caspian Terns.  The common gulls were also in view - Laughing (35), Ring-billed (7), Herring (1), and about 40 Great Black-backed Gulls.  One Spotted Sandpiper was also along the Potomac River shore.  A collection of about 25 Brown-headed Cowbirds were feeding at a feeder station along Morgantown Road.  I guess they are grouping up for the winter flocking.  Most were males.

Still time to atlas.

George
Waldorf, MD