More November Welcomes

Straggler Sightings

Some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds still have a long way to go before they reach overwintering grounds.

Marilynn in Annapolis, NS: “In a follow-up to my post from yesterday, our wayward hummingbird visited our flower display in Nova Scotia, Canada again today at about 1:00 pm.” (11/10/2020)

Lisa in Chesapeake, VA: “Feeding from tropicals I haven’t brought inside for winter yet! I put the feeder back out. Last November I had a male visit until the day before Thanksgiving! Same one perhaps?” (11/16/2020)

Marianne in Sinks Grove, WV: “This bird has been hanging around for weeks. Have kept a feeder up for it. There aren’t any flowers around now and we’ve had temperatures in the twenties. He’s a young male ruby throated hummingbird.” (11/17/2020)

Rubies and Rufous Along the Gulf Coast

Ruby-throated and Rufous Hummingbirds are passing through – and some Rufous are arriving to overwintering grounds – along the Gulf Coast. 

Seth in New Orleans, LA: “Although we also have been seeing this Ruby-throated hummingbird for about a month nectaring from flowers, including on 10 November 2020, the attached photo is a still from a motion-activated camera near a feeder. This appears to be the only hummingbird in our yard now, and has been the only one we have observed for several weeks.” (11/10/2020)

Carla in Crowley, LA: “Our first ever Rufous hummingbird sighting, both yesterday and again today! It sports some brown tail feathers and it’s definitely filling up here as we’ve been hearing its distinctive chatterly-chirps both in our oak trees and to and from the feeder. Keeping the feeder up two weeks after the last Ruby throated sighting was terrific advice. Seeing it is a huge treat. Thanks Journey North!” (11/11/2020)

Paula in Houston, TX: “I thought all of the Hummingbirds were gone. We were sitting at our kitchen table having lunch when we saw a female Rufous flying around the Firespike. I looked in my Hummingbird journal and saw that a female Rufous had visited on 11/29/2018. She stayed until February of 2019. I hope this one will stay a while.” (11/11/2020)

Out West

Reports of Anna’s Hummingbirds are picking up in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and Rufous Hummingbirds are still being observed in the Southwest.

Jim in Trinidad California: “Anna’s hummingbirds sighted at one feeder at my house in far northern coastal California. There are at least 15 Anna’s here at the moment.” (11/09/2020)

David in Auburn, WA: “Never had this many here this late. They must be wintering here!” (11/10/2020)

Alamogordo, NM: “Today I still have the same 2 migrating hummingbirds that I have had for a little while… I believe one is possibly an Anna’s immature hummer… The other one is in this photograph. It is a Rufous immature hummer.” (11/11/2020)

Rufous Hummingbird Report

A new report published by the Western Hummingbird Partnership (WHP) provides a detailed overview of Rufous Hummingbirds and highlights concerning gaps in knowledge that may affect our collective ability to protect them. Your observations of Rufous Hummingbirds are more important than ever to further understand their migration patterns.

Read the full report: State of the Rufous Hummingbird Science and Conservation

One Week Left!

Hummingbird News Updates will conclude next week on November 24. However, monitoring hummingbird activities where they are present during the months of December, January and February will continue. Keep watching and reporting!