Hummingbird Migration Update: March 9, 2006

Today's Report Includes:

• Hummingbird Maps and Data
• Latest Migration News
• A Surprising Travel Tale: Challenge Questions #3 and #4
• Discussion of Challenge Question #2: What Needs to Change?

	Distribution Map
Rufous Hummingbird (map) (data)		Ruby-throated Hummingbird (map) (data) Most data courtesy of Lanny Chambers, Hummingbirds.net

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds: New Rubythroat arrivals hug the Gulf Coast! In which states have they been reported? Observers share their excitement; you'll find crafty clues about the migration:

• Mike Patton boasted, "It is rare that southwestern LA beats southeastern LA with the first Rubythroat." (March 2, Lafayette, LA)
• From Lake Jackson, TX, twelve miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, came this comment on on March 3: "There is fairly strong wind from the south. It certainly looks pretty good for a trans-Gulf migrant." What does the south wind mean for the hummingbirds?
• On March 4 a Houston, TX, observer saw "a beautiful adult male using a feeder and ignoring the many Abutilon, cape honeysuckle, dwarf bottlebrush, shrimp plants (winter and "summer"), firecracker vine (Manettia) and coral honeysuckle blooms that are in the yard." Why do you think this new arrival went first for the feeder instead of the flowers?

"This juvenile Rufous hummingbird male is growing new gorget feathers. He is protecting a small area of flowering Bottlebrush and Melaleuca, hawking small gnat-like insects." Jackie Allison

Rufous Hummingbirds: Here they come! New arrivals included the season's first for Mike Patterson (Rufous Expert) in Astoria, OR, March 2— "right on the average arrival date." In Salem, OR, Sandra's first Rufous appeared on March 1. "Last year we saw our first on March 11, and the year before on March 17." A Bremerton, WA observer had just hung a fresh feeder on March 4 when he heard a loud humming and saw a hummingbird shadow on the side of the house. "He flew away, but I knew he'd be back. I sat down and waited. He was back in about one minute. He took a nice long drink and kept an eye on me. I was thrilled."

• Travel Tale: A Rufous Hummer in Indiana

Read Travel Tale before you tackle this week's double challenge:
Challenge Question #3: "What factors can you list that could explain this Rufous sighting in Indiana?" Challenge Question #4: "What factors could explain the overall increase in Rufous sightings?" Photos S. Sorenson

• To respond to these Challenge Questions, please follow these instructions.
  

• Discussion of Challenge Question #2

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