Date: 11/22/2023

Number: 1

Male Rufous was out on patio at 7:50 a.m. nectaring from potted Amigo salvia. He's coping with a flock of sparrows that venture back here once in a while. I saw male Rufous move away out nectaring from Indian shot canna lilies, and blooming Hamelia bushes. This Rufous definitely does not want to be an 'Amigo' to sparrows here getting in the way.

I would like to note there seemed to be a few reporters this past October concerned with having rubythroats AND their rubythroat should not be there. With hummingbird feeders still out in cold snaps. The torper mode all hummingbirds have works for them. Hummingbirds can sip and be ok with cold sugar water as long as it's not frozen. Bring your feeders in at night, return out next morning as we do get down cold too.

We have hosted rubythroats, Rufous, broadtais, Black chins, Buff-bellied hummingbirds thru cold, extreme heat, winter, and hurricanes, for years and just see how tuff they are.

This Rufous was totally ok when it got down to 40's chill last night. I didn't see him this morning sitting on his usual twig come out of a torper. No shaking out of it.

Hummingbirds know how to take care of themselves. Y'all hang in there and don't do NEW REPORTERS panic modes I get thru JN interface. When rubythroats return in early spring snows in 4 months they will be ok. Again I have seen in years hundreds of reports their first arrival rubythroat was ok.

Beverly L
Houston

Houston, TX

Latitude: 29.8 Longitude: -95.4

Observed by: Beverly
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