An Old Friend Returns
In
2001, a young male Rufous Hummingbird turned up in John Owen's yard
and was banded by Nancy Newfield. The tiny visitor remained for the
winter and then disappeared. John nicknamed the little mite "Orange
Julius." In August, 2002, when an adult male Rufous Hummingbird
turned up in the same yard, John hoped very much that it would prove
to be Orange Julius. Looking at it carefully with binoculars, John could
see that it was a banded bird. Could it really be Orange Julius?
When
Nancy Newfield trapped and examined it, she saw by the band number that
this really was Orange Julius. He had survived two migrations and a
breeding season and was back!
Orange
Julius: An Old Friend Returns |
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A
hummingbird flies into the trap. |
Click!
Nancy presses the remote control and the door snaps shut. The
Rufous Hummingbird is trapped. |
Nancy
reaches in through the special sleeve door and captures the hummingbird. |
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She
moves the feathers away and turns the leg band so she can see
the numbers. |
She
reads the band numbers. It's Orange Julius! |
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A
Rufous Hummingbird's tail is very different from a Ruby-throats! |
Getting
Orange Julius's weight. |
Last
checkup and then off he goes! |
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