Empathy List Archives

BS

Bob Sachs

Wed, Jan 7, 2004 3:49 PM

I visited the site of the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD this morning around 9:20 a.m.
Our thermometer was showing -13° C and a moderate west wing was blowing.
After 8 minutes the bird appeared and fed at the feeder for about 13 sec.
After another 9 min I watched it feed for 25 sec.

Kingston's forecast tonight is -20°, perilously low even for a tough RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD.

DIRECTIONS: from Hwy 401 @ km. 623 go south on Hwy 15 to the T-junction at
Hwy 2 and then east on #2 Hwy to King Pitt Rd., then south on King Pitt Rd.
to #24 at the end of the Road.

CONDITIONS: The owners are birder-friendly. They request that visiting
birders not block the streets or driveways. Please visit in small groups, 5
or 6 persons at a time are welcome to watch the hummingbird feeder on the
south side of the house from a distance of 20 ft. A good vantage point is
the row of rocks at about that distance south of the feeder.

Excelent photos of the RUHU by Phil Yendt of Kingston and Carol Horner of
Toronto are on the Ontario Field Ornithologists web site:
http://www.ofo.ca/photos/

Bob Sachs, Kingston, Ont.

"Bob Sachs" rsachs@cogeco.ca

Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving
and joining the list. As well as general information and content
guidelines.

I visited the site of the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD this morning around 9:20 a.m. Our thermometer was showing -13° C and a moderate west wing was blowing. After 8 minutes the bird appeared and fed at the feeder for about 13 sec. After another 9 min I watched it feed for 25 sec. Kingston's forecast tonight is -20°, perilously low even for a tough RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. DIRECTIONS: from Hwy 401 @ km. 623 go south on Hwy 15 to the T-junction at Hwy 2 and then east on #2 Hwy to King Pitt Rd., then south on King Pitt Rd. to #24 at the end of the Road. CONDITIONS: The owners are birder-friendly. They request that visiting birders not block the streets or driveways. Please visit in small groups, 5 or 6 persons at a time are welcome to watch the hummingbird feeder on the south side of the house from a distance of 20 ft. A good vantage point is the row of rocks at about that distance south of the feeder. Excelent photos of the RUHU by Phil Yendt of Kingston and Carol Horner of Toronto are on the Ontario Field Ornithologists web site: http://www.ofo.ca/photos/ Bob Sachs, Kingston, Ont. "Bob Sachs" <rsachs@cogeco.ca> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.

AC

Allen Chartier

Wed, Jan 7, 2004 8:18 PM

Birders,

Bob Sach's wrote:

Kingston's forecast tonight is -20°, perilously low even for a tough

RUFOUS

HUMMINGBIRD.

Last winter, two Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio endured a cold snap that put
nighttime low temperatures in the -18° to -20° C range for ten days in a
row, and with daytime highs only reaching -10° to -14° C. Don't write this
tough bird's epitaph yet :-). The next warm spell (near 0° C) will give it
a chance to find insects, and perhaps put on enough fat to depart. Most of
the wintering Rufous Hummingbirds in the southeast are moving around right
now, but not yet heading back northwest to BC and Alaska, so there seems to
be an instinctive "schedule" that causes them to move again this time of
year.

Allen Chartier
amazilia1@comcast.net
1442 West River Park Drive
Inkster, MI 48141
Website: http://www.amazilia.net
Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/index.htm

"Allen Chartier" amazilia1@comcast.net

Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving
and joining the list. As well as general information and content
guidelines.

Birders, Bob Sach's wrote: > Kingston's forecast tonight is -20°, perilously low even for a tough RUFOUS > HUMMINGBIRD. Last winter, two Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio endured a cold snap that put nighttime low temperatures in the -18° to -20° C range for ten days in a row, and with daytime highs only reaching -10° to -14° C. Don't write this tough bird's epitaph yet :-). The next warm spell (near 0° C) will give it a chance to find insects, and perhaps put on enough fat to depart. Most of the wintering Rufous Hummingbirds in the southeast are moving around right now, but not yet heading back northwest to BC and Alaska, so there seems to be an instinctive "schedule" that causes them to move again this time of year. Allen Chartier amazilia1@comcast.net 1442 West River Park Drive Inkster, MI 48141 Website: http://www.amazilia.net Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/index.htm "Allen Chartier" <amazilia1@comcast.net> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.

PM

Paul Makepeace

Wed, Jan 7, 2004 11:08 PM

Last winter, two Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio endured a cold snap that put
nighttime low temperatures in the -18° to -20° C range for ten days in

a

row, and with daytime highs only reaching -10° to -14° C. Don't write

this

tough bird's epitaph yet :-).

Maybe a little heated alcove could be rigged up near the feeder?

"Paul Makepeace" paulmakepeace@rogers.com

Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving
and joining the list. As well as general information and content
guidelines.

> Last winter, two Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio endured a cold snap that put > nighttime low temperatures in the -18° to -20° C range for ten days in a > row, and with daytime highs only reaching -10° to -14° C. Don't write this > tough bird's epitaph yet :-). Maybe a little heated alcove could be rigged up near the feeder? "Paul Makepeace" <paulmakepeace@rogers.com> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.

AC

Allen Chartier

Wed, Jan 7, 2004 11:57 PM

Paul,

You wrote:

Maybe a little heated alcove could be rigged up near the feeder?

This is probably not necessary since the bird will still prefer its perches
away from the feeder, and it's night roost is probably more sheltered, and
hidden from predators. But, such devices have been provided for these
birds. Sometimes extensive changes around their feeder can put them off.
Others don't mind at all.

Allen Chartier
amazilia1@comcast.net
1442 West River Park Drive
Inkster, MI 48141
Website: http://www.amazilia.net
Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/index.htm

"Allen Chartier" amazilia1@comcast.net

Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving
and joining the list. As well as general information and content
guidelines.

Paul, You wrote: > Maybe a little heated alcove could be rigged up near the feeder? This is probably not necessary since the bird will still prefer its perches away from the feeder, and it's night roost is probably more sheltered, and hidden from predators. But, such devices have been provided for these birds. Sometimes extensive changes around their feeder can put them off. Others don't mind at all. Allen Chartier amazilia1@comcast.net 1442 West River Park Drive Inkster, MI 48141 Website: http://www.amazilia.net Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/index.htm "Allen Chartier" <amazilia1@comcast.net> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.

birdalert@ontbirds.ca

Kingston RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD Update - Seen Wed. Jan. 7, '04