Adult female Rufous Hummingbird in Saginaw Co.

[Allen T. Chartier]

Birders,

This morning I traveled to Shields, Saginaw Co., Michigan to attempt to band 
the hummingbird that has been coming to the home of Bernie Shields. Mr. 
Shields gave me permission to band this bird last week, but I had another 
banding appointment in Columbus, Ohio and couldn't make it until today.

I arrived at 9:20 a.m. and got my trap set up by 9:30. The bird was in the 
trap by 9:33 (the Ohio bird took 2 1/2 hours!). I banded her, confirmed she 
was an adult female Rufous, took measurements, weight, and documentary 
photos, and released her at 9:41. She was back in the area by 10:06 and back 
at the feeder at 10:10, drinking for well over a minute. This particular 
Rufous Hummingbird is field identifiable provided she spreads her tail long 
enough to see the second rectrix (r2), which is "nipple-tipped", diagnostic 
for the species. Some of the measurements were also diagnostic for Rufous. 
She seems to like to perch in the sawed-off spruce tree at the front left 
corner of the house, just to the left of the TV antenna, where she sits and 
chips for a minute before coming in to the feeder. She is a healthy weight 
and in fine plumage.

Allen T. Chartier
amazilia1 at comcast.net
Inkster, Michigan, USA
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Every day, the hummingbird eats its own weight in food.
You may wonder how it weighs the food.
It doesn't. It just eats another hummingbird.
-- Steven Wright
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