Great news, birders! Mary Gustafson successfully banded both hummingbirds
that have been frequenting the Ripley Garden in SW D.C. (between the
Hirshorn and Arts & Industries Building). Both are first-year females: one
Black-chinned, and one Rufous. A small group of cold but hardy birders
(plus the occasional curious onlooker) were privileged to watch both
bandings. Mary set up the capture box around 7:00 a.m. At first, the
Rufous appeared almost immediately, but couldn't find the door of the cage
to reach the feeder. After several attempts, the Rufous disappeared, and
for some time afterward, no hummingbirds were seen. Then the Black-chinned
appeared: the capture cage had been rotated by this point, and it had no
trouble finding the entrance. As the first reporter of the Black-chinned,
Mary allowed me to hold it in my palm when it was time to be released. It
stayed on my hand for perhaps a minute before it zipped off with a squeak.
Janet Draper, the horticulturist whose garden has attracted the hummers,
held the Rufous for release. It was a really neat experience, almost
certainly once-in-a-lifetime! As Mary worked with each bird, the
"paparazzi" snapped numerous pictures, so some photos should be available
soon for all to enjoy. I can hardly imagine a more exciting way to start a
morning! Sure makes it easier to drag oneself out of bed...
Laura Farron
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
