Big baby, odd ‘birds,’ and fussy hummers

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 02 September 2010 13:12

Barbara McMahon of South Salem read the recent column on cowbirds as brood parasites  and was reminded   “of a photo I took last summer of a Black-capped Chickadee feeding a colossal baby. We have several pairs of cowbirds each spring ... One has to admire this parent’s dedication in feeding an ‘adopted’ youngster twice its size.”

Cowbirds once followed the buffalo and other roaming herds on the plains, eating insects that were stirred up. Because they were always on the move, they evolved a clever system of laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. It doesn’t always work - the mother of nest may recognize and destroy the alien egg. But clearly in the case of the Black-capped Chickadee in Barbara’s photo, it does work.

More odd ‘birds’

We continue to receive reports of “odd” hummingbirds that, in all likelihood, are not hummingbirds at all.

“Thursday I, my aide and grandson saw a hummingbird? on butterfly bush,” writes Jackie Sullivan of Greenwich.  “It was like one Kerstin McCauley wrote about in your column June 24.  It is very small.  Wings flutter all the time.  Feeding on flower to flower for at least half hour or more.  Hard to take shot as moves a lot and I not good at taking moving things that little yet.  Now I have always interested in bugs, birds, frogs etc. all my life.  I taught kindergarten and used empty card boxes to display the different bugs, etc.

“This thing is bigger than a bumblebee, but really tiny compared to the usual hummingbirds I have.  It comes usually around 10:30 to 12.  Only one.  Can be here when other hummingbirds are here. I rechecked my bug books.  Can’t find anything like it.”

I’m pretty sure what Jackie and others are seeing are hummingbird moths, which we discussed in a recent column. Googling “hummingbird moth” will bring up a load of pictures of these large insects that behave very much like hummingbirds.

Fussy feeders

Jason Kessler of Ridgefield writes, “I’ve been avidly following yours and your readers comments about hummingbirds, as I’ve recently relocated to Ridgefield from the City, and have hung my first hummer feeder. Although only one bird comes to the feeder at a time, I wonder if one can tell individuals by their behavior?

“One bird comes to the yard confidently, hovers for a quick look-around, and then feeds long and deep.  Another flits back and forth nervously, rearing back between sips to re-survey the turf, and flies off quickly.  One bird won’t use the perch, preferring to hover while feeding.  Another perches, sips, hovers back a bit, perches, drinks again, hovers again.  Also, there’s a difference in the patterns of their squeaky vocalizations; some loquacious, some silent.

“I’m also confounded by the fact that, as you pointed out, it’s almost exclusively females who come to the feeder, except for juvenile males (discernible by a dot of brilliant ruby red where a throat-full of the color will soon be).  The males will dine at the flowers in the yard, but not at the feeder.  How can they ignore such a ready and easy source of nectar?  And why?”

I wonder the same thing.

Coming up

Trip to Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, early fall migration, with Luke Tiller, Saturday, Sept. 4, 8 to 3, bring lunch,  $20, van from Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, rsvp 203-869-5272 x221, Greenwich.audubon.org

Autumn Morning Bird Walks: Saturdays, Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Wednesdays, Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 7:30, free, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x221.

Hawk and raptor ID during Migration, with Luke Tiller, Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 to 1, $5, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x221.

Hawk Identification Tutorial with Bedford Audubon’s Hawk Counter Arthur W. Green, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Westmoreland Sanctuary, 260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, N.Y., 914-666-8448, bedfordaudubon.org

Fall Migration at Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch, bring binoculars, Saturday, Sept. 18, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Bedford Audubon at Arthur Butler Sanctuary, Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, 914-666-8448,  bedfordaudubon.org

Breakfast with the Hawks with Hawk Counter Arthur W. Green, and   Naturalist Adam Zorn Sunday, Sept. 19, at 8 a.m. at Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch Arthur Butler Sanctuary, 261 Chestnut Ridge Road, Bedford Corners, 914-666-8448. bedfordaudubon.org

Nocturnal Migration, talks by Luke Tiller and Benjamin Van Doren, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 7:30 to 9:30, $5, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org, 203-869-5272 x221.

Autumn Birding Series, trips and talks with Luke Tiller: “Confusing Fall Warblers” lecture (Sept. 23) and trip to Greenwich Point (Sept. 26); “Raptor Migration” lecture (Oct. 14) and trip to Lighthouse Point (Oct. 17); “Little Brown Jobs” lecture (Oct. 21) and trip to Allen’s Meadows (Oct. 24); talks Thursdays at 7 p.m. , trips   at 7:30 am;   $15 per lecture/trip or $60 for all six;   RSVP to store: 203-869-5272 x221 Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich.audubon.org

Copyright 2010 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.