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December 04, 2003 - A record-breaking visitore Suffolk Times • December 4, 2003 recordmbreaki*n THE sUBJEcr of hummingbirds seems out of place at this time of the year. Usually we think about hum- mingbirds in the spring and summer when our gardens attract them and we watch in awe as they maneuver from flower to flower. But there's some- thing special about reporting on a hummingbird in late November, and a rare one besides. Ninety -nine percent of all hummingbirds are already down in the warmer parts of the country, where flowers and insects abound and there's warmth to keep these little jewels alive. But, here and now, Nov 26, there's a special hummingbird out in Orient that's breaking all records. When experts visited Orient and saw this unusual bird, their general opinion was that it's a Western species called the rufous hummingbird. If it were a male, it would have an iridescent throat patch and a rusty -brown head, body and tail, with a white crest and belly and dark wings. But the female, which this one is generally believed to be, isn't as sharply defined in its coloring. It's a special hummingbird, for unlike our common ruby- throated hummingbird, this one is believed to be from the West Coast. How it got to Orient and how it has stayed alive is a remarkable story. In the spring rufous hummingbirds migrate from Central America up along the Pacific Coast, where they spend the summer as far north as southern Alaska. They migrate along with the seasonally available flowers that the hummingbirds depend on for nectar. In turn, many of these flowers depend on the hummingbirds for their pollination. Some of these hum- mingbirds, being a little more ambi- tious than the others, move north- ward before the flowers open. To sup- plement their diet, it's been reported that the rufous hummingbird takes advantage of the sap that appears from a broken limb or around the small holes (sap wells) a woodpecker visitor. Can you believe a hummingbird in late November: Not only is it true, but the picture shows this little four - inch bird with its blurred wings feeding at a sugar -and- water feeder. This is not the usual humming- bird we see in our area, but a rare visitor from the West Coast. Times /Review photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh called a sapsucker makes in various trees. This woodpecker often makes a ring of holes like a necklace around a tree.-Perhaps you've seen these sap wells in trees. The holes produce sap that also attracts insects, and the hummingbirds enjoy those as well. If there's a food source available the hummingbird is there to take advan- tage of it. As fall approaches, these rufous hummingbirds, which weigh a little more than a penny, swing back down on their fall migration, but this time they take a different route. They pass through the Rocky Mountains and the interior of the West. This gives the rufous the long - distance record for migrat- ing hummingbirds = a round trip from southeastern Alaska to Mexico. With that in mind, how did this lit- tle tuft of feathers find its way to Orient? With tongue in cheek, some- one said it got caught in the jet stream and was pushed to the East. We'll really never know. It's believed this bird has only been seen twice in New York State, and both of those times it was seen in Orient at Ruth Oliva's home, where she keeps her hummingbird feeders full of tempting sugar water (one part sugar and four parts water). We went out to see this rare visitor and were cordially invited inside to watch for it come to the feeders just outside the living room window. As we all sat waiting, this little four -inch hummingbird flew in with wings a- blur, took a drink or two from the feeder, and was gone. It's well known that hummingbirds exist on flower nectar and small insects but, since these resources are not available at this time of the year, we must concur that it's Ruth's hummingbird feeders that are the major source of energy for this tiny bird. Hopefully our recent mild fall weather has stirred a few insects that this bird can take IFOCUS ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh advantage of and add that high pro- tein to its diet. I can vouch for the hummingbird clan in respect to enjoying insects, for where we lived years ago humming- birds were quite common. They, of course, were the ruby- throated hum- mingbirds. I can remember watching one sitting on a telephone wire and flying up and snapping insects out of the air, much like a flycatcher. It was during these early years that I found my first hummingbird nest. Hum- mingbirds are noted for their tenacity in guarding their nest sites. This par- ticular hummingbird buzzed me con- tinually, which gave away her secret. After much searching I found her nest: a miracle of plant fibers and lichens held together with spider webs, holding two pea -sized white interesting stories about our make an interesting sidebar to this story. Our son has had hummingbirds nesting in the trees around his home for the last two years. He has fol- lowed them closely and finally fig- ured out that they were raising two broods at the same time, one immedi- ately following the other. The female was building a second nest and laying eggs while at the same .time feeding the young in the first nest. Some years ago Mary Laura Lamont documented a pair of ruby - throats that she watched build three nests in the same manner. Just as the first were being fed, the female was busy with the next nest ana then on to the third nest. It seems impossible, but Ms. Lamont kept meticulous records on all three broods. It's an amazing documentation of bird behavior. Back to the visiting rufous hum- mingbird in Orient. These birds have slowly moved into the lower United States, mainly along the Gulf Coast. There's hope they'll spread. One was banded in. Virginia in 2001 and was recaptured in August 2002 in Montana. Wouldn't it be nice if they moved into our area? But as yet our rufous hummingbird is the only one we'll see east of the Rocky Mountains. In the meantime, let's hope you'll have the joy of watching this, little jewel maneuvering up and down, back and forth and sideways in front of its favorite flowers. This unusual sighting of the rufous hummingbird at Ruth's house in Orient has brought, birders from all over to see the rare visitor. We have to thank Ruth for being such a good provider. While most of us took our feeders in some time ago, hers was kept full, luring this unusual bird to our area.