Rufous Hummingbirds on the Move

Well, with continuous bands of rain pushing through & releases from Palisades muddying up my fly-fishing prospect, have been reading & watching the hummingbird feeder. And, no doubt, southward Rufous migration is in full force. Have been able to separate 3 diff’t Black-chinneds coming in (1 male & 2 female), 1 prob BC juvenile & 1 ea male & female Rufous. 

Reading where Rufous Hummingbirds esp, have great memories & fidelity on their migration routes for nectar, whether artificial or natural sources. Hadn’t kept a hummingbird feeder for many years & just started regularly about 4 yrs ago. Last fall, had numerous Rufous late Aug into Sept & most were juveniles. Wondering if those I’m observing are now adults from last year’s broods & re-visiting on their southward trek? In any case, from most info I’ve researched, appears Rufous are about 2 wks early on southbound migration.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Female Rufous Hummingbird

Just had an adult female Rufous Hummingbird come into the feeder. Since I’ve never seen any evidence of Rufous breeding at our river location it appears, as was pointed out by others when I reported the adult male recently, Rufous must be on their southward migration already. It’s early to see them at our home spot in late June. 

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Re: Grace’s Warbler p.s.

this caught nobody’s attention ?   eyiyi
where IS everyone ?

From: “Larry Arnold” <larnold47@…>

Missy and I were birding our butts off yesterday in Owyhee County when at 1225 hrs, coolish 64F and partly cloudy, at 6000 ft in mixed conifer (Doug Fir, Ponderosa, etc?) I came to a screeching halt and we jumped out of the car with cameras rolling and ready to get a GPS reading…..  I was hearing a perfect-to-my-ears Grace’s wobbler singing right next to the road.  This species had been recently expanding northward both in UT and CO, which you won’t see in most field guides, but in eBird I was surprised at How Far North !!!   anyway, it turned out to be a Junco, but I’m still flabbergasted by how similar it sounded, and I’m talking about Song Detail………

If you’ve never heard one singing, have a listen on xeno…..     https://www.xeno-canto.org/

And for the record, still no accepted reports of Grace’s in Idaho, which in my experience is a ” Ponderosa Pine species ” in W Colorado
In theory, we’re entering ” the quiet time of year ”  re: locally breeding passerines, but NOT at mid- and upper elevations   =)chirp-chirp

Larry