Think it must be habitat. The only year I had numbers like yours, was 1988, summer of Yellowstone fires. I had 3 feeders draining daily with: Broad-tailed, Rufous, Calliope & a few Black-chinned. After that, for about 10 yrs, our most numerous hummer was Broad-tailed. Then, became Black-chinned. And, that’s been our typical summer resident hummer, since. BT have about disappeared, only a couple Fall migrants, usually late Aug.
I wonder if it’s habitat difference. We have some nearby riparian area with Rapid Creek west, but lots of open fields and aspen/pine fir boundaries. We’ve both been feeding for years.
Don’t have near your numbers, Bill. But, getting both male & female adult Rufous & Black-chinned Hummingbirds hitting the nectar, esp AM & evening time. No juveniles yet.
Juvenile-wise: numerous BH Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Robin, Spotted Towhee, Yellow Warbler young about. Best bird this AM was a Gray Catbird working through backyard streamside willows. Only a handful of House Wrens this year, usually have a dozen + about.
Filled three 4 cup feeders today. Several Rufous are in area, based on seeing them side by side and plumage variation, loads of others. Turkeys poults are starting to show up following their minders in and out of grasses.
Four Sandhills hanging around and young are flying, one smaller than others. Spent part of afternoon in field in shade.
Wow, small world for sure ! :). I will contact Joe (by the way, I read the same book and it was awesome) and if he okays it, I will send you his email address to forward to your friend. Stay tuned 🙂
A friend was somewhere in Asia and found a book where he stayed a few days. It was a book on eagles by Joe Atkinson which he read and wants to tell him some things about coming across the book. I think Joe and his spouse do WRS routes near Ontario and Vale and maybe you could ask whether they could give me their contact info?
Hope you get a lovely summer and some down time however you define that!
