On Jan 6, 2022, at 1:13 PM, Allen Chartier <[log in to unmask]> wrote:Lisa and Nancy,I am the hummingbird researcher who banded your Rufous Hummingbird on December 16th at the Kristof's home. I had heard that she was visiting another neighbor's feeder, now two others apparently, but I don't have any direct contact with them.Rufous Hummingbirds are much more hardy than our Ruby-throats. They nest as far north as Alaska, arriving there as early as mid-April, and also nest at fairly high elevations in the northern Rocky Mountains. The pattern that has emerged based on over 150 Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio is that they typically depart from mid-December to mid-January, quite often during a warm spell. This is consistent with their behaviour in the Gulf States, where weather is much less of a factor. A couple have stayed into February, and only one to April. In the Gulf States, most Rufous Hummingbirds move to a second wintering site sometime after the solstice, where they remain until they head back northwest in March.Some Rufous Hummingbirds in Ohio have returned in a subsequent year, so they often survive harsh wintery conditions. The best thing we can do is to keep their feeders from freezing. They are active 30 minutes before sunrise, making swapping feeders challenging for some. I have reccomended a do-it-yourself method, using an outdoor spotlight clamped about a foot away from the feeder all day and all night. In recent years, heated hummingbird feeders have become available for purchase, and a couple of the 4 Rufous still in Ohio right now are using these. Mark Plessner, in Toledo, made one himself for about $12.I am confident that your Rufous Hummingbird in Garfield Heights will be fine as long as her nectar doesn't freeze, and she's likely to leave in the next week or two.If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly by email. I am not on Facebook.Hi Nancy!______________________________________________________________________We are one of three families hosting the Rufus Hummingbird in Garfield Heights. We saw her yesterday, but have not seen her yet today. I am bringing my feeder in and out today so that it can defrost in-between her feedings. I believe that she is staying mostly in our very large pine during the day and night. Experienced birdwatchers have been reassuring me that she is a hardy breed that lives in the mountains, and can handle some of the cold weather we are having.Attached are some photographs of her. (one was a gift from a grateful birdwatcher) We are allowing anyone who wants to come in our driveway and backyard to view her.Our neighbors called a hummingbird researcher to catch, band and measure her, back in the middle of December. The researcher said that she will decide to leave when the wind and the weather is just right.I hope this helps a little!Thanks,
Lisa
LightComm Designs, Inc.
LISA STEMNOCK
5026 EDGEPARK DRIVE
CLEVELAND, OHIO 44125
P 216.663.1659
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Check out our new store https://lightcommdesigns.com/store/On Jan 6, 2022, at 11:18 AM, Nancy Howell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:______________________________________________________________________I hope this is permitted through the listserv.People in Garfield Hts., OH have been hosting a Rufous Hummingbird. Up until now our weather in northern OH has been pretty mild. The following is what the hosts are asking. I thought someone out there has had some experience with keeping hummers protected. Thank you.Are there any suggestions on sheltering and keeping a hummingbird safe through the winter? I have a Rufus staying around my house? It was identified and banded back in December. Is there a way to keep the hummer warmer though the winter, and safe till she decides to go South? We have put up winter feeders with the light bulb keeping the nectar from freezing but wondering where she spends a day somewhere to block the wind?--Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
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Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]