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Any birders? Share your photos!

Christy

Angel Diva
Hmmm I’m not sure, I’d just been under the assumption that they are all closed. You bring up a good point though, I’m going to look into this! Thanks for the suggestion.

My husband just bought running shoes this way, which is why I thought of it. Staff are doing phone consultations then delivering the pair they think will work best.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
My husband just bought running shoes this way, which is why I thought of it. Staff are doing phone consultations then delivering the pair they think will work best.

Oh wow, I can’t imagine buying a shoe that way! Mostly because my feet are horrible to fit even outside of ski boots! Lol Really cool that they are still able to operate in some capacity though! I should have thought of this because I was even able to order a pair of demo skis from a shop in Vail, even though they’re technically closed as well.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
He's been a regular customer for years and they had scans of his feet and knew what he liked in the past, so it wasn't as hard as it sounds.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
He's been a regular customer for years and they had scans of his feet and knew what he liked in the past, so it wasn't as hard as it sounds.

That makes much more sense now!!

I spoke to someone at Best Buy today, as I haven’t been able to get through to the local camera shop I wanted to speak with. The person I spoke to definitely wasn’t an expert on the Sony cameras I was asking about since he wasn’t positive about differences between the models etc., but it was nice to start talking in general and he was able to give me some advice on lenses that will be relevant regardless of which model I would pick in the series.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Is anyone in New England seeing hummingbirds yet? According to the migration maps there have been a good amount of sightings in the southern NE states and some here and there further up. A couple relatively close to me, but not right around my town yet.. I’ve had my food out just in case an early arriver came by, but haven’t seen any yet. I’m always so impatient to spot my first of the season..
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Is anyone in New England seeing hummingbirds yet? According to the migration maps there have been a good amount of sightings in the southern NE states and some here and there further up. A couple relatively close to me, but not right around my town yet.. I’ve had my food out just in case an early arriver came by, but haven’t seen any yet. I’m always so impatient to spot my first of the season..

Check out this post on Houzz. It is for people to report sighting the hummingbirds. There are maps showing where they've been sighted. The thread is active and people in MA have noted where they've seen the birds. No maps are showing higher in New England sightings yet.

Plus, the people posting have other sites they note that document sightings as well. These are serious birders.
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5878239/hummingbird-spring-migration-2020#n=40
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Check out this post on Houzz. It is for people to report sighting the hummingbirds. There are maps showing where they've been sighted. The thread is active and people in MA have noted where they've seen the birds. No maps are showing higher in New England sightings yet.

Plus, the people posting have other sites they note that document sightings as well. These are serious birders.
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5878239/hummingbird-spring-migration-2020#n=40

Thanks, I’ll definitely check this out! Yesterday I also asked this question in the Facebook group for my town. A few people confirmed sightings at their house, some like me have feeders out but haven’t seen any, and some got out their feeders after seeing my post lol. I’m jealous that they are here and not at my feeder yet! I did look back and find that last year my first sighting was May 3rd, so hopefully any day now. Just love watching them! I’m excited to have them as subjects to play with my new camera as well!
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
I've only seen one hummingbird so far but have heard several in my yard. We get Broad Tailed Hummingbirds here and the males are really loud. But buy the time I go outside to look, can't find them.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I've only seen one hummingbird so far but have heard several in my yard. We get Broad Tailed Hummingbirds here and the males are really loud. But buy the time I go outside to look, can't find them.

Interesting, the Broad Tailed look very similar to the Ruby Throated we get in New England. Both size and colors! I had a male last year that was extremely talkative. He’d sit on the stand above the feeder for hours on end continuously making noise and chasing off any others who tried to get to “his” feeder. Lol
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
Interesting, the Broad Tailed look very similar to the Ruby Throated we get in New England. Both size and colors! I had a male last year that was extremely talkative. He’d sit on the stand above the feeder for hours on end continuously making noise and chasing off any others who tried to get to “his” feeder. Lol
Yeah, we had ruby throated in Michigan, where I grew up. The male Broad-tails have a loud whistling wing noise, and both the males and females are really territorial with the feeders. Even if there are multiple feeders, they want possession of them all. My parents in Michigan will send me photos of half a dozen ruby throats on their feeder all together. I generally only get one at a time. We also get black chinned hummingbirds, and Rufous hummingbirds in late summer. And a few Calliopes waaaay up in the mountains.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I might've mentioned this before but we have Anna's hummingbirds all year. They are so interesting to me because they are not native, but they have spread up the west coast from Southern California, up to Vancouver BC, because they really like our gardens and feeders. We bend over backwards to keep their sugar water from freezing during cold spells. I've seen the males do their mating dance in my backyard--they fly really high then dive bomb back down.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I might've mentioned this before but we have Anna's hummingbirds all year. They are so interesting to me because they are not native, but they have spread up the west coast from Southern California, up to Vancouver BC, because they really like our gardens and feeders. We bend over backwards to keep their sugar water from freezing during cold spells. I've seen the males do their mating dance in my backyard--they fly really high then dive bomb back down.

All year round?!? Oh I am sooooo jealous! I hate when they leave, such a delight to have in the yard daily. I still have no sightings, and I’m getting antsy! Lol
 

Christy

Angel Diva
All year round?!? Oh I am sooooo jealous! I hate when they leave, such a delight to have in the yard daily. I still have no sightings, and I’m getting antsy! Lol

Our other varieties migrate, but Anna's started coming up and staying just in recent decades. When it's cold at night they go into torpor (like hibernation) and then they want their sugar water first thing in the morning.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Our other varieties migrate, but Anna's started coming up and staying just in recent decades. When it's cold at night they go into torpor (like hibernation) and then they want their sugar water first thing in the morning.

Wow, that is so interesting! I’m going to have to read up on them. Where do they shelter in the winter? Do they try and find more cover versus in the warmer months? Will they use a birdhouse for example, if someone provided one?
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Wow, that is so interesting! I’m going to have to read up on them. Where do they shelter in the winter? Do they try and find more cover versus in the warmer months? Will they use a birdhouse for example, if someone provided one?

They won't use birdhouses though apparently they sometimes try to come inside our houses. But they just typically have nests in trees. Here is Seattle Audubon's take:

Don't stress too much about the welfare of the Hummingbirds. Generally, our winters are mild and the cold snaps are usually not that long. Hummingbirds are capable of reducing their body temperature at night and conserving their energy. They roost in trees and shrubs and do not use nest boxes or bird houses. They need a lot of sucrose (nectar) during the day to keep them going especially in the cold. In addition to nectar for fuel, hummingbirds will consume any insects they encounter which help them meet their protein, vitamin and mineral requirements. Insects can be found under bark and plants even during winter cold periods. Extended periods of cold such as the one we are experiencing right now, is especially hard on these small birds designed to spend winters in warmer climates. Some birds will not make it, however the strong ones will find a way to survive. Continuing to offer nectar is a way in which we can assist them.

Also consider a water source for the birds in general. Birds need water and when everything is frozen water can be hard to find. A pan of water that is refreshed with hot water periodically or has a heater or sprout pad under it can be a big help. A birdbath with a birdbath heater is great. The Nature Shop has these too.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Why are these migrating birds staying behind instead of going south?
I'm just wondering if it could be because people are tempting them to stay by providing water and sugar in the winter months, encouraging dependence on the continuing generosity of humans?
Does anyone know if this is the reason some don't leave?
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Why are these migrating birds staying behind instead of going south?
I'm just wondering if it could be because people are tempting them to stay by providing water and sugar in the winter months, encouraging dependence on the continuing generosity of humans?
Does anyone know if this is the reason some don't leave?

If you are talking about Anna's hummingbirds in the Pacific Northwest, they don't migrate (no matter where they live). They started moving up the West Coast from Southern California exactly because of the reasons you mentioned-- they loved the garden flowers and feeders that they found. It's been an expansion of range. They kept moving north and became permanent residents along the way. They are territorial so maybe that's why some kept moving.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I finally had hummingbird sightings this weekend!! Yay! My feeders are in the backyard, and my office faces the front yard. I have my window open today, and I have the noisiest hummingbird flying around and chirping in front. I’m not seeing him, but hearing him/her zipping around. Thinking I need to add another feeder out front this year, perhaps right outside my window! What a nice treat to watch them while working if they’ll feed out front, plus it might keep more around if they aren’t fighting over the food supply in back. The only problem is I need to find another shepherd’s hook to hang it, and I’m not sure how easy that’ll be to get right now.. not exactly a mail order type of item.
 

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