At the beginning of the season, I was worrying that hummingbirds might not 
return to my yard this year. After a late start, they've been unusually visible 
and active. There's been a hummer at the feeder right outside my kitchen 
window literally every time I've washed dishes for the past two months. I haven't 
located a nest, but I'm sure there was a nesting pair near my clothesline. 
Recently, the numbers and feeding activity has increased. There have been several 
immature birds as well as several adults, and they're all stocking up for 
migration. Each individual spends long minutes at the feeders and there are 
frequent swooping chases with lots of irate squeaking. 

I've never noticed such a variety among immature hummingbirds as I've seen 
this year. There's at least one with a black patch on his belly, like a song 
sparrow. There's one with a lot of white on its bill. There are two with the 
splotchy beginnings of the ruby gorget. There's also a surprisingly wide size 
range, from a truly miniscule adult male up to a female who's almost one and a 
half times longer. I've tried to figure out if any of the birds are unexpected 
vagrants, but I don't think so.

Maeve Kim
Jericho Center


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