NEW! Hummingbird Gardening in Tennessee

Just in time for the return of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a new publication is available free as a pdf download!

Hummingbird Gardening in Tennessee is published by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.  The book is co-authored by Marcia Davis, Master Gardener, member of the Knoxville bird club (Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society) and the Bird Life columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Emily Gonzalez of the UT Extension.

The fifteen page booklet is full of useful information about creating hummingbird habitat in your garden and lists the kinds of flowers and native plants that are particularly attractive to hummingbirds.  I am excited to have my hummingbird image of a juvenile Ruby-throat nectaring a Cardinal Flower featured on the cover and three more images included inside!

The free pdf can be downloaded from this link:  Hummingbird Gardening in Tennessee.

Links and resources:

Hummingbird Art
Hummingbird Notes
More about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Tennessee's wintering hummingbirds

Hummingbirds, Pollination and Knoxville's Hummingbird Festival

From flower to flower, hummingbirds accidently carry pollen from one blossom to another.  The pollen sticks to their beak and feathers, and if the flower they visit next happens to be the same species, pollination occurs. 

This series of images tells one story of how that pollination happens.  The red flowers are cardinal flower blossoms and the stigma which releases the flower's pollen sits in a perfect place to rub against the hummingbirds crown as it nectars the flower.

The hummers feathers and the stigma rub against each other, and as the hummer backs out of the flower, the stigma is stimulated to release its pollen, shooting it out as if from a faucet.  

Below, a layer of pale yellow pollen covers the top of the hummer's head, ready to pollinate the next flower visited.

Hummingbirds are fascinating for many reasons.  Next to size and speed, pollination and migration are two of the intriguing qualities of these tiny birds.  On August 24th, when fall migration is at its peak in Tennessee, the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society is celebrating hummingbirds with the Wonder of Hummingbirds Festival featuring hummingbird banding demonstrations by master bander, Mark Armstrong. The festival will also include expert speakers on hummingbirds and other nature topics, nature related vendors, great food, and, of course, I will be there exhibiting art, so come by and visit!

Links and Resources:
Wonder of Hummingbird Festival
Hummingbird Banding
Information about hummingbird gardening and taking care of your feeders below:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflet

2012 Hummingbird Festival--Knoxville, TN

Check out this exciting book mark!

I love working with a great graphic designer! Actually, there was no work involved on my part. Just a nice fit with Melinda Fawver,  in Knoxville, TN, fellow member of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS). Melinda designed this beautiful bookmark as a promotional tool for the 2012 Hummingbird Festival:  The Wonder of Hummingbirds.

My hummingbird watercolor, the focal point for the bookmark was a fun experiment with color and light, in an effort to capture the movement and energy of hummingbirds.  I am delighted to see it promoting these wonderful birds.

If you will be in the Knoxville area on July 29th, join us and enjoy the courtyard exhibits, a demonstration of hummingbird banding, and an always excellent presentation by Bob and Martha Sargent, hummingbird experts and co-founders of the Hummingbird Study Group.

Bob and Martha always bring exciting facts about hummingbirds, as they continue to gather banding information from around the east on wintering hummingbirds and changes in hummingbird migration behavior.  For example, Bob believes that some Rufous Hummingbirds are gradually changing genetically and a hardy strain of the species is being found increasingly in the the eastern states during winter month.

The hummingbird festival is co-sponsored by KTOS, Ijams Nature Center and Wild Birds Unlimited.  Visit these links for more information:

Knoxville Chapter, TN Ornithological Society
Ijams Nature Center:  Hummingbird Festival
Wild Birds Unlimited, Knoxville, TN
Hummingbird Study Group

In the links below find images and information from the 2009 hummingbird festival, reports on wintering hummingbirds in Tennessee, and my posts of Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Hummingbird Banding
Hummingbirds Swarming
An Intimate Look at a Hummingbird Juvenile
Rufous Hummingbird Wintering in Knoxville
Click this link to view all my posts on hummingbirds

Rufous Hummingbird Wintering in Knoxville, Tennessee

Having a hummingbird in your yard is special any time of year, but having the rare experience of hosting a wintering hummingbird is over the top!  

This beautiful juvenile Rufous hummingbird is not hanging out in my yard, but located at the second best place.  He has made part of his wintering territory in the yard of friends, Billie Cantwell and Colin Leonard. On Thursday morning (Jan 5, 2012) I had the exciting pleasure of seeing my first Rufous hummingbird, a life bird, and my first wintering hummingbird in Tennessee.

Photo credit:  Billie Cantwell

Above, Mark Armstrong, Master Bander of hummingbirds and song birds, gets ready to band the hummingbird.  Below, Colin holds the captured bird briefly, warming it with his hand.  A captured hummer is placed in a mesh bag to hold it safely before banding.

Both Colin and Billie, members of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS), are active participants in bird banding at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge with Mark.  Billie is also the current president of the Knoxville Chapter of TOS.

In the image below, Billie holds the bird briefly before he is released. The band will enable the bird to be identified if it returns in future years.  Mark, Avian Curator at the Knoxville Zoo, is also the past president of Knoxville's TOS. Mark has banded eleven Rufous hummingbirds this winter, all since November 15th of 2011.

Though most of us don't see hummingbirds in the winter, Bob Sargeant of the Hummingbird Study Group has been banding and studying wintering Rufous hummingbirds since the late 1980's.  While most Rufous hummingbirds are believed to winter in Mexico, Sargent believes that the gene pool is changing and that a hardy species of hummers with the genetic message to winter in the US southeast has developed, evident from the consistent numbers appearing in winter months.

According to those expert at banding hummingbirds, during the 2011-2012 wintering season more hummingbirds are being reported in the southeastern United States than in previous years.

Links and Resources:

On this blog:  Hummingbird Migration Surprises and Hummingbird banding

Wintering hummingbirds--Hummer Study Group
Rufous Hummingbird by Bob Sargent
Hummer Study Group
Knoxville Chapter, TN Ornithological Society
Tennessee Ornithological Society

Hummingbird Alert in the East

Generally in the eastern United States, Ruby-throated hummingbirds have left the area by the first of November.  Even though a few late Ruby-throats have been reported since that time, what is remarkable is the number of other hummingbird species currently being reported and banded in the eastern United States since the month began.  

The following report was provided to the Tennessee List-serve today by Mark Armstrong, our regional hummingbird bander in east Tennessee:

"On November 19 I banded a young male Allen's hummingbird at a home near Russellville, Hamblen Co. [TN]....It has been a banner year for wintering hummingbirds this year.  In the eastern TN area I cover I have banded 5 Rufous hummingbirds, the Allen's, a late Ruby-throat and I had a return Rufous that I banded last year.  The Rufous that I've banded have been in Johnson City, south Knoxville, and 3 in Tellico Village, Loudon Co. The late Ruby-throat was in Monterrey, Putnam Co. but it has quit coming to the feeder. The return bird is in Oak Ridge, Anderson Co.  My winter hummer season usually starts around Thanksgiving so it has been an early start and I'm sure more will come.  I'm not the only one seeing a lot of hummingbirds.  Other banders [in] the eastern US are getting record numbers of Rufous as well as Calliope, Broad-tailed, Allen's and Anna's.  If anyone has thought about leaving a feeder out this would be the year to try it."

His ending comment says it all. I refreshed my feeder right after reading his report. We don't have the encouragement of frequent visitors or seeing the feeder nectar go down during the fall and winter months, but it is important to keep the nectar fresh. This time of year, nectar should be changed at least once a week, sooner during warm spells and when the feeder is frequented by woodpeckers.

The above image was taken in September of a juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbird.
Visit this link to see one of the Rufous hummingbirds that was banded in Tennessee recently.

A Rufous Hummingbird in East Tennessee

I receive emails from our Tennessee bird club's list service so I can see what kind of bird activity is going on around the state.  This is especially fun during migration season and the winter months.  Though, I seldom travel to the places where unusual birds are sighted, it does give me opportunity to get to know the birds that are in my area of the state--in this case a rare for our area Rufous hummingbird.

Photo by:  Katherine Noblet, Johnson City, TN

Rufous hummingbirds do not breed or winter in the east, however, in recent years we are seeing them more frequently.  The Rufous hummingbird pictured above is currently visiting Katherine Noblet's yard in Johnson City, TN in Carter County.  That is about two hours northeast of where I live in Knoxville, in the Tennessee valley near the Smoky Mountains.  But it certainly stirs excitement and anticipation.  This is motivation and a reminder to everyone to leave a feeder out and stay alert for both late Ruby-throats and other migrating hummingbird species that you might otherwise not expect.  

Besides visiting the nectar feeder, Katherine reports that the Rufous visitor is feeding on pineapple sage and skip laurel blooms.    

Links and resources:

Visit this link to learn about how bird banding has helped us find out more about hummingbird migration.  Some migration patterns are changing.

The range map to the left is from Cornell's web page on the Rufous hummingbird.  Visit the link to learn more about this species and its habits.

You may also want to visit the Hummingbird Study Group for more information about this species and other hummingbirds.

Report sightings of hummingbirds in the east after November 1st to Bob and Martha Sargent, Rubythroat@aol.com or 205-681-2888.  In east Tennessee, report sightings to Mark Armstrong, 865-748-2224.

For more of my posts on our eastern breeding Ruby-throated hummingbirds click the link.

Peak Hummingbird Viewing Days

In my area, the southeast USA, August and September are prime hummingbird viewing days.  It can be a challenge to understand what activity you're watching, but time spent among them will certainly tug at the heart strings and cause you to marvel at their high-speed lifestyle even more.

In the image above, you see a male Ruby-throated hummingbird chirping a warning to intruders.  As you scroll down the page, the series of images show stages of this same hummer as he is posturing.   The final image is what you see if you're a hummer and you don't heed those warnings fast enough.  A fire ball!


This morning I watched a male ruby-throat feed at the feeder while I drank my morning coffee.  My first thought was, that's not 'the King'.  What's going on here?  The King is my nickname for a male hummer who has claimed the feeders as his breeding territory.  Within minutes, the King appeared, chased away another hummer, and the first male, resting on a branch nearby, swiftly departed.  

According to Bob Sargent, author of Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a male may claim a territory for a period of time and then abandon it to establish another if it is not attracting enough females.   But there are other activities going on this time of year, as well.  Breeding season is coming to an end and male hormone levels are shifting causing a change in focus from breeding to feeding and fattening up for migration.  In addition, we may be seeing many different hummingbirds at the feeder.  In fact, hundreds are traveling through our yards, those we see and five times that many that we don't see, according to Sargent.  

Hummers from northern breeding territories are already migrating and research shows that they may visit the same feeding areas on the same day each year.  The only way we know for sure is through the efforts of hummingbird banding.  Everything we learn from banding our birds helps us know more about how their populations are managing in an environment full of challenges and changes.

For more about this 'King' visit my August post, Hummingbird Days of Summer, at Knoxville's Wild Birds Unlimited.  

You may also enjoy my series The King, about a male hummingbird I followed during the 2008 breeding season and Hummingbird Banding with fascinating information we've learned from banding our hummingbirds.

And watch for my article on bird banding at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, upcoming in the Nov/Dec issue of The Tennessee Conservationist magazine.

Phoebe Allens--Incubating now!

Phoebe Allens is a female Allen's Hummingbird who lives in the Channel Islands, in Orange County, California. Her nest is located in a rose bush right next to a house and she is incubating two eggs that are expected to hatch any time now. You can see it happening right on your computer screen!Yesterday I was so taken with her--watching her wiggle to settle on the eggs, hearing her zip off for a few minutes at a time, seeing her constant vigilance, even her eye blink--that I sketched her while I watched. And I couldn't help but marvel at her life. I've known for a while that hummingbird females are the sole nest builder, incubator and caregiver of the young, but the impact of that knowledge is even greater when you see such a tiny bird actually in the midst of these labors. Yesterday I saw her bring materials to add to her nest on one of those quick flights away. And if the cam should be down, there are wonderful clips to watch, like Phoebe harrassing her juveniles of a previous year, trying to entice them to fledge. And another one that shows her laying an egg!

Phoebe's eggs are due to hatch anytime now. Historically they have begun hatching at day 17 and this is day 14. Don't miss seeing her upclose at: http://cam.dellwo.com/

She is a real treat!

Jan 20th update: Both of Phoebe's eggs hatched January 19th, one before daylight, the other later during a very stormy day. When you view the cam now, you get the added treat of seeing tiny newly hatched nestlings during the brief times she leaves the nest!

Hummingbird Mysteries Uncovered through Banding

Did you know that fourteen different species of hummingbirds have been documented in the eastern United States? Or that some of our Ruby-throated hummingbirds may be traveling west to winter instead of south to Central America and Mexico? That was only two of the interesting bits of information given by Bob and Martha Sargent last night at a packed Ijam's Nature Center in Knoxville, TN. In fact, so many people showed up for the banding demonstration conducted by Knoxville's Mark Armstrong that the crowds were divided into several observation groups and the Sargents gave two presentations to standing room only audiences.
Above you see Mark, President of the Knoxville chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, at his banding station. Hummingbirds are trapped in wire cages that enclose the feeder. The cages are equipped with a door that can be lowered with a fishing wire manipulated by another banding team member who watches a distance away. When a hummer is caught in the trap, he (in this case) is carefully removed by a handler and gently placed in a net bag to help protect him from injury.
A tiny little metal band is clamped onto one leg with a unique number that identifies this particular bird. This number is then recorded at the Bird Banding Labratory, US Geological Survey, Patuxent Research Center, MD. While the hummer is captured, his tail, wing and beak are measured, his weight taken and observations about age and condition are recorded before release.
When the bird is caught again or the band found in other circumstances, biologists can check the number and recorded data and learn valuable information about longevity, species migration patterns, the individual bird and the general health of the species. Watching Mark patiently handle the hummingbird, who is not still mind you and chirping loudly, while simultaneously talking with attentive on-lookers was a marvel unto itself. Knowing that he is an expertly trained Master Bander helped as I felt my heart-tug while hearing the distress calls of a captured hummingbird. It was after seeing this, my first banding demonstration, that I then heard Martha and Bob Sargent's presentation on hummingbirds and discovered some of the amazing reasons why banding is so important. Bob and Martha founded The Hummer/Bird Study Group in 1993, a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and preservation of hummingbirds and other neo-tropical migrants.

More information about why banding is so important in my next post.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #46 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Intimacy with Nature

My approach to nature-- a bird, an animal, a flower, a tree--has always been intimacy, to experience the nature around me as deeply as possible. As a result of that inclination, I fall in love a lot. And I laugh a lot. That's what nature brings into my life. That's what the whooping crane and ultralight migration and the tiny, fast winged creature, the hummingbird, give to me. The joy that comes with intimacy.

I decided to share this photo today as I get ready to head for the office and I will share the rest of the story soon.
This was one of the most peaceful and intimate moments I've shared with a whooping crane. Many times I was alone with this family for hours on end, with no sound but the deep gutteral brood purr of the parents and the tiny peeping of the chick. The world hushed. Time stood still. And I couldn't have been more mezmerized by what I was seeing.
More about this family soon.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds--II

The King is camera shy sometimes. I sit in the same place every time I visit and try to move predictably.
Sometimes he could care less about my presence. Other times, he chirps and zips to the other side of the feeder, or even switches to a different feeder out of range. Today I got some lucky shots. Don't you just love those irridescent feathers?And the tuffs of white poking out from beneath his belly?
I set out to observe today and confirm he was still around. I'm curious about when he will begin migration. I'm also enjoying seeing him sleek, preened and fattening up for his journey.

I suspect we may depart near the same time. I will miss him when he's gone.
For all my posts on the "King" click here.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds-I

The King is still here. I keep thinking any day now he will depart for Central America...
but I don't know when the resident males generally leave their breeding territories in east Tennessee. Our male is still on territory, challenging migrant visitors. But he’s also slowing down a bit, away from the feeder more and, hopefully, fattening up on insects.

His appearance is more preened and healthy now, compared to this photo below, taken in July.
And below, a petite visitor...
According to Robert Sargent, in his book, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, hummers binge to put on weight prior to migration, gaining from their normal .1 to .12 ounce weight to .19 to .22 ounces. “Just an additional .07 ounce of fat likely gives them enough fuel for their transgulf migration—under normal conditions, a nonstop journey of 18 to 22 hours without feeding."
Amazing numbers. It’s no wonder we are so fascinated with these tiniest of birds.