The Nature of Things

This is one of the two most exciting times of the year for birders. The first, of course, is spring migration when wave after wave of bright and noisy songbird migrants pass through on their way north to their nesting grounds. The second is fall migration which is a much quieter affair. Fall migrants do not bear the bright colorful feathers that they wore in spring when they were ready to attract mates and get on with nesting. Moreover, they are much more silent for the same reason. They are not looking for a mate; they are looking to safely get to their winter homes. They are entirely focused on that goal. The result is that, unless one is out specifically looking for the birds, thousands can easily pass through unnoticed in a matter of days. Most of the fall migrants pass through relatively quickly. They don't tarry with us for long. Hummingbirds are something of an exception to this rule. They may stick around for days or even weeks while they fatten up to ready themselves for t...

Truthfully, I do not have a Buff-bellied Hummingbird in my backyard, although some of these tropical hummingbirds do make it this far north in their wanderings. But in fact, seeing a Buff-bellied at the Estero Llano Grande State Park on one of the good days for birding last week was one of the highlights of my vacation. The Buff-bellied is noticeably larger than the hummingbirds that I am most used to seeing - the Ruby-throated , Black-chinned, and Rufous . It is 4.25" in length and has a wingspan of 5.75". The most obvious thing about the bird, other than its size, is that bright red, slightly curved bill. That is a field mark that you just can't miss and you can see it with the naked eye from a good distance. It leaves no question about the identification, which is always a good thing.  Here is a closer view of bird. They are uncommon within their limited range and are most frequently seen at feeders and flower gardens. This feeder was set out by the staff at the visit...