Rufus Hummingbird, Sky's Big Mouth, Bike Before Flying

After the meeting was over yesterday, I had lunch with S, then met M&J. Before heading out to their place I stopped to see if I could find Mike. He wasn't home, but his wife and Sky were.

While we were talking, hummingbirds were stopping to fuel up at their feeder. And everytime Sky would tell me there was one, it would be gone before I could get a picture. But one rufus hummingbird actually sat on the perch and took a long drink.

I'm used to hummingbirds, having grown up in LA. I've even held a couple of hummingbirds. One I rescued from a cat who split when I came running over. The bird was lying flat on its back, wings outspread. It was so light. I put it in a box and gave it to a neighbor, since I'd just been pulling out of the driveway with my son in his baby carseat. The bird flew off when the neighbor opened the box a while later. The second time was more recently when I found a hummingbird lying on the grass with an apparent broken wing in my mother's backyard. After calling the bird rescue, we ended up taking it to the nearby city animal shelter.

I've never seen a hummingbird in Anchorage, though I've heard they get as far north as Girdwood, and rumors of sightings in recent years in Anchorage. The web found me this from Stacy at Elmendorf:

If we increase people's awareness of the possibility of Rufous Hummingbirds here in spring and summer (and Anna's or Costa's hummingbirds in fall), will they be noted in higher numbers than previously? Or are there simply so few hummingbirds in this area that we won't notice an appreciable increase in reports no matter how widely we publicize the possibilities? How about Anna's Hummingbirds specifically? There are a few records of this hummingbird for Alaska. Can we generate more just by encouraging people to report ANY hummingbird they see in fall? Hmmm! I think so. Let's try it!

SO -- if you see a hummingbird in the Anchorage bowl (shucks -- how about southcentral Alaska) at any time, please send an email to: stacy[at]trochilids.com. Replace the "[at]" with "@" of course! If you can get photos, send them along, too.

I won't kid you. I'm a federally licensed hummingbird bander (permit #23148), and part of my hummingbird research involves the opportunity to personally come to your yard to catch, measure, photograph, band, and release unharmed your hummingbird.

Sky is growing fast and talking so politely and clearly.
















He also showed me how wide he could open his mouth.















We went back to J&M's house after a few errands, including rescuing some nice lumber from a dumpster. M showed me her recycled hot tub.


Then J and I biked - he to pick up the other car in from the repair shop, and me off to get a quick preflight bike ride in the Mendenhall Glacier valley. I was going to add a little bike video, but I don't have time to finish it now, maybe later. Headed to the Alaska Apple User Group meeting tonight at the Museum. If you're an Apple user and don't know about these folks, you should give it a try. Seven tonight. But normally the second Wednesday of the month - except July.