OUT-OF-RANGE HUMMINGBIRDS DOCUMENTED IN NEW ENGLAND

FALL 2004 Report

As of February 14, 2005, there have been a total of five reports of vagrant, or non-Ruby-throated hummingbirds in New England states. This is fewer than the nine reported for 2003. There is one confirmed, photo-documented sighting from Charlestown, Rhode Island, and two photo-documented reports from Little Compton, Rhode Island. (As noted below, the town of Little Compton has had seven sightings of Selasphorus spp. hummingbirds over the last nine years!) There is one report from Ellsworth, Maine, and one bird banded in Ashfield, Massachusetts. Finally, there was again, as in 2003, a Selasphorus spp.bird in  nearby Orient, Long Island, New York. These reports are discussed below.

The information on these sightings is drawn from reports on maine-birds, RIBirds, massbird and private communications. These sources are accurate to the best of my knowledge; however, all information presented here is subject to revision if later, more detailed reports become available. All photographs are used with permission. Any identification to age, sex and species is meant to be very tentative.

Stacy Jon Peterson tracks sightings of extralimital fall and winter hummingbirds throughout the United States and Canada on his excellent website http://www.trochilids.com. 2004 reports by species, especially of Rufous Hummingbirds, from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and states further south and west are available there.

CHARLESTOWN, RI   (October 29-31, 2004)

A Selasphorus spp. hummingbird was discovered on the 29th coming to a feeder in the yard of Gerry Matteo in Charlestown, RI. Two of Gerry’s photographs of the bird are shown below. They--and reports of observers-- tentatively identify the bird as an adult male RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD,  probably on the basis of the large amount of rufous on the back. An adult male Allen’s would have a green back; some adult male Rufous also have some green on the back. The bird stayed to the delight of many people all day on the 30th. It made one brief appearance on the 31st, then was not seen again. It was reported on Audubon Society of RI’s Rare Bird Alert, Nov. 4, 2004.

LITTLE COMPTON, RI

Amazingly, two Selasphorus hummingbirds were present in the same yaard in Little Compton in Fall, 2004. The hatch-year male below was present from 10-15-04 to December 20, 04. It was beautifully photographed by Geoff Dennis. The flower is Salvia madrensis, or Forsythia Sage.

The second Selasphorus, the hatch-year female in the photo below, was present from November 11, 2004 to the incredibly late date of January 18, 2005. This probably sets a record for the latest date for a hummer in New England.  The hummer was kept alive through much cold and snowy weather by protein-rich nectar in an outside feeder.  However, Geoff reports that both these birds probably perished on very, very cold nights. He says that the female might have made it had it not been for the very long period of bitter cold this year.

For a small area, Little Compton has an enviable record of Selasphorus sightings: seven over the last nine years!!  Geoff Dennis has provided the following records of Selasphorus sightings in Little Compton and Jamestown:

 There must be something special about this place that makes it particularly attractive to late-season hummingbirds....or perhaps it is simply the salvia-filled yards and sharp eyes of Geoff and his neighbors.