Yesterday I sent a personal note to all that had shown interest in our long visiting hummer. Because of recent additional observations, which I think would be of interest to everyone, the following is a modified update to yesterdays message. Denise's adult female Rufous Hummingbird (HUMMY), is still here this morning, Sunday, enjoying the balmy 17 degree weather. Today is DAY #32, her arrival on November 10th seems like a long time ago. Today she arrived at 7:16AM, which is about the normal arrival time. We have been bringing the feeder in each night to keep it from freezing, and putting it back out in the morning, about a half hour before daylight. Yesterday morning, I hung a sunlamp for the first time, about a foot and a half from the feeder. It did not seem to phase her. It is amazing how tolerable these little guys or gals can get. Even when Allen Chartier banded her back on November 22nd, she was back to the feeder almost immediately. She won't leave!!! Of interest; supposedly sugar water, 4 parts water and 1 part sugar, will not freeze down to 28 degrees. With the colder temperature yesterday, she seemed to be feeding much more frequently. Time to move on? This morning, when we went to take the feeder out of the basement, we noticed a spider web with a little bitty spider in it; the first thing she did on her arrival, was to snatch that spider up. Something else we have observed, is her routine of sometimes fluttering around a nearby bark butter feeder on the approach to the hummy feeder. Is she in search of other nutritional insect goodies. We hope to leave for Florida late next week for Christmas. Will she leave before us? Would anybody like to adopt her if she stays? Her visit has been an exciting and very rewarding experience. We never tire of watching her! Many thanks to Jim Dolan and Dane Adams for the wonderful photo documenting they have done. When her departure happens, hopefully, I will be able to let you know.
 
Bob Lane
 
 
                                          


                                          
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