I would urge all birders going to see the Allen's Hummingbird to please continue to follow the rules that the homeowner, Mae Miller, has set out. She has been very generous and patient, and deserves all our thanks and respect. If anyone does get any decent photos of this bird's tail (spread?) in the coming days, I'd like to see copies of them please. There should be two new tail feathers coming in, and that one immature outer feather is likely to be dropped soon too. Allen T. Chartier amazilia1(at)comcast.net Inkster, Michigan, USA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn_Rohr" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:14 AM Subject: [Ohio-birds] Allen's hummingbird; don't pass the stake Hi, I was one of the stragglers to whom Bill Heck alluded. I would caution people to stay back by the stake at the corner of Mae Miller's house. A photographer had gotten much closer. He assured us that it didn't bother the bird at all, and that the bird was feeding every 40-45 minutes. After he left the bird soon fed. It is possible, though not certain, that his close-up presence was delaying feeding; and that is not a chance worth taking in cold winter weather when energy replenishment is so vital to survival. Anyway, I would suggest that birders stay back, just in case. Mae Miller also prefers it. We left her a bag of sugar to help with the feeding! Marilyn Rohr Chardon ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]