[obol] Bend Costa's Hummingbird still present

[david tracy]

The female Costa's Hummingbird showed up yesterday several times  
between 10:15 am and 3 pm.   At one point I was out on the patio and  
she flew up within a few feet of where I was seated, pumping her tail  
vigorously and vocalizing frequently, sounding like a little squeaky  
toy compared to the harsh chips and buzzes you hear coming from an  
Anna's.  This was the first time I've heard her, or any female  
Costa's chip note as far as I recall.  It is really soft, like a  
little pip or tink sound.

The tail pumping while hovering at the feeder is similar to Black- 
chinned and not like Anna's.  I've never observed this distinctive  
difference in behavior between the two species and how it could be  
useful when separating Costa's and Anna's until reading the species  
accounts in Sheri Williamson's "A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of  
North America"  the other day.   She mentions the tail pumping thing  
under the section on how to distinguish from similar species.  When I  
went back and looked at the video I'd taken of the Costa's, the tail  
pumping was very obvious.  On each subsequent visit I've looked for  
this tail pumping behavior and it appears to be very consistent.

After hearing the distinctive soft chip notes and seeing the vigorous  
tail pumping, it was much easier to cinch the ID without my bins than  
all the time spent evaluating multiple close up views aided by optics  
and slow motion video.

Email me for directions if interested in trying to stop by and see  
the bird.

Dave




david tracy
davect at bendnet.com