Adios, Hummingbirds

    One of the most delightful visitors to the Robson Valley are the Rufus and Calliope Hummingbirds that arrive every Spring.  They spend their time darting around flower to flower and mating here.  While they live off of the nectar in flowers (they also eat the odd mosquito) and of course they also take advantage of he numerous hummingbird feeders that local residents put out in order to watch the feisty critters.  

    By the middle of August, the hummers disappear from the Robson Valley because having mated and their young matured, the tiny birds, that only weigh 3 grams, begin an incredibly long flight south to Mexico for the winter.  That trip can be 4000 kms (2,500 miles) long, and one can only imagine the many obstacles the can encounter along the way.  With all the terrible and destructive forest fires in Western North America, I suspect the trip is becoming more and more difficult for them.

    I rarely see one of our local hummingbirds without thinking of Curtis Culp, a Robson Valley resident who died several years ago.  He was a farmer who lived in Dunster, and long ago after catching and releasing the fourth hummingbird that was trapped in his porch, he began a bit of research about them, and learned that scientists were looking for people to band hummingbirds so they could find out about their migration.  Curtis took up the challenge and became a certified hummingbird bander.   Below is a photo of Curtis capturing a hummingbird to band.

        Banding a hummingbird takes an extreme amount of care, because they are so small and delicate, but Curtis banded hundreds of them.  He was gratified when he received notifications from people who have spotted his banded hummers in Foley, Alabama and West Texas.  A study of twenty hummingbird feathers that Curtis was able to get, showed traces of elements only found in South East Mexico.  Curtis also discovered that one of his birds that he recaptured, was eight years old.  

    I will look forward to seeing those local hummingbirds again, when they return to the Robson Valley next April and May.

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