I'm curious, too, birdguy. I hope you'll let us know what you find. The books say they pass thru in a few days, but I never believed it. Didn't want to, I guess :)

BTW, your picture is perfect, never seen one that better shows the coloring. Is that the male?

Hi,
Yes, that is a male. I'll keep everyone posted. I had designed a heated hummingbird feeder a few years ago. I might have to build it and put it to use this winter. Here's another pic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beautiful Birds

That is an outstanding shot! Just perfect. And the wings going for balance on the edge of the feeder. Terrific.

Heated feeder-- you figure they'll stay over the winter, or just for the hangers-on in late fall after a couple of light frosts?

If I leave a bird feeder up, am I enticing them to stay too long and contributing to their demise?
or..
If I don't leave a feeder out, will I miss the opportunity to feed a hungry straggler and, therefore, contribute to it's demise?
Playing a Time Lord takes a lot of thought. Dern mind boggling it is.
If I do leave a feeder out, I must be committed to maintaining it out all winter.
I noticed that the Rufous appears much "woolier" than Ruby-throats. Might be better suited for colder climates.

Here is a link that might be useful: RNWPHOTO.NET

Migration is stimulated by length of day so, no you will not adversely affect a hummer by leaving your feeders out. They will leave when they are ready and by having feeders out you may just assist a bird that otherwise may not have been able to continue. If there is no gas in the tank it`s a little difficult to stay in the air!!!! And my of my, what lovely photos!

Hi shillanorth,
It is still a mystery as to what triggers migration. Length of days and food availability could both be factors
As mankind destroys food sources and habitat, many animals may be making a last ditch effort to stay alive.
Have you ever made a late night jaunt to your favorite store only to find it unexpectedly closed? Panic and exploration...
The Rufous' have just recently started migrating to the gulf areas and then turning northeast and coming back up. Nobody is sure why. Maybe loss of habitat.
I would hate to promise food and not be able to deliver.
I am researching flowers and plants that will give nectar all winter.
I may have just made a mistake with bluebirds by feeding them lots of mealworms that enabled them to raise two broods this year.
Great but, will there be enough food here for all of those bluebirds all winter? Playing Time Lord is a risky undertaking. I've been doing it for 55 years and I have found that it is very easy to mess up. Don't make promises you can't keep. The best thing I have found to do is furnish habitat.
I have 10 acres with over 1000 birds of 140 species that frequent here. Habitat, habitat, habitat.
I added a pic of a member of the bluebirds' first brood feeding a member of the second brood. I didn't know they did that.

Here is a link that might be useful: RNWPHOTO.NET

I never fed the blue birds but we had 8 here at one time. They loved my bird bath. So much fun to watch them splash like crazy to take a bath. Now we have outdoor cats, so they never came back. I do miss them alot.

A thousand birds! A wonderful thought, that you can provide (via habitat) for so many. I love it when I can provide something for any of them-- water, shelter, anything-- even just something they like to perch on.

And your pictures of baby feeding are charming. Please post more pics if you feel like it!

I was just reading this information on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site - may answer some questions and certainly stirs up a lot of queries as well - lots of variables to be sure.

Here is a link that might be useful: Migration Triggers

Hi shillanorth,
Yes, I've read all that but, it's still a mystery.

Why do the Goldfinches that nest here in Oklahoma migrate south in the fall while the ones to the north migrate to here and winter over? Obviously, the ones here could have just wintered over. Or could they?
Same with Robins and Northern Flickers.

The House Finches here don't migrate.

Some birds start to migrate from here in early August when it's still 100 degrees and will be for over a month more. With the first freeze averaging November 7.

Purple Finches don't arrive here from the north until the dead of winter, sometimes after December 21st, when the days have already started getting longer.

One thing here is that Oklahoma doesn't get much snowfall. That gives both seed eating birds and insect eating birds the ability to scratch out an existence. I think the thought of heavy snowfall sends a lot of northern birds scurrying out of there.

Probably, the first migrations were because of dwindling food supplies and then other benefits were discovered along the way.

Very interesting article, shilla. Thanks for sharing it. There's a lot of evidence that birds have hereditary programming of various kinds that requires environmental triggers or augmentation. Fascinating.

Birdguy, here in St Louis, the juncoes always arrive just ahead of the first snowstorm, often the afternoon or evening before. They have obviously been flying just ahead of the cold front bringing it for who knows how long.

Great color on that hummingbird.

Thanks to everyone for their comments on the pics. When photographing hummingbirds one can expect to take 50 pics to get one or two usable ones.

I haven't seen the male Rufous since August 27. I don't know where he came from or where he went but, I wish him well and hope to see him again.

Hello all - I'm new to this forum, so please point me in the right direction. I'd like to connect with a Hummingbird group in the Oklahoma City area. Is there one?
I previously lived in Rockport, TX and opened my backyard to hundreds of people to enjoy the many hummingbirds in my garden. Well, it seems many of these jewels have followed me to central Oklahoma! I'd like to share them! Maybe starting up a 'Backyard tour of Hummingbird gardens'.