Rufous Hummingbirds

I just found the following info. on a birder's blog in Wash. D.C.. This is exciting (for me)! We aren't too far from Wash. D.C. (45 minutes drive or so) Maybe some of those lost rufous hummingbirds could make their way over here. I saw them in California. Beeeautiful! Maybe I'll put the hummingbird feeders back up! The last day I saw a Ruby-Throated here was Sept. 30th.

For most of the year, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that is likely to be found in the Mid-Atlantic, or in eastern North America generally. It is our only breeding hummingbird. In the late fall and early winter, some western hummingbirds pass through this area and may even spend the winter if food is available. The most likely to appear is the rufous hummingbird. Other western hummingbirds that have been recorded in D.C. and Maryland include .... A few years ago, black-chinned and rufous hummingbirds at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building caused quite a stir among DC birders. Most western hummingbirds that winter along the east coast are immatures that took too much of an easterly route on their flight south, so identification of winter hummingbirds can be tricky.