Mid-Atlantic Christmas Vacation Yields 2 Statebirds, December 22, 29, 2025

A trip to the Mid-Atlantic states for the Christmas holidays presented the opportunity to chase after a few new statebirds nearby.  Since I grew up in the area, I have good state lists in all the states in the region.  But there are almost always at least a few possible new statebirds not too far away. 

Now it was time for some research.  We were based in Baltimore, so that meant no less than 5 states plus the District of Columbia would be no more than an hour away.  I pulled up my Needs Alerts for MD, PA, DE, VA, WV, and DC and came up with several reasonable possibilities –

PA – A Rufous Hummingbird was reliably visiting a feeder in Landenberg just across the state line

DC- Several waterfowl including Ross’s and Snow Geese, Goldeneye, and Long-tailed Duck had been seen recently, along with Harrier and Iceland Gull.  Though none were necessarily very reliable.  Plus, there was a Snowy Owl report.  

VA – Trumpeter Swans are reliable in Fauquier County right along our route back to NC.  That one could wait till our trip home.

My first opportunity to break away was the afternoon of the 22nd which was just enough time for what would hopefully be a short visit to Landenberg, PA in Chester County to look for the Rufous Hummingbird.  Luckily multiple eBird reports included all the necessary details – the feeder was in the back yard at the end of the driveway, the bird visited the feeder frequently (every 10-15 minutes), and it was not necessary to get prior permission from the homeowner. 

I arrived just after 2 PM, and walked to the end of the driveway.  The hummingbird feeder was right in front of me, along with a couple seed feeders.  The yard was quite birdy with a number of sparrows and chickadees on and below the seed feeders.  But of course, I concentrated on the hummer feeder as I waited for my target bird.  After an increasingly tense 15-minute wait the Rufous finally flew into the top of a small tree near the feeder.  And a few seconds later it landed on the feeder for a long drink providing great views.  It was #244 for my PA list. 

My statebird map for Rufous Hummingbird is inserted below.  The light blue shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range.  The cross-hatched states are the states where I’ve yet to see it in its regular range.  And the 8 dark blue shaded states are those where I’ve seen Rufous Hummingbird as a rarity, now including PA. 

The summary of my DC trip on the 23rd is a short one since I didn’t find any of my targets.  That was despite sorting through at least 1,500 Canada Geese on the Langston Golf Course unsuccessfully looking for white geese.  And checking all the waters around Hain’s Point for unusual waterfowl, Harriers, and gulls.  That might be the first time I've had an extended birding trip and not found any of my multiple targets. 

I also kept my eyes open for Snowy Owls as I birded in the area.  Numerous birders reported a Snowy Owl the next day on the grounds of Washington National Airport.  Interestingly, the location listed on many of the reports was Hain’s Point in DC where the birders were standing, even though all the airport property is in VA.  My rule is that the location needs to be where the bird is, not where the birder is.  (I didn’t need Snowy Owl on my VA list since I’ve seen one in VA – in fact at Washington National - a few years ago.)

I may have missed my target birds in DC, but still had some nice scenery.

My last targets were Trumpeter Swans in Fauquier County in northern VA.  This species is always on my VA needs alerts, especially in this county.  So this area must be a regular hotspot for them.  I chose Sky Meadows State Park as our spot to try for them since they seemed to be quite reliable there recently, and it was only a few minutes off our route home on the 29th.  (Afterall, it’s always important to find my target birds quickly when I was with my NBS - non-birding spouse.)  As we pulled into the State Park entrance we looked to the right at small Turner Pond and instantly spotted a pair of Trumpeter Swans feeding in the middle.  That was easy!  Here’s a picture of Turner Pond with the Swans toward the back left. 

Trumpeter Swan was #277 for my VA list.  And VA was the 22nd state where I’ve seen this species, which is being re-introduced into much of its former breeding range.

Calliope Hummingbird Along With 2 Rufous at One Feeding Station, Polk County, NC, December 7, 2022

Although I’ve set up eBird Needs Alerts for a number of the nearby western NC counties, I don’t check them too often since there aren’t too many species reported that I still need for those county lists.  But luckily I checked my Polk County Needs Alert for November 23 – it contained a report of not only an adult male Rufous Hummingbird, but also an adult male and immature Calliope Hummingbird!  And all at the same feeding station!  More importantly, the Calliope would be an NC statebird for me.  Review of the photos posted on the eBird report revealed that what was initially ID’d as an immature Calliope was actually a Rufous/Allen’s – but the adult Calliope was still a good ID.

As is often the case for wintering hummingbirds at feeding stations, the key hurdle to overcome in chasing after them is gaining an invitation to visit those feeders.  And this time would be no different.  The person who first reported the birds was a bander that I knew, but he was apparently not at liberty to invite others to see the birds.  Then came reports on November 27 that birders were allowed to band the hummingbirds, but only 1 Rufous was present.  Although I’d still love to add the Rufous to my Polk County list, I was less interested in pushing the issue since there was no longer the potential for a statebird at the site.  Or was it…

On December 3rd I got word that the Calliope was back.  Now I needed an invitation to visit the home the hummingbirds were visiting.  Three local birders accompanied the bander on the 27th (Kevin Burke, Simon Thompson, and Vicky Burke), and I knew all three of them well.  They figured out a way to get invites, so perhaps they could get me an invitation as well.  I reached out to all three and found out that the homeowner was not generally willing to allow birders to visit, but since she had birded with those local birders in the past she was OK for them to come to her yard.  All 3 of my friends still needed the Calliope so they likely had an interest in coming back for another try.  Perhaps I could join them.  Sure enough, Vicky offered to meet me there on the 4th.  Unfortunately, I was leading a bird walk for the NC Bird Atlas that day so was not available.  As it turns out they were lucky enough to see the Calliope on the 4th but dipped on both Rufous.

Now I had to grovel some more to try for another invitation.  Just as I suspected Kevin and Simon wanted to see the Calliope as well, and planned another visit for December 7th – and I could come along.  The plan was to arrive at first light to be there when the hummingbirds started their feeding activity for the day.  We were all set – now we just needed the hummingbirds cooperate.

We carpooled to the homeowners residence and arrived just before 7 AM.  Simon and Kevin pointed out that there were three feeders that the hummingbirds were visiting – one on the front porch, one on the back of the house, and one on the side.  Plus, they often fed on pineapple sage flowers still in bloom in this garden near the driveway out back.  

We had only been there a couple minutes before we heard the characteristic hummingbird chipping notes at the pineapple sage.  It was still too dark for IDs, but we were optimistic.  Then we saw one hummingbird fly over our heads toward the side yard – we were up to 2 birds.  A few minutes later it was light enough to see the immature Rufous/Allen’s at the pineapple sage.  And a bit later I briefly spotted the adult Rufous at the side feeder.  But soon thereafter all was quiet.

Now that the initial flurry of activity was over we needed a game plan to find the Calliope.  Where the 3 feeders were located meant we could only see one at a time.  So we decided to split up and each of us focus on just one feeder.  I chose the one in the back of the house because I could also see the pineapple sage from there.  The 3 of us took up our posts and waited for our key target Calliope to appear. 

But with each passing minute with no hummingbird sightings at all I grew less and less optimistic.  We had now been there at least 45 minutes with no Calliope even though the Rufous were active at least at dawn.  Then Simon poked his head around the corner and said he had the Calliope.  I notified Kevin and we all converged on the front of the house.  Simon said the Calliope had just visited the feeder on the front porch and had flown to a small pine tree nearby.  With a bit of a search we spotted the adult male Calliope nicely perched in the pine right in front of the trunk.  Here’s my barely passable digi-binned photo of my target bird.  Sure was glad I was able to get an invite… 

Calliope Hummingbird was #322 for my NC statelist.  My statebird map for this species is inserted below.  The blue-shaded states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range.  Cross-hatched Oregon is the only one in its regular range where I have yet to see it.  And now NC is the 7th state (shaded in brown) where I’ve seen Calliope as a rarity.

 

Hummingbird Trifecta, Plus an Unexpected Rarity, Athens, Georgia, November 28, 2021

One of the first things I do each morning is to turn on my computer and check my Needs Alerts for nearby states.  In the GA Needs Alert I look for records from counties in the northeast corner of the state which are closest to home.  But there are few birders in that part of GA so most days no records pop up.  That was once again the case on the morning of the 27th. 

But then I noticed that there were 3 rare hummingbird species being reported in Clarke County – Black-chinned, Calliope, and Rufous.  I had no idea where Clarke County was, but that would certainly be enough justification for a chase, if it was only close enough.  With a quick search I realized Clarke was the county surrounding Athens, GA – roughly a 2 1/2 hour drive.  That’s a bit farther than my normal 2-hour drive limit, but with 3 rarities in the area, it was certainly worth the try. 

Though the trip would only be worthwhile if I could find information on locations and procedures for seeing the birds.  I first researched the Calliope and found that the bird had actually spent most of last winter at that location as well, so it seemed that this bird might be quite reliable.  I first looked through recent eBird reports but found no details.  So I then looked at the reports from when it first appeared last year and found directions for viewing – text the homeowner in advance and she would unlock the backyard gate to let you in.  So I texted the homeowner and she almost instantly replied and invited me to see her bird the next morning.  But, she mentioned the Calliope was most reliable before 9 AM so she suggested I try for it before the other hummers.

Then it was on to the Black-chinned.  The bird first appeared on 11/10, but had only become a daily visitor starting on the 19th.  Reports came in throughout the day so it seemed pretty reliable.  And with just a bit of hunting I found an eBird post that provided the viewing protocol – no need to contact the owner in advance, and viewing was from the driveway with feeders in the front yard.  That sounded pretty easy.

But the Rufous was more challenging.  Only one eBird post included what was apparently the address, but none provided access details.  So I reached back out to the Calliope homeowner to see if she knew the details on the Rufous.  Luckily she did, and sent me the contact information of the Rufous homeowner, Vince Howard.  I texted Vince and he was very obliging, inviting me to his backyard the next morning.  The complication was that his bird was almost never seen past 8 AM. 

So with quite a bit of effort I had obtained the protocols for seeing each bird, and had gotten the needed permission.  Now I needed to figure out the order to try for them.  Although all 3 are rarities, the Calliope and Black-chinned are certainly much rarer, so those should be my highest priority.  And since the Calliope had been around the longest (both this winter and last), maybe the newcomer Black-chinned should be my first priority.  Now I needed to factor in the most reliable times to see each bird.  The Rufous was only reliably seen before 8, Calliope before 9, and Black-chinned all day.  With all those datapoints I decided to try for the Calliope first, then the Black-chinned, and the Rufous last.  I knew that would greatly reduce my chances for the Rufous, but I figured there could always be other Rufous Hummingbirds I could chase in GA in the future.

The last issue that crossed my mind was how long to wait for each hummer to appear.  With multiple target birds, you never know if waiting longer for an earlier target increases your odds for seeing that one, or just diminishes your odds for seeing later ones.  I decided to cross that bridge when I came to it.

With my strategy all set to try for the 3 rare hummingbirds, I then checked to see if there were other birds I might need that had been seen recently nearby.  With a bit of research it seemed my most likely nearby opportunities could be Vesper and White-crowned Sparrows.  Both species had been seen about 20 minutes to the west of Athens at the Robertson Bridge Road hotspot, though the sightings were about 2 weeks old.  But since I would be in the area, and likely done looking for hummingbirds in the morning (regardless of whether I was successful), it still seemed to be worth the try.  My plans were set!

I was out of the house the next morning at 5 AM – even earlier than I planned.  And with few cars on the road I made great time getting to Athens.  I pulled into the Calliope spot at 7:40, and quickly made my way to the back yard.  The first thing I spotted as I walked into the yard was a beautiful pineapple sage plant covered in red tubular flowers.  Not surprisingly this was reported to be a favorite of the Calliope.  I walked to the area under the deck, the recommended viewing spot, and started my vigil.  Not 2 minutes later I noticed movement and there was the little hummingbird perched in a bush next to the sage.  It was facing me giving great views of his beautiful gorget.  That was easy!

My statebird map for Calliope Hummingbird is inserted below.  The blue states are those where I’ve seen this species in its regular range; the cross-hatched states are those where I still need it.  And the 6 brown states are those where I’ve seen Calliope as a rarity.

 Although I wanted to stay longer, I had other hummingbirds to chase after.  So I only stayed for a couple more minutes before heading back to the car.  And just 10 minutes later, by 8:00, I was at the residence where the immature Black-chinned was being seen.  The protocol here was to stand on the driveway and watch the feeders in the front yard.  Plus the day before the hummer was spotted at the top of the crepe myrtle which apparently was one of its favorite perches.  When I arrived the homeowner was out filling his birdbath.  He said he had already seen it that morning, and said it was really only reliable from 8 to 9.  Good thing I got there early.  I settled in watching a few birds coming and going and then within 5 minutes spotted my target bird fly into the top of the crepe myrtle.  It sat there for at least a minute giving good views of its long and slightly decurved bill, and slightly curved folded wing.  Then if flew off to the north chipping along the way.  GA is now my second state (after CT) seeing Black-chinned as a rarity.

Two down and one to go, though I wasn’t terribly optimistic about the Rufous.  I arrived at 8:20 and was joined by Vince in his backyard to watch for his hummingbird.  He had seen and photographed the Rufous that morning before 8, but true to form had not seen it since then.  There were many birds at his feeding station including 2 nice Orange-crowned Warblers.  But there were no hummingbird visits at the feeder.  Then again at one point I thought I saw a hummingbird fly by - maybe that was just wishful thinking.  It was now 9:15 and I was starting to wonder how much longer I should wait.  And just then I looked back at the feeder and there was the Rufous feeding.  It drank for at least a minute, giving me views of its green back and closed tail.  Then it was off in a flash.  Although I would have liked to have seen its rufous flanks and gorget, I was happy to have just seen it so late in the morning.  Here is one of Vince’s pictures he took that morning through his window.

I’ve now seen Rufous Hummingbird in each southeast state but MS where it is now a regular wintering species.  Along with 7 northeast states where it is still considered a true rarity.

Three for three rare hummingbirds in one county all within 2 hours – a hummingbird trifecta.  And to think just a day earlier I didn’t even realize they were being seen there.  I obviously have to add Clarke County to the list of GA counties in which to search for new GA statebirds.

But my birding day wasn’t over yet.  It was only 9:30 when I left the Rufous location, so that gave me plenty of time to head to Robertson Bridge Road to look for some sparrows.  This hotspot was a narrow dirt road that winds through cattle pastures, with low shrubs along most of the roadsides.  It certainly looked good for sparrows.  I parked my car near the north end and started birding the road on foot.  I soon ran into a White-throat and several Songs, but sparrows were scarce.  Then I noticed a large blackbird flock in one pasture and with a quick view realized they were mostly Rusty’s.  I guessed at least 75 birds, along with 50 Starlings and few Red-wings.  They later perched in nearby trees along Barber Creek and then flew off. 

I then looked back into the pasture and spotted two blackbirds near some cattle.  With binocular views I could see they were all dark, and quite shiny.  Brewer’s perhaps?  I raced back to the car to get the scope, and then with scope views could see they were very iridescent and glossy despite the cloudy weather conditions, with medium length tails.  Brewer’s Blackbirds indeed!  I always think Brewer’s males look like miniature grackles – very glossy but lacking the long tail.  That was an unexpected surprise – not a huge rarity but still requiring details in eBird.  GA is my third southeast state (after NC and SC) where I’ve added this species since moving to the area.

What a great morning!  The hummingbird trifecta plus an unexpected rarity brings my GA statelist to 257.  Certainly made the 4:30 AM wake-up call worthwhile.

Rufous Hummingbird, Biddeford, ME, and Post-Sandy Birding #1 – October 2012

While away on a business trip some posts started coming in about a Selasphorus hummingbird at a feeder in Biddeford, ME.  And a couple posts were suggesting it might not be the expected Rufous – some leaning toward Broad-tailed.  I have no Selasphorus hummers of any kind in Maine, so obviously worth a try for the bird.  But would it stay until I returned from my trip? 

And then there’s the issue of whether it would survive through Hurricane Sandy.  The hurricane battered the Maine coast with lots of wind and rain though certainly nothing like down on the NY, NJ and CT coasts.  The night of the storm I contacted the local homeowners with the hummingbird and they said they did not see it that day.  Was the wind just too strong for this little bird?  So thinking the bird might be gone, I decided to bird along the coast elsewhere the day after the storm looking for wind-blown birds. 

While driving north to head to the coast the morning after the storm I got a call from the homeowners – the hummer was back!  Needless to say I changed my course, and an hour later was at their front yard looking at the feeder.  After about a 20-minute wait I heard a sharp chip note and soon thereafter the hummingbird arrived to feed.  I had good long views of the bird from the back, and although I never saw the tail spread, I never saw any orange at all in the tail feathers.  Hmm…  Regardless of my possible ID, the bird was banded a couple days later and was confirmed as a Rufous Hummingbird.

After leaving the feeding station I began my search for storm-tossed birds.  Two stops in Biddeford yielded a couple large flocks of gulls but nothing of interest.  Then during an hour-long seawatch at the Cliff House in Ogunquit I saw mostly the normal fall seabird migrants, though a Laughing Gull was very late and perhaps blown north by the storm.  I also had the briefest view of a storm-petrel just before it disappeared behind a large swell never to be seen again.  Next stop was Cape Neddick where the first bird I saw was a very late bedraggled male Black-throated Blue Warbler – was this a storm bird?  With nothing else of interest in the thickets, and the road to Nubble Light closed due to the storm, I began to head home.  But one last check of the listserves mentioned a Leach’s Storm-Petrel at inland Lake Massabesic in NH.  With one more change in course I was at the lake with several other birders watching this poor confused bird bobbing around on the lake waters.  Not a NH statebird, but a great inland sighting none the less.

My statebird map for Rufous Hummingbird is inserted below.  I have now seen Rufous in each New England state (my 215^th species in each of these 6 states), as well as five other eastern and Gulf Coast states as a winter vagrant.