So this really is going to be the cold blast that will bring any hummingbirds in the area to feeders. Arctic air streaming in today and tomorrow, along with an even colder shot next week will be a hummingbird express. Keep the feeders thawed and your eyes on them this weekend. Let me know if you see anything.
I have mentioned the rufous hummingbird as the most likely species to show up, but other rare species come too. Last year a calliope hummingbird spent the winter in Mecklenburg County.
Below is a photo of an immature male calliope hummingbird that spent a winter in Union County a few years ago. Notice the few magenta feathers coming in around the throat. Their elongated shape, along with more subtle identifying features, made this ID easy. The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird that regularly occurs in North America.
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