August 2008 Grassy Pond Drive, Dennis. Photo by P. Trimble.
1 records
| MARC number | Decision | Species | # | Location | County | Arrival | Departure | Observers | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-021 | A | Broad-billed Hummingbird | 1 | 65 Grassy Pond Dr., Dennis | Barnstable | 8/23/2008 | 12/8/2008 | Murphy (homeowner), McGibbon (identified), Sue Finnegan (banded) | 13 |
The distinctive plumage of this adult male hummingbird is what first caught the attention of the homeowners, who invited a bander to trap and photograph the bird, thus documenting the first report for this species for Massachusetts. They kept a warm, sheltered feeder for the bird and welcomed birders to their home to see it well into December. A widespread resident in Mexico breeding north to Arizona and New Mexico, Broad-billed Hummingbird has only been recorded in the eastern United States on a few occasions. Remarkably, an adult male was also photographed in Connecticut on August 13, 2008, just ten days before the discovery of the Massachusetts bird.