Santa came a bit early in Pennsylvania this year. On December 12, 2009, Scott Weidensaul banded an Allen's Humingbird in Leola, PA. Some may say, so...? So, the species has never before been reported in the state. It is a native of the Pacific coast and to find one in the Northeast is indeed a rarity.
Ironically, the hostess of this tiny gem faithfully kept nectar readily accessible since its arrival back in August thinking it was the very similar Rufous Hummingbird. That assumption is readily understandable considering the one field mark that conclusively separates the two is the size of one or two of the tail feathers as seen in the photo below.
A string of rainy, cloudy days since the discovery created quite a challenge for photographers attempting to document the event, and to birders hoping to get a glimpse of the backyard denizen as it flew to the feeder for a few seconds then away in a flash, to some unknown perch nearby. In retrospect though, it was very cooperative with its periodic, albeit short appearances, sending everyone home with the satisfaction of adding this beautiful bird to their life list.
My thanks to Scott for allowing me to post the bottom three close up photos taken the day of the banding. Note the comparison of feather sizes in the middle photo.