By Paul and Mary Meredith

Hummers have visited our feeders all season. The sugar water continues to disappear on a regular basis.

But we've seen few of them, and have been able to identify even fewer. That's because we have a dense sandpaper tree (anacua, Ehretia anacua) near our feeders, as well as turk's cap plantings next to it. It's been a popular place for birds to perch - especially small birds, like hummers - to hide.

It's very difficult to spot any small creature that sits still 10-15 feet up among its foliage, which produces dense shade. They're nearly impossible to see until they move, and are rarely identifiable if we do see them.

We heard some hummer reports from the coastal areas last week. Folks preparing for Rockport's 23rd annual HummerBird Celebration shared their sightings. There they've had black-chinned hummers, two Anna's, buff-bellies and a few ruby-throats. The black-chinneds and buff-bellies migrate before the ruby-throats, and leave before many ruby-throats arrive.

Ruby-throats are also being seen around Victoria.

CELEBRATION

This year's HummerBird Celebration is Sept. 15-18. Plus, several pre-event activities are scheduled for Sept. 14. Pre-event activities include a kayak birding trip in Little Bay.

A bus trip includes birding at Fennessey Ranch, and a tour of the Rockport Bay Education Center, featuring a global view of the migratory pattern of the Central Flyway zone.

Celebration speakers and programs cover hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and developing a yard to attract them, plus some other topics.

KEYNOTE EVENTS

On Thursday, Brent Ortego will discuss "Hummingbirds in the Beginning, Today and in the Future."

Friday, the keynote is raptors from Last Chance Forever flying overhead.

On Saturday, James Currie, of Birding Adventures TV, will share highlights from "The Big Year" movie being released this fall. The movie features Steve Martin and Jack Black.

SOME OTHER PRESENTATIONS

Bird photography classes feature expert wildlife photographers John Martell and Pam Fulcher.

Tom Kuenzli will also talk about choosing your binoculars and birding scopes.

Ro Wauer will talk about butterflies. Each talk about butterflies will be followed by a visit to a butterfly garden. Mark Klym, co-author of "Hummingbirds of Texas" and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's hummer coordinator, will speak on "Western Bullies: Where and When Have They Been Seen in Texas."

Other speakers will cover birding like the experts, landscape designs - for birds - and for hummers in particular, amazing hummers, hummingbird folklore, identifying the little brown birds of winter (sparrows) and black-chinned hummingbirds.

BIRDING TRIPS

Some birding opportunities, led by expert birders, will be by bus, others by boat, and some are self-guided to hummer homes. There will be a hummingbird banding demonstration site. There, you may even experience the thrill of releasing a hummer following its banding.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Outdoor exhibits and hummingbird malls will also be available.

For up-to-date information, visit the HummerBird Celebration website at

rockporthummingbird.com.

Paul and Mary Meredith are master naturalists. Contact them at paulmary0211@sbcglobal.net.