Mites? on hummingbird beaks

[Ron at]

----- Original Message -----
From: "B?rge Pettersson" <Borge.Pettersson at CBM.SLU.SE>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 4:56 AM
Subject: Mites? on hummingbird beaks


> Dear everybody,
> On pictures taken of hummingbirds visiting feeders in Monteverde,
> Costa Rica small reddish objects can be seen on the beaks of two
> males. I have heard of mites transporting themselves between flowers
> by hitchhiking with flower-visiting animals, but I am not able to see
> any legs on these objects. Other explanations could be anthers from
> previously visited flowers or some mould colony from the sugar
> solution in the feeder. Can somebody with more experience help me?
> You find the pictures at
> http://arbetsplats.slu.se:4032/Shared%20Documents/1422Mite and
> http://arbetsplats.slu.se:4032/Shared%20Documents/1421Mite
>
> Thanks in advance
> B?rge Pettersson

Copying and enlarging these I can't see any detail either.  I do note that
on photo 1421 there are red "spots" of the same size on the edge of the
feeder.  To me they look like droplets of something.

Ron Gatrelle