I just got an email forwarded from one of the banders who came to my yard this past winter. Another bander in Tallahassee, FL had caught a female Rufous this past Jan. It was caught again on June 28 in Chenega (sp?) Bay, Alaska some 4000 miles from its wintering home. This is a new record for distance traveled from wintering site to breeding site. It was found that the bird was born a year old, according to the striations in the beak.

How cool is that! Gives me hope that my female Rufous may be caught up in the Northwest somewhere. Mine was also an immature female Rufous.