Hummingbirds of a Feather…

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In a post last week, I mentioned the hummingbird that perched on the water spray coming from my hose one summer morning. These little birds have built a nest high up in the fir tree next door. Unlike many other kinds of hummingbirds, they don’t migrate south for the winter.  This got me thinking about how little I know about them. I decided to investigate further.

In my search for information, I learned that this particular hummingbird is an Anna’s hummingbird. I found a website and learned more.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/annas_hummingbird/id

This is what the website says about Anna’s Hummingbirds: “… are among the most common hummingbirds along the Pacific Coast, yet they’re anything but common in appearance. With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, they are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, Anna’s Hummingbirds make a strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise that they produce through their tail feathers.”

This photo shows just how tiny these very special creatures are.

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How do these remkarable birds survive the winter? According to http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Birding/Annas_hummers.html:

“It is thought that Anna’s Hummingbirds are able to winter so far north because their diets contain a larger proportion of insects and arachnids than most hummingbirds.  Not only do these bugs provide nutrients during the winter when there are few flowers blooming, but they also provide a slower metabolizing source of food which may help them survive the long nights.  Anna’s Hummingbirds also have a fairly large body weight for a hummingbird which may also help them.  But they do live a precarious existence in the winter and the presence of hummingbird feeders has probably also helped to encourage their northward expansion.”

Now you know. 🙂

Until Wednesday, and wishing you the pleasure of a hummingbird’s company,

Ann
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