12/14/08 - Week 104 Winter Wonder A young Anna's male hummingbird. Actually they are a wonder to me all year long. Very few places in North America have hummingbirds year around. Oregon and Vancouver Island are the most Northern areas with resident hummingbirds. These Anna's Hummingbirds are tough little critters that end up weighing about the same as a U.S. nickel. That would be about five grams. A few of them put up with the cold, rain and snow when we get it and stick around here all winter. I started catering to them three or four years ago and at that time there were just one pair. This year it has grown to eight of them with three females and five males. The ages range from adult at least four years old to the young male shown here at about five months old. He is the last one that I know of from the last brood near the end of July this year. Yes I can tell them apart but they let me get closer to them than most people get the chance to. They will eat out of feeders while I hang on to the feeder and they will put up with the camera being close to them. This shot was from about a foot and a half away. He is sitting in the bush next to one of the feeders just keeping an eye on tings. If it gets much colder he will start sitting on the wire under the heat lamp that the feeder hangs from. Like I said... I spoil them. When the temps get below freezing I bring the feeders in at night so the food is warm when they show up first thing in the morning. I also have heat lamps to keep the food from freezing. In exchange for the above I get countless hours of enjoyment watching them, feeding them, talking to them and getting a good photo now and then. If you are interested in these amazing little birds there is more information in the hummingbird section of my site. |
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