photogenic Anna's hummingbird
photogenic Anna's hummingbird
What a nice shot, at a terrific angle.
Great shot!! The males are starting to look very fancy and metallic as mating season approaches.
Oh, what beautiful color! Is it purple or pink?
Candy, frogsrus, konkreteblond...thanks. frogsrus-I think mating season might be over but it sure doesn't stop them from flashing and showing off their color. konkreteblond, it seems like magenta...it amazes me how even within Anna's hummingbirds, there's such an array of colors that differentiates them.
nice pic greenlife, the angle is cool....i was wondering with the pic I took, if this is an immature male Anna?
Breeding season for these criitters is December to May. If you have resident hummers, they put on quite a show divebombing the females. (and you too if you DARE to enter their territory) They have quite the chirp to let you know too.
Beautiful shot! mine are gone for the year :(
sandy-I'm sorry but I can't help with identifying. I really like your photo though....he's so tiny. frogsrus-I had no idea breeding season takes place in those months. I noticed the hummingbirds performing acrobatics but I just figured they were showing off for reasons besides attracting a breeding mate. candy-thanks...if there's one thing good about living in So California, it's having Anna's hummingbirds year-round.
Thanks anyway, Greenlife....I figured its an Anna's, just wasnt sure if it was a immature male....the rufous are gone for the year so the Anna's have the feeders all to themselves....
Sandy
They are "indescriminate" breeders and breeding can take place as early as November through spring. The males are already going through all sorts of territorial gyrations here. I am thinking a few more feeders may be in order. They have plenty of opinions about my gardening when I go outside. I think they are hoping for a new birdbath with plaid shower curtains lol.
frogrus,
How many feeders do you have out for your Anna's through the winter?.....I find they still fight but have seen 2 on there at a time, but briefly......
Sandy
Around 6 and I have a small yard. I think I feed all of the hummers that live in the large trees at the creek behind me. One huge tree seems to be the hummer condo. They use the feeders most while feeding babies. Then you can have one bird per feeding hole. All of the females will share but the males are something else. They will let the females stay but another male means WAR. We do not seem to get the crowds at the feeders that the folks with migratory birds do but we certainly get to know the personalities of the ones that own are yards lol.
I have 2 feeders up now, one at the front of my yard and one at the back...this is my first year for feeding the Anna's....i am wondering if i should put anymore up...there are certainly more than one pair feeding....I can tell be the females that they are different by the amount of colour they have at their throats...some have more, some have less.....same with the males with the colour on their heads....
Sandy
frogsrus-hahahaha...I know exactly what you mean. Hummingbirds have personalities that match their energy and color. I started off with one, then two, now three and it seems like they could use a few more but I'm going to hesitate to buy another for now because I'm running out of shady areas to hang feeders.
sandy-I can't seem to differentiate between female Anna's and immature males...but I'm surprised to hear that you have hummingbirds this time of year...Are they year-round residents in your parts?
Greenlife,
Apparently over the years, they have migrated more over here through the winter from Vancouver Island from what the local birdstore tells me....I am on the south coast of BC....they will stay all winter and even when there is a cold snap, they are still feeding....where i live here, it can get down to -10 celcius (14 degrees fahrenheit) overnight and hover around freezing during the day so I might be changing the feeders quite often so they wont be freezing on me!....Of course that is a brief cold snap for this area and is quite unusual if the temps stay for more than a few days like that..usually its damp and rainy for the most part during winter....I love seeing them coming and going though!
Sandy
Um at the risk of being risque, these birds do not travel in pairs. They love the one they're with-so to speak. I have feeders inside my patio (3) and hanging in brugs and on hooks any old place. The hummers will hang out in the patio when it rains and complain. I have only had one try to come into the house.
I did not know they stayed where it is that cold either. Wow. You will have to hang Christmas lights on the feeders to keep them warm. Lol
Hi Frogsrus...
Yes i should of corrected what i said, not pairs but mulitple hummers!...maybe i should try more feeders...I think i will need at least christmas lights or some good old fashioned heat lamps in January!....maybe knit them some sweaters i think...lol.....all kidding aside, they are so much fun to watch..they really have an attitude about them...
Sandy
They do provide hours of entertainment. I get cussed at no matter which door I choose. They hover over me as I water. You would think I was something new and strange in their little worlds. They will stay and jabber as long as I am out there. I hope they have their throat coat tea ready cause it will be a long weekend of mouthing off for them. Winter veggies go in the weekend.
The little girls are the real darlings. They know just when the boys are gone and how long it will take for them to come back. They perch on the feeders and plants so that they can see the boys coming and buzz away in the nick of time. You can almost see them rolling their eyes at them.
Janice
PS I had to giggle at the thought of trying to ge a hummer into a sweater.
Hi Janice,
Yeah they seem to be quite the characters....i know they sit up in 2 trees near my feeder, a maple and a mountain ash tree and make their chirping noises and sit there and groom themselves for a long time before coming back for another drink to fuel up....its really cool to watch actually....do you see them in your birdbath?.....i have one right below the tree but never caught one bathing yet.....i think they would have to fight the crowds of sparrows and stellar jays before they could even get a turn in there.....
Sandy
They have their own little bowl with a narrow rim for their little footsies. They do not spend a great deal of time there but it has been HOT. They are fond of the sprayer on the hose too. Spoiled birds. Very spoiled birds. I love to watch them trying to run off the mourning doves who are too stupid to realize they are tresspassing. It is feeder changing day today and I am late so I am sure they think I have deprived them of their Saturday morning entertainment. Hah!
Mine will let sparrows in. I think sparrows are as stupid as doves and ignore them. The migrating orioles give the hummers fits as the try to get at their feeders. War insues. The phoebes are allowed access for some strange reason. Better go check the feeders. I slept in til 7 this am so my routine is off but who cares! It's Saturday!
Janice