Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Treated to a Rufous, On her way North
Anna’s Hummingbirds visit my feeders year-round, male and female both dark green, the male especially handsome with his ruby red crown.
But this weekend, I saw flashes of brown and rust on a first-time, smaller visitor, the Rufous Hummingbird.
She was a beauty, though like the Anna’s, the male is more striking, with more intense coloring, including a copper-colored crown.
I watched her land and keep an eye on her surroundings, alert for intruders.
Soon an Anna’s showed up
and I watched them spar until the Rufous was driven off,
the Anna’s the winner, at least for this round.
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds, with the ability to fly straight up and down, sideways and backwards, and hover while they use their needle like bills to sip nectar. The Anna’s is medium sized 3.5 – 4 inches long, the Rufous a bit smaller at 3.5 inches. The Anna’s doesn’t migrate but stays on the Pacific Coast of the US year-round. The hardy Rufous migrates almost 4,000 miles solo, nesting as far north as southern Alaska, wintering as far south as southern Mexico. They can be seen in the Seattle area in the spring and fall.
I was happy to provide a source of food and water for them on their journey.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
I was recently reading a Cornell article about how the range of hummingbirds has increased due to humans offering feeders, and not only that, but their beaks are changing as well. Evolution can happen more quickly that we’d ever guessed.
I’d heard before that the range of the Anna’s has likely increased over time due to feeders, but not about changes in beak size and shape.
https://www.science.org/content/article/bird-feeders-have-caused-dramatic-evolution-california-hummingbirds
Thanks
🧡🧡
Oh I love them!! I just now finished washing and refilling my two hummer feeders in the backyard. They like the water, I see bees drinking there too!
Thanks, John. I love them too!
You’re welcome. ❤️
Ohh awesome, these amazing birds will make it to our Canadian gardens soon — 😍💛🤩
Thank you! I was so happy they dropped by! 😊
Hummingbirds are such fun to watch and the Rufous migration is a nice twice a year treat.
It really was a treat to see the Rufous!
Such beautiful and endearing little birds, whatever their colour.
Best wishes, Pete.
Truly! I loved having a new variety stop by!☺️
Really excellent photos of these pretty birds 😀
Thanks, Sarah! I was thrilled to have a new variety stop by.😊
Hummingbirds are so fascinating.
Such beautiful, cute visitors!!
Thank you! They are indeed!
I learn something new every time I visit! Love the photos (and I’m impressed)!
Thank you so much!
I wish I could capture one of those magnificent creatures on my camera. Must keep trying.
It’s definitely worth the effort, especially if you have a good zoom on your camera.