The following was written by M Price / M Donahue -- from 08/25 --
My wife Ann & I wondered if M Price (or anyone else) had any ideas
about how these small birds make it thru the colder
nights, given the possibility of making it thru the days... Also,
I believe the first confirmed WA state record was 11/30/64 thru
Feb, 1965, with nesting confirmed sometime in mid-1970's -- seen
on territory in April 1974 in Discovery Pk, Seattle. (refs Western
Birds, vol 7, no 1, 1976) -- rather recent addition to WA recs.

-- Alan Richards / Naselle WA 98638 / mrm at WILLAPABAY.ORG
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>Hi Tweets,
>
>Mike Donahue writes:
>
>>Michael Price stated in his message on hummingbird feeders "Since
>>the virtually non-migratory Anna's Hummingbirds cannot survive the average
>>northern Cascadian winter without feeder help...."
>>
>>I've been curious about this, since I can't imagine that these birds are
>>surviving without feeders, but I've found hummingbirds in the dead of
>>winter that were in an area AT LEAST 1/4 mile from the nearest feeder.
>>(And that's assuming that one of the nearest houses had a feeder.)
>
>The two observations are not contradictory, Mike. This far N (southern BC),
>Anna's tend to be located on S-facing slopes with N-S ravines. In winter
>here, it generally remains warm enough for insect life to continue
>throughout the winter. When it does get cold, it's usually during periods of
>arctic high pressure, usually with clear skies and bright sun. At midday,
>the ravines are heat-traps, becoming small warm microhabitats with active
>insect life and even some blooms. The Anna's forage in these. They use the
>feeders for water and energy. I'm not sure how far they'll go from the
>feeder to forage but up to a kilometer (0.6 mi) doesn't seem unreasonable.
>Anyone know for sure?
>
>>I've observed these birds consistently in these areas over the winter, so
>>I know that the birds were not just passing though where I'd observed
>>them; that this area was part of their regular home range. I think birds
>>that ARE centered around feeders are biasing us towards the idea that they
>>NEED them to survive.
>
>In Vancouver BC, in winter, there are no Anna's where there are no feeders
>with forage areas fairly close by. And they are a relatively-recent (1940's
>and 50's) addition to the BC avifauna. Someone else would know for sure, but
>I think they're fairly recent in WA as well, no? Seems to me that as late as
>the 1930's they were rare N of northern California, but moved N in the
>1940's as people established more gardens and simultaneously began
>hummingbird feeding.
>
>>I do believe that feeders are definately helping the population survive
>>our winters, particularly when we have a more severe one. However, I'm
>>not convinced that if everyone took their feeders
>>down all at once that all the Anna's would die.
>
>Well, there's one way to test the idea, though it might be terminal for the
>Anna's. Better than that, can anyone think of where the Anna's limit of
>survival without feeders might be nowadays?
>
>Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
>Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
>mprice at mindlink.net
>