Hello Tweets-



Today while watching several Anna's Hummingbirds fight amongst the Mahonia
flowers in the Winter Garden, I was surprised when a female-plumaged
Selasphorus (Rufous?) hummingbird showed up to feed. I got a pretty good
look before it was chased away by an Anna's. It's nice and buffy on the
sides with a good white collar and center of chest and belly, and evenly
speckled throat. At least the outer two tail feathers are broadly tipped
white and perhaps the third as well and all had rufous bases; the innermost
tail feathers were entirely green. Back and rump were bright bronzy-green.
It came back twice while I was there but never long enough to see much more
thanks to the diligence of at least one male Anna's. I bet this bird
overwintered rather than being an early migrant. I'm going to try and find
it again tomorrow.



On a separate note, I've watched a young male Anna's molt into adult plumage
these past few weeks back at my home in Wedgwood. He replaced his tail
sometime around xmas and since New Years has grown in a full magenta helmet.
Amazing that these birds with such high energy needs not only can take the
cold in the winter but also finish up molt at this time of the year as well.




Good Birding, Alan



Alan J. Knue

bluejay at surfbirder.com



Seattle, WA, USA