Subject: [Tweeters] Anna's Hummingbird
Date: Nov 21 12:18:52 2010
From: David Hutchinson - flora.fauna at live.com



In hard weather, when important resources become more scarce, male Annas do dominate and exclude females and birds not in breeding plumage. To go back to an earlier post, this may be because they are hormonally closer to breeding readiness. It might be because they are heavier than females, though there is recent evidence that the weight gap between local males & females is narrowing. In any case, these wintering hummingbirds use many different food sources. Often they visit a circuit of several feeders in the general neighbourhood. I tracked one female that probably travelled several miles on its feeder circuit. "My" yard birds are visiting two different kinds of fuchsia and spiders' webs.


By the way, where exactly is the Hayton Preserve on Fir Island?

--
David Hutchinson, Owner
Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
3212 W.Government Way
Seattle,WA.98199
http://www.ffbooks.net/
206-623-4727