In 2016 I’m doing a 365 Nature project. Learn more about the project and see all the 365 Nature posts.
Last night the temperatures dipped into the 20’s, quite cold for Seattle, and I forgot to bring the hummingbird feeders inside. When I know we have freezing weather in the forecast I try and remember to take the hummingbird feeders down and bring them inside the house. Of course, I often forget and last night I forgot so this morning the feeder on the window was a solid block of ice. I brought it inside, put it in the sink and used the hair dryer to melt it before returning it to the window hook. Our backyard Anna’s Hummingbird was there quickly to feed. She has regularly been sitting in our forsythia, which is one of the only mature plants in the backyard. She’s so consistent I can almost always find her when I look out the window. The rest of the time she’s either feeding or chasing other hummingbirds away.
The front yard is dominated by a male Anna’s Hummingbird, and he often sits in the neighbor’s maple tree, but he’s not quite as consistent as the backyard female. I wonder if he has multiple perches he prefers for keeping an eye over his territory. When they do perch, their heads are perpetually moving back and forth, surveying for competitors. While crows are fun to watch, the Anna’s Hummingbirds are also interesting because they are so consistently found in our yard.
