RECYCLING THE WOODS - San Juan Nature Notebook By Susan Vernon

12/17/2008
The big chill we are currently experiencing may be challenging for the birds as well as for us. In recent years, the San Juan Islands have seen a marked increase in the number of Anna's Hummingbirds that are wintering here. This is a species that ranges from Baja to southern British Columbia. They have become year-round residents throughout the Puget Sound lowlands. While many islanders are used to seeing rufous hummingbirds each spring and summer, this relatively new arrival may be news to some of you.

I have had the occasional Anna's at my place since October and have kept a feeder out for them. The nectar froze last night, of course, and I was quick to “defrost” it this morning in case they were in the vicinity. A pair has been using it all afternoon – unusual behavior for them. This fact leads me to think perhaps some food resources are unavailable to them in this chill.

Therefore, I thought an alert was in order for those of you who may have hummingbirds near your homes. With a week of unusually cold weather before us, keeping the nectar in your feeders fresh and defrosted is imperative.

Here is a photograph taken by Colleen Howe-Gregory today (Sunday) of an Anna's hummingbird at Mitchell Bay Farms on the west side of San Juan Island. It has been harvesting the blooms of a charity mahonia in her yard.

I will have a more detailed column on the Anna's hummingbird soon, meantime thanks for checking your feeders to insure that the nectar is available to these fine, tough little birds.

Susan Vernon is a writer and naturalist living on San Juan Island. San Juan Nature Notebook text and photographs copyright 2008 by Susan Vernon. No part of this column may be reproduced, except for personal reference, without the expressed written consent of the author.

editor@sanjuanislander.com

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