Day 189: Hummingbird season has just begun, but there are at least a dozen, the sexes equally represented, vying for positions at the feeder. I only have one station up at this point, but as word gets out, I'll need to put up at least two more. Species Rufous has marked my yard on the map, and each year, my clientele is growing.
The female Rufous Hummingbird (left) can be distinguished from the similarly sized Anna's Hummingbird by a blush of soft rust on her flanks and rusty band on the upper tail. The Rufous male has an iridescent red throat which in certain lighting conditions appears dark (as indeed it does in the photo on the right). Allen's (nearly identical) does not occur in the Pacific Northwest, but for those of you living in areas where the two species mingle (California, for example), look for narrow, almost thread-like outer tailfeathers on Allen's.The voices of both species are also similar, and according to one naturalist whose name I have forgotten, "consists of 90% swear-words." For a tiny little fellow, Rufous makes up for his size with his vocabulary!
Some folks can't get enough of Snowy Owls. Others fancy Bald Eagles or other raptors. Personally, I could watch Rufous Hummingbirds all day long and would never tire of listening to them cursing like sailors.
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