Shift Change

Day 63: A changing of the shift has occurred. I can't pinpoint the last day I saw a Rufous Hummingbird, although it's been a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. A few Anna's were in the neighbourhood at the time, and I remember thinking that the changing of the guard was close at hand. You see, Rufous is the dominant summer resident, with late spring and early fall being shared more or less equally. There will be the odd Anna's now and then in the summer, but they are scarce, and are usually only females. The males show up again in the fall, at which point the Rufous crowd vacates the premises. Anna's owns the winter, and will often be as numerous as their counterparts were in the summer. For the last several days, two (perhaps more than two) males have been vying for possession of the feeder outside the front window. Merry has become used to hummers, only occasionally offering commentary when one sits close to the glass.