ANNA's and RUFOUS.......

 "My work is the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird.Equal seekers of sweetness....." 
                               -Mary Oliver (1935-) (Pulitzer prize winner)

 We are surrounded this year. Well. Surrounded by a few. But it feels like a lot. Anna's Hummers. Named after the French courtier, Anna Messina, Duchess of Rivoli ( 1802-1887)

 The one I've seen hovering around the sweet peas the most, is a female, I think.

 Females and  young ones are rather dull in colour to the male that has a red throat.

 Spencer seems to sleep through all their hovering.At least here he does.

 ANNA's winter here as well.  This winter, I will make sure to keep a feeder out, through the colder months. This hummingbird can survive most cold spells by going into a sort of sleep, where they lower their body temperature. And they survive.

 They tend to make their nests in December. Or even earlier, stuffing the nest with plants and lichen, spider silk, and feathers.

When it rains, ANNA's shake their bodies 55 times per second, while in flight, to get rid of rain particles, including dirt and pollen.

 I learned that the males sing during courtship.  Squeaky sounds. Like a mouse. He does this during a death defying aerial display in order to charm his intended.

 He rises up to about 40 metres ( 130 feet) then dives at a speed of  385 body lengths per second.

 His shrill squeak at the end of the 51 mph dive is meant to  impress. And it does . These hummingbirds are NOT on the endangered species list.

 "Either you take in miracles, or you stand still like the hummingbird...." -Henry Miller (1891-1980) (American Writer)

The RUFOUS............scrapper, hot headed little bird....

 Beats up on larger hummingbirds. And wins! He is very terrritorial. He is very relentless.

 Summering up here in the Pacific Northwest, in Campbell River,  they head up to Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains in the fall.

 Loves the feeder. Scares off the Anna's hummingbird.  Apparently they will even chase away squirrels.

 He migrates  longer than any other bird in the world. 3900 mile ( from Alaska to Mexico) And that's going one way.

 RUFOUS Hummers show up here, on Vancouver Island,around May.

 In July they start their journey down. Sometimes a little later.

  Rufous remembers where he has seen flowers that he can get nectar from. And where feeders are located.  Even going to a place where a feeder HAD been  placed the year before. And checking it out to see.  Smart little hummer.

 Rufous beats his wings  52-62 wingbeats per second. He is fast and brave.  I think  Anna's hummingbird is relieved when  Rufous leaves in July.

 Rufous spends much of his time on the move. He is on the watch list for  a risk of becoming endangered. 

 "A tiny gemstone, a tiny spark of colour  slipping between your fingers and through the cracks and gone. A heart the size of a fleck of glitter and vibrating like a hummingbird, seeded with a billion things that would never happen now. " -Tana French   (1973- ) (Irish novelist and actress. Won the Edgar Award for best first novelist)