No photos for this entry. The male Anna's hummingbird that was chattering away at me this weekend on top of the giant butterfly bush was a bit shy whenever I grabbed the camera. What's amazing is that we have an Anna's here and how in the world do these little guys make it through the winter here? The torpor they go into must be deep. There must also be enough folks feeding them and enough insects to keep them going. The theory is they moved up here from California and were able to stay through the winter because of all the feeders left out. It took them awhile to get to Camano. It seems they have made it to British Columbia, though! Amazing birds. Here's a bit of information on them. Seems I was right about the insects!
http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Birding/Annas_hummers.html
Sunday I actually saw robins feeding on the snowberry bush. I have watched birds for decades now and have rarely, if ever, seen birds eat snowberry. The books say they feed on them but I think it's a last resort food. There are plenty of worms and other food items in the Pacific Northwest at this time of the year for the returning and migrating-through robins so I can't imagine why they felt compelled to feed on the big white berries. I'm glad we planted it; it's a fast-growing and lovely shrub. Planting natives is the best way to feed the birds anyway. The robins were also camera shy. They'd be in a frenzy yelling at each other and feeding on berries and then I'd sneak up with the camera and they'd disappear. Here's some information on snowberries.
https://green.kingcounty.gov/gonative/Plant.aspx?Act=view&PlantID=36
"...Many a larger animal might be concealed, but a cunning ear detects the arrival of each new species of bird." Thoreau
Keep listening! Things are happening.
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