Nesting season begins

Side view picture of a male Anna’s Hummingbird with dark red feathers on his head and throat. He is perching on a twig, leaning slightly forward, and looking up and to the side. — Male Anna’s Hummingbird

This Anna’s Hummingbird male claimed our central Arizona backyard and has been around all winter.

But he was usurped earlier this week … by an Anna’s Hummingbird female.

Side view picture of a female Anna's Hummingbird perched on a very thin and thorny twig. She is looking to the side. Her feathers are mostly green and light gray, with a patch of color on her throat. — Female Anna’s Hummingbird

She arrived in December but began fighting to claim the feeder recently. There are several other Anna’s Hummingbirds, both males and females, regularly visiting.

But she is now the one guarding the feeder.

And she has a reason: she is feeding baby hummingbirds in a nest very high up in our neighbor’s Juniper tree.

Her nest is in the same tree that housed the second nest cam nest in May 2013. And for those who followed that nest cam and the rescue, those baby hummingbirds were successfully raised by WildWing Rehabilitation. The young Anna’s Hummingbirds were released by WildWing near the Desert Botanic Garden in Phoenix in July 2013.

Thank you, WildWing, for your work and care. And thank you, everyone, for your encouragement and interest.

We will be getting back to regular posting, so check back in. Thanks!

Back to home or the hummingbird pictures on the blog.