Western Washington Winter Wildlife

The last few days it's been getting colder and colder around here. Recently the mercury has been dropping into the range of freezing overnight frequently. This weekend, the Northwest is getting it's first major winter storm of the year, with snow in the higher elevations. Even here in West Seattle there are rumors that we may see some snow tonight, and possibly tomorrow as well. With all the changes that go along with colder weather, the birds have been behaving a bit differently as well.

More and more of them have been visiting our deck feeders, and spending more time sitting around nearby. We've had Chickadees for quite a while, and I previously posted about the Red-Shafted Northern Flicker that's been paying us a few visits. Now, with the extra cold winter we are also getting a flock of Oregon Junco that have been hanging around. They like to eat off the ground more than the feeder, so they spend a lot of time in and around the pots, getting seeds that get dropped by the chickadees.

We have also been seeing a lot of a little tiny thing that likes to come and perch in the bamboo or on the feeder hanger, a Hummingbird. I can't tell if it's an Anna's Hummingbird or a Rufous Hummingbird, but it sure is a cute little thing. It comes and parks a few minutes making sure the coast is clear of other birds for a moment, then buzzes down to the feeder for a little nectar before going back to perch for a few minutes more. It's been a lot of fun watching it today while catching up on a little TV, getting a few series programs out of the way on a lazy Saturday.

But, enough with the chatter, here's a couple pictures of the little flyers at rest:

 

OK, looking at the picture again, it's looking more like an Anna's Hummingbird by the dark wings and the light eye bands... I'm going to be trying to get pictures of this little beauty buzzing about the feeder as well, so stay tuned for more.