The Hummingbirds of Vancouver Island

     On a recent trip to Vancouver Island we had many sightings of the two species of hummingbird regularly seen there.
   
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

     In recent years this hardy little bird has taken up permanent residence on Vancouver Island and may be found even during snowy conditions in winter. There is a wide variety of native vegetation on which it feeds and it is further helped by the increased use of sugar water feeders by bird-friendly people.

     There are many incidences of people providing food in sheltered areas around their property and even installing heat lamps to keep water from freezing and providing heated bird baths. And of course the bird enters torpor at night when it needs to conserve energy.

     There were many occasions to observe this bird and Franc was always ready to swing into action with his camera to obtain these memorable shots.

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

     

     This species is strictly migratory, travelling as far north as Alaska to breed, and we believe it had just arrived on Vancouver Island coinciding with our visit. 

     The male is pugnacious in defence of his territory and we had ample opportunity to witness his fearless chase of species trespassing in the area he claimed as his own.

     The male above perched for an extended period and obligingly turned several times to allow the light to highlight his brilliant gorget.
     In the following picture a female seemed to be probing in a hole in the bark of a giant coastal cedar for insects, or perhaps sap that might have been oozing out.

     Our encounters with hummingbirds were daily highlights of our trip. And now we are looking forward to the return of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilocus colubris) to Ontario. We can hardly wait!