The Feisty and Colorful Rufous Hummingbird

It's only April, and I've been seeing the Rufous hummingbird here in Oregon since March.  These colorful tiny hummingbirds are enjoyable to watch, and don't mind buzzing around you to get where they are going!

  

Rufous Hummingbird

 

The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) is the most common hummingbird found in Oregon, and are one of the smallest and the most aggressive hummingbirds in all of North America.  They will stand up to birds many times their size.  They also migrate further than any of the other hummingbirds, sometimes as far as 2000 miles.

 

Male Rufous Hummingbird

 

Males have a rusty colored crown. The more common males have a orange colored back, but a small percentage do have a green back. Their tails are orange with black tips.

  

Male Rufous Hummingbird

 

 

Female Rufous Hummingbird

   

The females are just a little bit larger than the male, and their head and back are green in color.  Their belly is mostly white with some green. Their gorget (throat) is a whitish color, which may have some orange/red in the middle. The female tail has a mix of rust at the base of the tail, dark in the center, and white tips on the outer feathers.

  

Female Rufous Hummingbird



In certain lighting, these aggressive little birds glow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

   

Their wings do not reach their tail when perched.

 Juveniles look like the females, but without as much bright colors.  

  

    

  

 

 

  Happy Bird Watching!

 

Around My Yard: In March

It amazes me how each month brings something a little different.   With Spring finally here, we see the flowers starting to pop, new birds coming to the area, and I love being outside!

Male House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

Jack taking a walk with me around the property on one of many beautiful evenings this month.

  

Honey Bee

White-crowned Sparrow

There are frogs everywhere on the property, but this guy was spotted at the wetlands nearby.

        I had to include the visit from this little cutie too.                          

Nesting

March was the month for nesting!  Around town, I saw several pretty cool bird nests as I was out and about.

 

The White-breasted Nuthatch are quite the quick bird.  I enjoyed watching this little guy go in and out of his nest.  They like to eat the seeds of acorns and other larger sized nuts.

 

White-breasted Nuthatch and the tiny little nest in the tree

 

 

 

 

White-breasted Nuthatch

 

The Great Blue Heron is the largest of all Herons. I've seen quite a few in Oregon over the last several months, but it wasn't until this month that I learned these beautiful birds nest high in trees.  I guess it only makes sense!

 

Great Blue Heron in their nest in the trees



Great Blue Heron with lunch

Could this Anna's Hummingbird be any cuter in her teeny, tiny, nest?  

Anna's Hummingbird in her nest

 

Another treat was the Great Horned Owls sitting high in the tree in their nest with their young.  Unfortunately I couldn't get any closer because of the property owners fencing, but I would have liked to!  These protective birds are known to attack humans if you get too close to their nest, so it was actually good that I didn't cross the fence! 

 

Great Horned Owls with their "cat-like" ears are one of the most common owls in North America and one of the largest. They also are amazing hunters.  They eat rabbits, skunks, and other small to medium sized animals.  They are also known to eat large birds such as Canadian geese, ducks, and herons.  They are most active at night.

 



Great Horned Owl 



Great Horned Owl with the baby peeking through the branches

 And finally the grand-daddy of all, the Bald Eagle nest. Watching these magnificent birds flying in and out of their massive nest is a sight to be seen.

  

Eagles return to the same nest for years, and add more to it every year.
This nest is about 7 years old.

 

Last look at the eggs before taking off

 

Taking off

 

Heading back

 

 

Enjoying the top of the world!

 

 

Around My Yard - In February

What a beautiful February!  Here's a few of my favorite shots around my yard this month.  Enjoy!

Golden-crowned Sparrow

This fluffy gray squirrel is keeping an eye on me!

 

Four Ring-necked Ducks taking a swim.

 

This Sharp-shinned Hawk stopped for a visit again!

It's so cold in most of the country, but in Oregon we have signs of Spring.

Red-breasted Sapsucker (woodpecker)

Black-capped Chickadee

Here's my Hound dog, wishing he was on the other side of the fence!

Jack

 

Wandering Through The Wetlands

I loved getting out and about this month and enjoying some of the sunny weather that we've been blessed with here in Oregon.   The wetlands are a few minutes away from my home, and some of my favorite places to spend part of my day.

The highlight of the month was a Snowy Owl my husband and I spotted while visiting the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area.   It was quite the muddy mess trekking through the quick-sand type mud and a cold stream to get close enough where I could get a picture of this beautiful creature.

The Snowy Owl is one of the largest Owls in North America.  Only during the winter months can they be seen in the Northern United States.  The rest of the time, they remain in the high Arctic areas.  This was quite the treat seeing one of these magnificent birds in the wild!

Snowy Owl



I love how soft he looks around his face!

Another place I enjoy visiting is the Meadowlark Prairie Wetlands.  I usually go for a morning or afternoon stroll with my dog.  There's even benches along the way to sit and relax while watching the wildlife.

Great Blue Heron in flight

You nearly always see a few Red Tail Hawks on your visit

Meadowlark Prairie Wetlands 

A pair of Great Blue Heron

The third wetlands that I enjoyed visiting this month was the Delta Ponds Park.  It's a birdwatchers paradise!  The park is an 150 acre wetlands area where numeros species of birds can be seen throughout the year. There have been 145 recorded  sightings of different species of birds in the area.  On my short visit, I saw quite a few.  There were great blue heron, hawks, cormorants, geese, many smaller birds, and a variety of different species  of ducks.  Along with  all the beautiful birds, western pond turtles make this area their home as well.

There are invasive Red-eared slider Turtles which are prohibited in Oregon!  (Basically illegally released pets.)  The Western Pond Turtle is what the sign shows at the Delta Ponds.  So next time, I'll have to look more carefully! 



Double-Crested Cormorant at the Delta Ponds



If you are ever in the area,  plan on a visit to at least one of the three sites, you won't be disappointed!