My First Photo (1 Viewer)

Here is my first photo. I believe a Female Anna. I was not more than 5 feet away from the feeder. It was dusk and I had the flash on.

Nice wing spread and stop action on her.

Lisa W said:

Nice wing spread and stop action on her.

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Thanks

It appears her right wing is damaged.

The feeders has been up for two months and one juvenile male has taken rights to them. I was away for about 10 Days after having them up for 3 weeks. While I was away I took them down. Upon returning I put the feeders back up immediately. For the first few days I had all sorts of Hummingbirds around. I actually saw my first adult hummers then "Bully Boy" returned and within a week it was down to a few brave souls who dared to tread on his territory. He sits up in a nearby tree to keep an eye on the feeder and when an "intruder sets down he will swoop in ! Some times two will show up at the same time but BB has enough energy to drive them off after a battle. Some times these 1 on 2 brawls can last 15 to 20 minutes but he always wins. I can tell by his unique mannerisms exactly which bird it is. When I get his photo I will post it.

Annamaniac said:

It appears her right wing is damaged.

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Not to worry. It's molt season for Anna's, and most are replacing their primary feathers right now. Usually it happens symmetrically, but sometimes not.

Tz'unun said:

Not to worry. It's molt season for Anna's, and most are replacing their primary feathers right now. Usually it happens symmetrically, but sometimes not.

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Thanks for the response Tz'unun

How often do Anna's molt every year ?

And how many molts does it take for a Male Anna to get their full head plumage in ?

Check out the selection from the 3rd batch of photos I have posted.

The 3rd photo (right most) shows the juvenile male that has taken the feeders as his own. You can see the first of his head plumage coming in.

Hummingbirds in general replace all their feathers yearly, but it can be a long process (especially the first molt for juveniles). Though young male Anna's start showing adult crown and throat feathers within the first few weeks out of the nest, it may take 9 months or more for them to get their full adult color. The process is similar in the highly migratory species, but they typically do their gorget, wing, and tail molt on the wintering grounds and come back to us in full adult plumage.

Tz'unun said:

Hummingbirds in general replace all their feathers yearly, but it can be a long process (especially the first molt for juveniles). Though young male Anna's start showing adult crown and throat feathers within the first few weeks out of the nest, it may take 9 months or more for them to get their full adult color. The process is similar in the highly migratory species, but they typically do their gorget, wing, and tail molt on the wintering grounds and come back to us in full adult plumage.

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Hi Terri Thanks for taking the time to respond. Your posts are very informative. The dominant male is making his presence known and usage of my feeder has cut back quite a bit from what it was a few weeks ago. I figure there are a half dozen birds that stop by erratically at odd intervals. Some are fortunate enough to arrive at the feeder when "Bully Boy" is on a Bug Run and are able to enjoy an extended stay but those are few and far between.. He is quite a character. He spends most of his time in a nearby tree and does not hesitate to swoop in on intruders. What I find amazing is not just the speed they can attain but their acceleration ! He sits 20 to 25 feet above the feeder and by time he hits the feeder he is a blur. Both he and the "intruder" on the feeder are gone in the bat of an eye. Most times the only way I can tell what went on is the sharp short burst he lets out. He is a nasty little guy. For the time being I have switched to some smaller feeders.