Well, they definitely use red flowering currant. My currant started blooming
about Feb. 22.
Anna’s are for the most part not “arrivals” in recent weeks. They are a fairly
common wintering bird.
Lowland western Oregon supports small insects year-round when the weather warms
up. Anna's are a big gnatsucker in winter, again especially on the coast but
also in the western interior valleys.
Alan Contreras
Eugene, Oregon
acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
On Feb 28, 2016, at 12:18 PM, Ben Weinstein <benweinstein2010@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi all,
I've seen an increasing number of reports of newly arrived hummingbirds, with
new observations of Anna's, Rufous and possibly Calliope around the state
last week.
I'm a research biologist studying hummingbird visited flowers, and i'd like
to hear from oregon birders about what we think these birds are feeding on so
early in the season.
If you do see hummingbirds visiting flowers, either wild or cultivated,
please do report. This is in preparation for a formal study in the future.
Anecdotal reports of flower usage in February and March will help me get a
sense of what resources are most vital for individuals returning from full or
partial migration.
Thanks,
Ben Weinstein
--
Ben Weinstein
PhD Candidate
Ecology and Evolution
Stony Brook University
http://benweinstein.weebly.com/ ;<http://benweinstein.weebly.com/>
