Activity continues at hummingbird feeders in Las Vegas -- Costa's, Anna's and finches

If I were still in Idaho my hummingbird feeder would be long put away, waiting for another warm season to bring customers. Here in Las Vegas my feeder is busy. In fact at times I have more activity at my feeder than I did during lapses in the summer visitations. I suspect that many feeders are put away. Although there are fewer hummers around, there are also fewer feeders to meet their needs.              

                It is seven in the morning on Wednesday, October 30, 2013. The sun is not yet over the horizon, temperatures are in the 40s in the Las Vegas Valley. I am hearing the first whistle of the day from the Costa’s hummingbird. He will soon be in for a good long drink to start his day off right. As the day progresses, more hummers will come: females, immatures and adult males. The male Anna’s will hover over the feeder, moving from station to station without ever settling down on the perch. Yesterday afternoon, when the sun still shone brightly into my back patio, I watched him feeding. When he got to the feeding station behind the bottle and was facing me, his gorget shone beautifully rose in the autumn sunlight. Even if I had had my camera in hand I doubt that I could have taken a picture fast enough to record that flash of color.

                As the day got warmer more hummers came to my feeder. At one point I had three hummers chasing each other away from the feeder. I made certain my back door was closed so they would not end up in the house again.

                The hummers weren’t the only ones hanging around my patio, however. For several days I have had one young male House finch visiting the feeders. He didn’t seem to want to drink, just to look around. I decided I needed to hang a finch feeder to lure back my summer finches who had left me for greater food supplies. I didn’t want something that would attract pigeons or grackles. In the past I’ve gotten the usual bird feeder that the larger birds couldn’t frequent, only to find that the little birds scattered seed on the ground and I still got the big birds. They just fed on the spilled seeds on the ground instead of that in the feeder. This time I found a thistle seed sock. There was no way the big birds could use it and the seeds are so tiny the big birds have no interest in the feed itself.

My first customer at the thistle seed sock

                I hung my new sock feeder and waited for my first customer. It didn’t take long. At 9:20 a.m. October 28 the lone male finch came by, checked it out from the ant moat, flitted over and started feeding. He was so enthralled with the seed that he let me take several pictures of him before he flew off.

                At 12:15 p.m. he came back with two other finches. The female clung to the feeder along with my little male, but as soon as she saw me approach with the camera, off she went. The other finch just watched from the ant moat and then flew away without trying out the seed. My male, who had been around my house enough to be comfortable with me, stayed for his picture.

He didn't care that his friend took off, he stayed for more feed and more pictures

                The next day at 9:05 a.m. October 29 the female came with him again. This time she stayed to feed and let me take her picture. Perhaps because it was still early in the day and she was hungry. They stayed quite some time to fill their craws. They took off at the same time; one went to one hummingbird feeder, while the other to the second feeder and each drank water to wash down their breakfast of thistle seeds. I counted one bird taking seven drinks of water in a row before it had enough and flew off 

Hunger overcomes fear for his friend, as both ate their morning fill.

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                I wonder what the winter will bring. Will the Costa’s stay around? When will the Juncos show up? Will the White-crowned sparrows use the sock feeder? Only time will tell.