Mid-October Update at Hummingbird Feeders in Las Vegas NV – Costa’s present, Finches gone

                My hummingbird feeder in Las Vegas NV is still busy. I regularly see hummers visiting. I thought maybe the Costa’s hummingbirds were gone for the winter when more showed up. I heard the whistling then saw one at the feeder. I knew it was a Costa’s because if its size and tail length even though I couldn’t see the color on the gorget or the flaring sides. The other give away as to its identity was that he stayed and stayed on the perch, letting me take numerous pictures of him while I slowly moved closer in. Only the Costa’s is that cooperative.

                When I edited the photo of my most congenial model I had to laugh. Sorry Costa’s I know it was rude, but at least you weren’t there to hear me. It was a male just coming into his adult plumage. It must have come from the last brood, since it was still so early in its molt. When a bird grows new feathers they first appear totally encased in a shaft. At this point the feather looks like a pin sticking out of the bird, hence the name pin feather. As the feather grows the shaft splits and the feather emerges. At first just the tip of the feather pops out and looks very fluffy, and then the rest of the feather emerges, smooths out and looks like what we think of as a feather. When the bird just has the pin feathers he looks scruffy indeed. My male Costa’s was at that stage. In the picture you can see the pin feathers as little white shafts sticking out of the bird’s gorget. The gorget is just about half way through its development so there is still a lot left to happen before it becomes his crowning glory.

The white spots on the throat are pin feathers, newly emerging feathers.

                About the same time I saw a finch on my feeder. He wasn’t getting a drink of water. He was just sitting on one of the perches checking things out. This was also a young male. He was just in the process of getting his red chest and face plumage. I didn’t get a picture of him so I couldn’t tell if he had some feathers still in the pin stage as well. That was the last finch I have seen at my feeder. Since they  just come to drink  water from the ant moats, I am really surprised they are gone. I haven’t even seen on in my yard or heard the male’s song. The last of the finches must have joined the flocks and moved on to where their feed, which consists primarily of weed seeds, is more abundant than in my small back yard.

                For now I have had a switch from last week. Hummers are out numbering finches at my hummingbird feeder in Las Vegas NV.