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Many residents have hummingbird feeders and most hummers at the feeders are Anna's Hummingbird (adult male photo inset, courtesy Marilyn Meadows Photography). Like most hummingbirds, Anna's are mostly iridescent emerald green. The adult male has an iridescent rose-pink throat, called a "gorget," that looks black unless the light is just right (see photo). The adult female, such as the bird photographed on its nest during the club's March bird walk, has a few red feathers on the throat (see photo). All immature birds have a pale throat. Hummingbirds are New World animals. Christopher Columbus wrote about them and wondered if they were a cross between a bird and an insect! Later, hummingbirds became fashionable ornaments in Europe. Native Americans held them in high esteem with legends of them poking holes in the night sky that became the stars. When temperatures fall, Anna's and many other species of hummingbirds enter "torpor" — their breathing and heart rate slow and their body temperature falls. In courtship displays, males climb 130 feet into the air then swoop to the ground with a characteristic sound they produce through their tail feathers. In the first half of the 20th century, they bred only in northern Baja and southern California, but the planting of exotic flowering trees together with a warming climate have allowed the Anna's Hummingbird to expand its breeding range north to southern Canada. Anna's Hummingbirds are present here year round. ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB Bird of the Month FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2018 59 We welcome all birders to start or hone bird ID skills. Our main activity is a monthly bird walk along our nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands. We also take trips to local birding hot spots, discuss backyard bird feeding, and discuss unusual species and behaviors. The Camera Club joined us for a field trip to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. We identified 33 bird species: 10 species of duck and several species of shorebirds, raptors (hawks), and egrets. Highlights included several White-faced Ibis, a tree full of Tree Swallows, and a rare White-tailed Kite. The Camera Club got some great photos of our sightings (see their article this month). During our March bird walk, we identified 16 species. The highlight was a female Anna's Hummingbird sitting on a teacup nest in plain view. Other highlights included a Coopers Hawk, American Goldfinches, and a soaring Red-tailed Hawk, the first sighting of this common species on a club bird walk. We meet the first Saturday of the month at 8 am in the RCN Lobby, discuss birding, then go on our bird walk. Bring binoculars or just come to a meeting and ask about birding gear. Sometimes our schedule changes, so before coming to a meeting and to receive club communications, email Steve Edelman at steve.h.edelman@gmail.com. ~ Steve Edelman An adult female Anna's Hummingbird nests along Trail A. Photo by John Hansen, Birding Club member. San Jacinto Wildlife Area field trip with the Birding and Camera Clubs Our Savior's Lutheran — ELCA • Our Worship 8 & 10:30 am • 20 Twelve Step Groups • Kid's Nite Wed., 5:30 pm 1320 W. Williams, Banning (951) 849-3343 oursaviorsbanningca.com

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