Just got back from a week in SoCal. The aloe collection at the Huntington Garden near Pasadena was buzzing with overwintering Rufous hummers, along with resident Anna's. I have also seen rufous at backyard hummer feeders in the Glendale (SoCal) area in December. Not all that difficult to distinguish rufous from Anna's, as the rufous always have quite a bit of red on them - backs, sides, tail, and throat on males, sides, tail and a small throat patch on the females. Anna's females are plain green with only a small throat patch of red, and males have bright red head and throat but that's it. Anna's undersides are gray where the rufous are white. The rufous also often look like they have a white collar on. No hummingbird 'sings', if you want to get technical about it. They are not in the Songbird group. But the species can easily be distinguished by the sounds they make, whether vocalizations or wing and tail buzzings. The rufous most definitely make vocalizations, which are not at all like those of the Anna's. The westside Oly Wild Birds Unlimited just sent out their email newsletter, where they report a sharp increase in the number of people reporting sightings of Anna's hummers overwintering in Olympia. So, they're expanding their range!

HTown, don't be too comfortable with them. I've been feeding the ones in our yard off and on for awhile, but I never get too close to them. No matter how "familiar" you may be with them, they still have an instinctive distrust for people and they have the potential to be dangerous. Most people don't like them because they've had bad experiences with them, just like many other types of wildlife that invade or wreak some form of destruction on their property, and that's completely understandable. They can also be aggressive towards pets. I made a point of mentioning to my neighbors that there were raccoons active in our area. If you get to feeding them and slack off, they could move on to another property where they're not as welcome and that could have negative consequences for the neighbor, the raccoon or both. I'm not saying don't feed or enjoy them, but make sure you educate yourself on them before you get into it on a regular or semi-regular basis. Make sure there are no means for them to access your house including the roof and chimney, because once they know where the food is coming from they could try to find an easier way to get to it. It's best not to leave food for them near your house for this reason. One of the first things I did when I knew how much they came around was make sure they couldn't get on our roof from any trees, the area around our deck was sealed, and our chimney cap was secure. I added chicken(Actually smaller gapped fencing than chicken wire) wire around the opening to ensure there was no access.(Something I was going to do anyway to deter the birds that ended up in our living room.) This link I found can cover it a little more indepth. These are just tips, but they can be helpful. Feeding Tips I guess my message is it's fine to enjoy them, but make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for, as there are a few things to consider. :-)

On the other side of the country, I too am enjoying a snowy day. Today I am blessed that there is nowhere I have to go, no time clock to punch, no schedules or appointments. This morning I decided that even if the roads were cleared, I would not get in my car today. I went out with my dog several times. He is only a year old, and the snow excites him. He races through it with such joy that I by the end of the walk my face muscles ache from grinning. I love the way the snow changes the landscape, and forces me to see it with new eyes. I love the way the pace of life slows on a snowy day: fewer cars are on the road, and my neighborhood is unusually quiet. I've spent the day packaging a proposal to send off to a publisher. Print out the sample chapters, tweek the table of contents, label the slides, write the cover letter. Make a cup of tea and double check for typos. Address the envelope. It is winter, and I have the luxury of being able to work without watching the clock. C.L.

Ah yes, the Rufous Sided Towhee. Love 'em. They do scratch around like chickens and make a lot of noise. I have mostly the California Towhee here but occasionally a Rufous (Spotted) towhee will show up.