[obol] Anna's Anna's

[John Thomas]

Hello OBOLers,

My daughter Anna is attending Willamette U in Salem. She informed Pam and
I a few weeks ago that there were quite active Anna's Hummers on campus,
the feeders are maintained, and she was quite happy to see them as our
Indian Summer faded into rainy oblivion in November. (Thanks to the
Biology Prof who helped her out with her questions.)

When I expressed interest (our Rufous and occasional Calliope are long
gone until next year and we have only seen one springtime Anna's in
decades), she drew me a little map with a "chirp, chirp" and an arrow to
the north end of Smullin Hall- close to NE corner of Willamette campus and
an easy drop by and check out while heading east out of town on State
Street(right behind the capitol building). One of the flat feeder types is
hooked to a window by suction cups on the north entrance of this hall. I
walked right by it a couple times last week and then finally woke up. It
is up fairly high and oriented for the folks who work inside the building.

To me,  5-10 minutes pause and a couple coins in a meter are well worth a
wintertime look at hummingbirds rare or not rare. I struck out last week
on a quick visit (except I did hear a "chirp, chirp" coming from a dense
shrub) but yesterday saw both a male and female on this feeder. It's a
treat to see these birds in winter. I wonder how many other campuses in
Oregon cater to our winter hummingbirds or any birds at all. How about
those Ducks? Beavers? etc?

I think that would be one of the better reasons to live in town: Anna's
Hummingbirds year-round. Count yourselves lucky, city dwellers.

John Thomas
5 mi N of Silverton with No Winter Hummingbirds