The sunny weather we had for several days in the latter part of the week (12/5-7) encouraged me to get out on the road and do some birding.

One or more Bewick’s wrens were working a brush line along a road and passed me several times over the three-day period.

Also working the same brush line, but farther off the ground were Ruby-crowned kinglets.  I believe that these birds are both females, but I also photographed a male.

And now for an interesting observation.  A little further along the hedgerow was a large holly bush.  I saw some activity around it and spied a hummingbird sitting on one of its branches.  I began taking photos when my attention was drawn to other birds.  When I looked back at the original hummingbird I realized that there was another sitting within less than a foot of the first one!  I thought this unusual because this was in a relatively rural area and the birds usually aren’t that compatible.

I took more photos, looked away again and when I looked back there were THREE hummingbirds, all sitting within a foot of each other!  There was no fighting among them and they seemed content just to sit in the sun.  On two occasions I saw one fly at great speed towards some houses that were at least 150-yards away, and I guess it’s possible that they were accessing feeders at one of the houses.  My guess is that it was a family that was thus far sticking together into the winter.

As far as I could tell, all of the birds were females and I’m sure that they must be Anna’s hummingbirds who will overwinter here.  I had no way to tell the birds apart, and while I know I photographed all three, I don’t know whether all three are represented in these photos.