At only 3-4″ in length, the tiny and delightful Rufous hummingbird ((Selasphorus rufus) frequents the Olympic Peninsula typically from March through September. The bird’s arrival is timed with the first salmonberry and wild currant flowers. By late spring and throughout the summer the air becomes a virtual hummingbird highway as they busily go about their nesting and feeding activities. Often, I have found myself “buzzed” by loud wingbeats while sitting or walking around in the yard. Oddly, they don’t seem the least afraid to hover right in front of humans to check things out. This summer, I observed one Rufous fly vertically for about 30 feet, then dive toward the ground, over and over. The bird performed this feat in early afternoon for several days—I have no idea why, the mating period had passed—so perhaps it was strictly for amusement.
The Rufous gets its name from the color of the males—with reddish upperparts and brown crowns. The females have mostly green upperparts and white bellies. The females are seen more frequently at feeders and are less territorial than the males who will not tolerate other males of their species or other species of birds entirely. However, in season, particularly when raising young, the females fight continuous battles defending a food source such as a feeder or a prolific flower bed. I watch them in the spring sitting on a fence near my Crocosmia, which is a particular favorite of theirs. The females are a great source of entertainment: flying in, feeding, sitting for a spell, then flying off to the nest again. It’s a dizzying spectacle that a close observer like me cannot help to admire.
Rufous hummingbirds make their nests in small trees or low shrubs that are usually well hidden. Though, with their frequent travels, it’s not hard to follow a female to learn where her nest resides. The nest itself is a tiny cup constructed of soft plant material often with lichen and moss or other down. The female incubates 2 white eggs for 15-17 days.
By September, the Rufous’ are off to Mexico and other points south where they will remain for the winter.