Birding Alaska

Most of southcoastal Alaska’s breeding Rufous Hummingbirds head south by early August and any hummingbird seen on the Kenai Peninsula after then should be carefully checked. Anna’s Hummingbird is a casual fall visitor to southcoastal Alaska where it has been recorded in Homer, Seward, Cordova, Palmer and Anchorage. This bird arrived at a private residence in Homer on 28 August 2011 and has been sporadically feasting on nasturtiums there since then. This is the earliest of only a few Homer records and ties the early date for southcoastal Alaska.

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Anna’s Hummingbird Colypte anna, Homer, 9 November 2009.

The Anna’s Hummingbird seems to have left my yard in Homer.  It was last seen around noon on 14 November, the 8th day since it appeared at the feeder on 7 November.  There have been at least five other reports of Anna’s Hummingbirds in Alaska this fall–four from Juneau and one from Haines.  Homer is probably the westernmost site where this species has been recorded.

Anna’s Hummingbird Colypte anna, Homer, 7 November 2009.

The first snow of the year brought a nice surprise to the yard today.  There are only a few previous Homer records of Anna’s Hummingbird.  It is listed as “casual” on the Alaska checklist.