Responding to a number of reports and inquiries about Anna’s Dennis Forsyth wrote:
The Anna’s have been relatively common in some areas on Denman over the winter for a few years now. At first they seemed to restrict themselves to areas close to the water but now they seem to be making more and more inroads to the uplands. The fact that they are breeding here probably explains that as the juveniles will spread out to find their own territories. Below are a couple of shots showing some of the field marks which differentiate them. The Annas all will show the white eye-ring or at least a definite white marking above the eye. This one, the top photo, is a juvenile that I photographed in early September. ( See Sept. 3 blog post) The rufous in the bottom photo has no such white marking. The Annas are somewhat larger than the Rufous but that’s probably only useful when you see them together. Dennis
Mike Morrell responds:The white around the eye is a great field mark that I hadn’t noticed. Thanks, Dennis.
Another helpful mark, especially if one only gets a quick glimpse, is that Rufous in all plumages show at least a little rufous colour on the tail and usually on the flanks—absent in Anna’s.
Our first yard Anna’s is still around.
Mike
