Purple self-seed flower / bees & hummers love it

I bet I've asked previously — what is this freely seeding flower in my coast garden

bees and hummingbirds love it

Seems to do well in dry sun locations (mall parking lot)

as well as my dry tho more shade home at coast

photos below
Thank you

 

Just as I clicked the “post” button … it crossed my mind … begins with an “L”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linaria_purpurea

in my coast jungle garden — I don’t mind it and the bees and hummingbirds (Anna’s or rufous - not sure which cuz so fast!) really seem to enjoy the small purple flowers

minimal water and maintenance

 

Yes, Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea.

 

Rufous hummingbird is dying out throughout its range, I may not have seen or heard any for a couple years now.

 

Do have any idea why this is happening?

 

If there were any theories presented when I first read about the problem I don't remember now.

 

The link below provides very good info on the status of Rufous Hummingbirds and, by extension, many species of birds. There are so many things the average gardener can do to 'help' nature. If I had to give my top 3: first, get rid of lawns. They are resource hogs (water, fertilizer and gas or electricity to maintain) and provide little to no benefit for insects or wildlife. BTW, how does any living thing survive the blast of the Category 4 hurricane known as the leaf blower? Second, plant flowering shrubs and perennials and resist the desire to deadhead and manicure everything. The seeds of many perennials are not only eaten by birds but the dead flowers themselves provide habitat for many insects which increases the biodiversity of your yard. Third, unless an insect infestation is so severe that the plant or tree may be lost don't spray everything to death. Nature is messy sometimes and trying to have everything perfect and pristine is not only detrimental but expensive and time consuming.

The simplest thing to do to help Hummingbirds is a hummingbird feeder. Cheap, easy to maintain and even allowed in many condo/strata developments.

1022-Hummingbird-report.pdf

 

The fact that Anna's hummingbirds are plentiful here makes me wonder if there isn't more going on than urbanization. My area is mostly forested with relatively few residences and even fewer gardens but unfortunately Rufous hummingbirds don't spend their whole lives here.

 

Global warming will benefit non-migratory (or short-distance migratory) Anna's over long-distance migrant Rufous.

That's a commonly observed theme over here in Europe too; resident or short-distance migrant birds are performing relatively well, long-distance migrants badly. In UK, Chiffchaff (winters France & Spain) is doing well, its close relatives Willow Warbler and Wood Warbler (wintering tropical Africa) are doing badly.

 

Speaking of coast BC hummingbirds - I have to use my little reminder to keep their names straight

Anna’s = All year … ANNUAL (true they are here even like last winter in snowy December (and snowy March 2023)

Rufous = RETURN

I did not realize til reading RonB above about Rufous reduction #s

 

Rufous decline
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/04/21/...tipping-point-extinction-earth-day/index.html