[Tweeters] Anna's Humming bird altruistic or maternal behavior in cold

[dgrainger at birdsbydave.com]

Reported to me by a friend who is also in Port Townsend, the following 
behavior:

I received five photos and a message via e-mail Dec 28. The photos have 
a date in metadata that shows December 28, today. In the first image 
there is an adult Anna's hovering but in close contact with a young 
adult male who has his beak inserted into a feeding port. My contact 
said that bird had not been moving and remained so when the female 
landed on him. She apparently stayed, maintaining position by wing 
power. The following images are a sequence which started when a third 
bird, another male made a territorial "buzz" causing the two on the 
feeder to flutter to the ground. When down, the female continued to 
press against the younger bird for more than a minute while remaining on 
the ground, then both flew, together.

I have never seen such action; here is what I speculate was going on. I 
would appreciate any comments; I know there are many on Tweeters that 
know a lot more about hummers than I do!

Is it possible that the young male was a late season second-breeding 
offspring of the hovering female, and is it possible that there is a 
protective motherly instinct operative at least for a short time after 
independence of the young birds, which manifested in this case by the 
female warming up and encouraging the younger bird?

If anyone would like the images, please email (PM). I will ask 
permission from the photog who made them.