Birdy bits


Hummingbirds, late bloomers

Our hummingbird feeder has a wee perch under each "flower" opening.  And they use them.  Hubs said, "I didn't know they'd do that."  Well, most feeders don't have perches, most real flowers don't either, and of course wherever two or more hummers gather together, there's an air battle (sorry, St. John) so most people don't get to see them light to eat.  I imagine they're bloody happy to, seeing as their particular form of flight is a high-calorie-burning exercise.

The little buzzers are smart critters, too. Hummingbirds are migratory to this area, and I thought between the cool summer and the fact that it's equinox, they'd be gone by now.  I hadn't seen one for a couple of weeks...

...Until yesterday evening, when one was staring at me through the glass of the breakfast nook bay window, obviously wanting to know why the hell I haven't refilled the feeder.  In California I'd had them buzz me and bitch ("Chip! Chip!") when I was outdoors and the feeder was empty, but I haven't had them tapping on the glass demanding service until now.

And yes, it was lighter inside the house than out, so it wasn't just looking at its reflection.

Five minutes before the kids got off the bus one day last month, there was a constant "Chi-cheap, chi-cheap, chi-cheap, chi-cheap," over and over and over and over right outside the dining room window.  Now, I like bird call fine, but, damn....  I looked up to find a wee ball o' gray fluff sitting on the outside window ledge calling non-stop, and a female cardinal in the tree in the flowerbed right outside that window.  Luckily, ball-o-fluff has its wing flight feathers (though not much else) and very sharp claws, and can hop-flap its way upward.  It was in the dogwood on the other side of the front door by the time I made it out there.  Unfortunately, Mama keeps trying to lead it back to the birch in the middle of the yard, and I don't think its capable of getting back there just yet without a trip through the grass and a long climb up the trunk.  Good luck with that, youngster.

Posted: Tue - September 22, 2009 at 03:25 PM   Home         | | View Technorati reactions

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