Pussy Willows

Okay, I admit it...I nearly always walk through the Garden Section at the big Target Stores. While I avoid Walmart and Sam's Club like the plague (that they are), I rather like Target. In spite of being a 'big box' store, I like their commercials and the way (I see) that they conduct business.

So, when one of the two River Birch I bought in Pueblo West from a family owned nursery died (I noticed when planting that they were horribly root bound with thick, winding roots and little soil), I looked to see what Target had to offer. I found River Birch! I looked through the whole pallet, pulling plants from containers and choosing the most likely plant to make it in my yard. The unfortunate thing was, I apparently picked up a Pussy Willow! [sigh]

I had no intention of planting a Pussy Willow. Other than knowing they like wet roots as much as a River Birch, I knew little about them. I've never heard they have real flowers and I had no idea if anything ate the little furry buds I know are called catkins. Past that...a rambunctious shrub that suckers, but offers little in the way of food, was the last thing I was interested in...pretty pussy willow branches in early spring or no.

Then my big dog, Zeus died. He was only about ten or eleven; young for an Akbash, I think. I was crushed and he was so big; I asked a friend to help me bury him in the spot he chose to die. Jerry hit water before he was two feet deep; not a good spot. He filled the hole back in and we came up with another plan, but I remembered how high the water table was in that spot.

I checked; this willow will take some shade. The spot is shaded a bit by huge cottonwoods and other willow trees, so I knew it'd be okay there. But it can be huge; and will grow to a thicket if not severely trimmed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this today:

The Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project of Prince Edward Island, Canada notes the importance of pussy willows for feeding wild birds and other wildlife:

Willow buds are second only to the buds of poplars as preferred food of ruffed grouse. Beaver ... muskrat, red squirrel, and snowshoe hare all include willow in their diet. The leaves are rich in Vitamin C and zinc. Pussy willows are an important nesting site for American goldfinch, while other songbirds use them to a lesser degree. The cover and protection thickets of willow provide are probably of equal importance to wildlife as its food value.

Oh good I thought, this won't be so bad after all. At least it'll feed the birds. I seldom purposely purchase any kind of plant unless it feeds birds or at least offers 4-season good looks. Not only will this feed birds, young branches will look cool in a tall, glass vase.

But then I read on: Deer also like to eat the branches of pussy willows. All this attention from wildlife has its good side, of course, especially for bird watching. But the downside is that, if you don't want your pussy willows damaged, you'll have to protect them. Ugh

Since Zeus is gone, my yard has experienced even more squirrels, skunks, raccoons and deer; not to mention bears, I'm sure they'll be back, too. The damn skunks are turning my lawn (such as it is; I don't water it) into what looks like a mini-mine field and the raccoons are pushing down feeder-poles and tearing apart bird feeders!

The deer seem to enjoy my new puppies as much as I do. What on earth is afraid of a 10" fluffy-butt; even if there are two of 'em? [sigh] Even their growls are cute: Grrrrrrr is more like a Purrrrrr...

So, today I planted the Pussy Willow. It should do fine; presuming the deer don't chew it to the ground. I also planted two Trumpet Vines that I got from Perennial Favorites last month. Funny, a neighbor was walking buy and stopped to say hello. Turns out she was friends with the folks from whom I bought this house. She loves the spot, so I invited her in to take a look around.

Ahnee (sp?) works at the Ryus Street Bakery, so while I recognized her...we'd not officially met. What a nice lady! Anyway, she also has Trumpet Vines and says the little hummingbirds practically disappear into the flowers; so deep must they dive. I've looked some time for this plant; too bad I didn't meet her earlier. I hear this is yet another rampant, rambling vine that is easy to transplant! I'll share as soon as its established.

Everything was planted out front, if you'd like to see how things turn out; the Trumpet Vines will grow out front, next to my driveway (near the Virginia Creeper and Honeysuckle), and the Pussy Willow will be on the opposite corner of the front yard. Wish me luck...

Photos of plants from Wiki
Photos of puppies are mine

Q. I have been told

"... that I should stop feeding hummingbirds in the fall so that they can begin their southern migration. Is this correct?

A. That's a myth (from Cornell's All About Birds). A number of factors trigger the urge for birds to migrate, but the most significant one is day length. As days grow shorter in late summer, hummingbirds get restless and start to head south, taking advantage of abundant natural food, and feeders where available, to fuel their flight. A few individuals, especially Rufous Hummingbirds and a few other Western species, wander east rather than south; causes for this have not been entirely teased out, but it's not feeders that cause them to wander, and if a feeding station is closed down, chances are that a vagrant hummingbird will wander toward worse rather than better conditions.

We encourage people to keep hummingbird feeders full for several weeks after the last hummer leaves just in case a straggler shows up in need of additional energy before completing the long journey south. One of our own staff discovered an adult female Rufous Hummingbird at her feeder in northern Minnesota on November 16, 2004; that bird remained for over two weeks, surviving a blizzard and temperatures that dropped to just 6 degrees Fahrenheit, before leaving at mid-morning on December 3. That day temperatures climbed to a relatively warm 25 degrees; the bird's chances of survival without the feeder she stopped at were significantly lower."

I thought I'd re-print this Cornell Q&A, as I know folks who either don't feed past September or who quit when they don't see a hummingbird for a day or two. Personally, I think that's a sad mistake. I have spent many a winter-like day, changing out cold, slushy hummingbird feeders for ones I've warmed. Just think how much energy a tiny bird needs to stay warm enough on a snowy day; or how much energy it uses to warm up cold nectar.

Sometimes I won't see a hummingbird for two or three days, then suddenly I'll find several at the feeders. Please keep feeders up till you've not seen a hummer in two weeks. That outta keep even the stragglers safe.



See, if these were my feeders, I'd be alternating; one outside, one inside warming...switch and repeat. I'd keep the snow off the feeders, too, they can hardly find the ports in this clip. Perhaps hang them under an eve or put a baffle above. It's a good idea to keep 'em close to a door, too; you don't want to freeze either. PS: it's a long clip and the end is just like the beginning.

Recipe for nectar: One cup sugar to four cups boiling water. Bring to a boil, cool, refrigerate. During exceptionally cold weather, I use one and a half cups sugar to the four cups water. Stronger than that (say 2/4) some folks say is okay, others say it can hurt their kidneys.

Photos are mine...such as they are.
Clip from Youtube
Q&A from Cornell's Question of the Week

Early Summertime

So much has happened lately! I should note that one of the things was a mishap with my internet service…not all of which has been corrected! At any rate, at least I can write here…now.

Folks still stop in from time to time...to bird my yard. As always, Zeus keeps an eye on everybody...and makes lots of friends. It is not at all unusual for people I don't even know to jog by my house and call out a hello to him. He's got more friends than I do.

I finally found my first Gray Catbird!
I knew they were in the yard…I’ve heard them many times. Perhaps because there is a nest nearby, I have spotted at least one several times now. This bird wears some of the fanciest underwear I’ve ever seen on a bird! At least, and because of that beautiful rufous underside, I was able to ID the bird easily. Like the Science Guy says (in his comment below), this is all one usually sees of a catbird.

I had a couple dozen Black-headed Grosbeaks here about two weeks ago; several families with their youngsters. It is wild to watch the young, spiky-headed, patchwork-feathered fledglings, which are every bit as big as their parents (or larger), flutter their wings and beg for food…even while sitting on a pile o’seed! Kids…

I guess Evening Grosbeaks nest later than do their cousins the Black-headed Grosbeaks. The Black-headed babies have come and gone for the most part, while the last few days my yard has had an explosion of the Evening variety, which I have missed the last month or two. I wonder where they go while they (obviously) create and raise their families. Now they’re here, punk-doed fledglings in tow; begging and trilling in their sweet voices that are only Evening Grosbeaks...one of the few birds I recognize by ear alone. They sound to me like the trill of a sports whistle blown with a short, soft breath; lovely. They are here by the dozens again and I love it.

Also fledged are lots and lots of Pine Siskins and House Finches. The young House Finches always remind me of Horned Larks with their downy heads all spiked up. The new siskins are beautiful in fresh, dark, stripy coats with significant bits of yellow; they're psychedelic stunners. Wavy Gravy?

Lastly, we have had a lot of rain. Could the drought be over? Rumor has it that Friday we had the best (worst?) storm in twenty years! All I know is, the pit which will become my pond (when it gets finished & lined) is already holding some six inches of water.

The dragonflies have found it…including several huge Twelve-spotted Skimmers. I understand these are common dragons; according to my research they are found across the country…but this is the first time I’ve seen one. Know wonder birders often also become listers of butterflies and dragonflies. They remind me of old bi-planes. I’ve just realized my pond, when it is finally finished, could be a draw for more than just birds, frogs and salamanders. Yippieeeeeeeeeee!!!

About that pond...I finally got the dirt to cover the rip-rap I piled on the far side (from the kitchen window.) That's where the biological filter will go; it's a horse trough with filtering medium at the bottom and will be full of floating plants. It will also be the beginning of the waterfall, completing the cycle of circulating water for the pond. Right now, it's still just a pile (nearly 30 tons) of dirt; but the birds like it. For some reason, it's drawn in the White-winged Dove and another...the Mourning Dove I hardly ever see any more. Sweet!

July Yard Birds: Calliope Hummingbird, Gray Catbird, Black Phoebe, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch (Black- and Green-backed), Western Wood-Pewee, Common Nighthawk, Black-headed Grosbeak, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, White-winged Dove, Common Grackle, Turkey Vulture, Pine Siskins, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker: Red-shafted, Downy Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, House Finch, European Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared-Dove.

Most photos from Wikipedia...the dragon shots are mine.
Zeus & friends is from a friend.

Another Black Phoebe...

This morning a new friend, Carol, came down to ‘bird my yard’. We sat and drank coffee while watching out the window…my favorite place to read. It’s not the best time of the year to bird, but we reliably get four species of hummingbird. They begin to arrive in this order: Broad-tailed hummers (they sound like crickets when they fly), and then Black-chinned hummers (the tail-pumpers). These two breed here and sometimes you see downy fledglings. A few weeks later come the Rufus Hummingbirds on their way back from way north (as far as Alaska). With them come this years’ young…they stay quite awhile, feeding on Rocky Mountain wildflowers and nectar offered in feeders. Generally, less than a week after the Rufus arrive, the Calliope hummers arrive; my favorites. They also breed up north and spend the summer/fall here growing up, tanking up and getting ready for the rest of the migration back to Mexico or Central America.

While we didn’t yet see a Calliope Hummingbird (on this 11th day of July, four days after the first Rufus)…Carol did spot a Black Phoebe! This is only the third or fourth one I’ve had visit here. Thanks Carol!

The Black Phoebe is unlike most phoebes with its highly contrasting plumage. It is a tyrant flycatcher native to western North America, ranging from southwestern Oregon and California to west Texas and northern Mexico. In South America, the Black Phoebe is a bird of the Andes mountain region, ranging from Colombia in the north, south to northern Argentina.

The Black Phoebe reaches a length of 5.75” with dark brown or black on the head, breast, back, wings, and tail, and white on the underbelly, undertail coverts and under the wings. It has no wing-bars; the dark color is unbroken other than the all white under-parts. This species spends more time along streams and ponds than the other phoebe species, and is not migratory but stays in its range year-round. Like other phoebes, it continually wags its tail when perched and sallies for food; waiting on an open perch such as a dead branch or fence post, flying out to catch an insect, and then returning to the same perch. It eats flying insects, hawking them from the air, and also skims floating insects on water like a cliff swallow. While this medium-sized flycatcher primarily feeds on insects, it sometimes catches and eats small fish. Preferred habitats include shady areas near water, streams, ponds, and lakes; occurs in city parks and open chaparral in winter. I hope to encourage them in my yard by stocking breeding fish in my new pond. Phoebes build a mud and grass nest always under something often directly over or near water and often raise two broods in a season.

I know now, that the ‘rubber-duckie’, squeeze-toy sound I hear in the mornings is probably a Black Phoebe. The ‘text’ of the call is “seek”, but I swear they sound like squeeze-toys. Its song is also described as a thin, buzzy pi-tsee, usually repeated. Call is a sharp, down-slurred chip.

[Addendum] The flycatcher is back this morning...seriously chasing another (small) bird which I didn't get a good look at. It perched twice in my yard before it flew off after the other bird. WOW...two days in a row.

The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America, but are mainly Neotropical in distribution. They are now considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with around 400 species. In every country in the Americas, except for the United States and Canada, they are the most diverse avian family. As could be expected from a family this large, the members vary greatly both in shape, patterns and colors. They are members of suborder Tyranni (suboscines) that do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of the songbirds. Most, but not all, are rather plain, and many have erectile crests. As the name implies, most are insectivorous, but some will eat fruit or small frogs and fish.

Here’s a Royal Flycatcher…now this bird has a crest; wild, isn't it. The fan-shaped crest is seldom seen except during banding; it’s red in males and yellow-orange in females. This member of the Tyrannidae family is found in Mexico and much of Central America…typically, for flycatchers, it is found in subtropical or tropical, moist lowland forests.

According to Whatbird.com, a group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

Photos from Wikipedia, except the top one by G. Jameson of the USGS.

Happy May Day!

Got a dusting of snow again last night; I prevented the nectar feeders from freezing (again) by bringing them in when it got dark. I wait till then because it never ceases to amaze me how late hummingbirds will feed into the evening. I just have to remember to get the feeders back out as soon as it's light. Those poor little things need sustenance as soon as they wake up from the torpor they enter to keep from freezing, themselves.

On April 29th I came home from work (it was trying to snow again), dropped my stuff off, walked through the house, came around the corner and found myself face-to-face with the most beautiful, male Bullock's Oriole I've ever seen. He was at a nectar feeder just outside my kitchen window (I always drill out every other feeder-port for the orioles). He stayed several minutes while I watched him. He was so richly colored his chest looked as orange as burning embers; a warm russet so brignt one could hardly call it yellow. There's another FOS for me...and he's back this morning, too. Yummmmmmmm... I've not seen the female yet (she looks like an entirely different bird), but they bred here last year, so she can't be far behind!

Also here yesterday were a couple of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Since I try very hard, if unsuccessfully, not to feed the darn blackbirds (Red-wings, Grackles and Cow Birds), I don't often see them anymore. They are a stunning looking bird, though. I just love this shot (however blurry) I got sometime ago when one chest-bumped with a grackle. Crazy...

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird showed up on the same day I saw him last year, but the Black-chinned seemed a day or two late. Still...the FOS for both birds was still late April!

Not seen this April (but that were here last April), were Rose-breasted and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings and larger numbers of Lesser Goldfinches - the sleek, black-backed variety. I'll keep an eye out; can't be long now.

Total species for April was 46 birds and included:

Yellow-headed Blackbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Bullock's Oriole, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Cassin's Finch, Mallard *, Brown-headed Cowbird, Chipping Sparrow, Violet-green Swallows *, Yellow-rumped Warbler - Audubon's, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Goldfinch - Black-backed, Red-tailed Hawk, Canada Geese *, Northern Pintail *, Gadwall *, Great Blue Heron *, Common Grackle, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Belted Kingfisher *, Turkey Vulture, Song Sparrow, Pine Siskins, Common Raven, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Evening Grosbeak, Black Rosy-Finch, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Blue Jay, American Crow, White-winged Dove, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker - Red + Yellow-shafted, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Black-billed Magpie, European Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared-Dove. ( * = Flyover )

The Jays are back!

Sunday, October 4th, I saw the first Blue Jay in my yard in months! Today, I've seen four...making me wonder if this is the family I watched fledge last season.


Seems to me I've read they often stick together for awhile; it's how the youngsters learn to hide food for the winter...and they can shop in their parent's larder for awhile, too. Or perhaps that's another jay... I'll have to look that one up.

Also, I still see hummers every morning and most evenings, too. It's gotten quite cold here...this morning was another hard frost, and the bird baths had a layer of ice on top. I implore all of you to continue keeping fresh nectar available for the next couple of weeks. Soon they'll all be gone, but you could save the life of a straggler! Don't bother filling your feeder full...just make a cup's worth (1 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar (they like it richer this time of year)) and only add a couple ounces to each feeder.

Another thing I just discovered; birds like raw fat trimmed from steaks and roasts cut into thin strips (think worms). Sort of an 'ah ha!' moment...suet being fat, for heaven's sake! LOL Anyway, I trimmed up nearly a cup from a roast, left the meat that clung to the fat, too. Wow...the Magpies act like it's a food fest; gobbling up as much as they can swallow before another shows up and then grabbing several more to carry off and eat elsewhere. That, with slightly moistened kibble and the big birds are eating rich!

October Falls

Here it is October now...and I still have hummers coming regularly. This morning I got up to find three sitting at the feeders. Great fun...but I hope they don't stay too long! They've already been through some snow here. This is the first time I've kept track of how long they stay; who knew they'd stay this long.

As an asside, this is my 200th post! Who knew I'd stay this long, huh? LOL

September yard birds:

Yellow Warbler, Evening Grosbeak, White-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Common Grackle, Turkey Vulture, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, European Starling, Northern Flicker - Red-shafted, Downy Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, House Sparrow, Pine Siskin, House Finch - red, yellow and orange variants, Eurasian Collared-Dove

Still got hummers?

So here it is, September 21^st and I still see 3-4 hummingbirds at my two remaining feeders; especially first thing in the mornings. During the day, I am only apt to see a single bird at a time…it would be easy to miss them. I think now, all who visit are Rufus.

I hope you are all keeping fresh nectar available for these little migrants. You could make the difference between their making it home or not. Some of these birds fly thousands of miles and when they stop to refuel…they better find fuel! Here’s a lovely little link that also addresses that goose-thang! I think it’s a good idea to leave feeders up, with fresh nectar, for at least two weeks after you saw your last bird. Or, perhaps leave it up till it’s so cold the stuff won’t stay liquid.

By keeping a variety of bird foods available during the winter, you might get as lucky as Connie Kogler! Read her story here.

Addendum:

Yeah, last day of summer; check out the pics from my window...

Cold as these birds might have been; they were still fightin'! (there are two in that last shot)

Now, don't they look COLD?
Oh, and I snapped one on its favorite perch;
right above my little grape-tomatoes...only to find I'd missed it! [sigh]

PS: The next morning, as soon as it got light, the hummers were back lapping up the (warmed) nectar! They made it...yet another reason to have a few, dense, evergreens in the yard.

Another White-winged Dove and...

Sunday, August 23rd, was an interesting bird-day in my yard. My new friend was here; we were having morning coffee while watching humming and other birds out the big picture window. He’d just come in after re-hanging a feeder just outside the window, where he’d experienced the magic of standing between two feeders and feeling the little birds buzz back and forth around his head, feeding with no apparent fear. We must have been chatting and watching them, as well as the many Evening Grosbeak families that have made the yard theirs.

Generally, I run-off the Eurasian Collared-doves from the close-in flat-bed feeder; they scatter food and run off the smaller birds. All I have to do is wave my arms from inside and they’ll take off; they’re pretty flighty. Suddenly, a different dove landed…a White-winged dove. Clearly it lacked not only the dark ring at the back of it’s neck, but it also had the tell-tail white feathering along the outside edge of it’s folded wing. Sweet! I hope it makes it through the coming cold weather…unlike the last one that was here during the fall/winter.

After a couple hours of visiting and watching birds, we noticed a very different hummingbird, too. While many of the little birds these days are females (males seem to leave first during migrations), we’re used to seeing lots of green backs and heads. When we noticed one that was more blue than green, we got very interested. It didn’t stay long, but it was decidedly blue-green along the head and somewhat on it’s back, too; a very different color…sort of a teal-green.

I wish I’d noted more about its tail or mandible …nothing stood out (for this not very observant birder) other than the very blue-ish color. It was such a surprise; I’d never seen such a color on a hummingbird.

I wonder what it could have been… It was a male, with red gorget and a tiny bit of white behind the eye. We think it looked a lot like some photos of the this beautiful Ruby-throat (here on the right), but that color was also reminicent of some photos I've seen of a Violet-crowned Hummingbird (though it doesn't have that beautiful red throat!).

Has anybody else noted this very different teal-green on a hummingbird seen in Colorado? Was it just a trick of lighting? We watched both this male, and a single female that came around later. I wish I had the time to spend another three hours watching them...

I got a couple shots (through a rain-stained window) today, a few days later. The color I mean shows up more in a larger photo...even on the photo of the Ruby-throat. I watched the bird more closely, it seems to be a youngster...isn't that what the downy bit near it's feet is all about? And when it hovers, I noticed the tail is white tipped and the undersides, including under the tail, are quite dark.

At any rate, BosqueBill must be right; it's a Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Perhaps that whole 'teal' thing (observed by two people) was just a play on light. Has anybody else noticed such a thing?

A Walk in the Park...

My neighbor made the papers the other day; well, his photo did. I can’t but help to want to share them here and Bob was gracious enough to let me. Are these the cutest pictures you’ve ever seen? It’s not often we get to see a momma bear and her three cubs, let alone walking through town in broad daylight! My friend Janey got a shot of one of the youngsters up in Bob & Connie’s tree, right across the street from where I live.

Then this morning I got a call at 7:30 from another friend…Jerry (the same one who took the hummingbird photos here). He called to say he’d found a hummingbird nest and did I want to go take photos of the tiny little thing?

Well, first I let him know I’d only just got up (Zeus, the Mighty Dog, apparently scented the bears in our yard again and went on bark-alert several many times from inside the house last night (yes, the feeders were in)), and secondly I suggested he call our friend Janey who is another Class A photographer and artist. We all met half an hour later.

Jerry explained he’d found the nest nearly a month and a half ago, and seen no eggs in it at that time. He said it appeared to be an unused nest, as there was the odd leaf inside. But now a bird was sitting on it, which he thought was awful late and I couldn’t agree more. It’s the middle of August! We were kinda sad at what was clearly a huge mistake….on her part.

Jerry, his son, Janey and I all watched and took photos of the bird on the nest…from a distance; I couldn’t bear spooking her…late in the season or no. We discussed the probability of eggs hatching this late in the year. When another bird came around, some suggested it might be the mate. I explained (I’m the Bird Lady, after all), that hummingbird males have nothing to do with the females after they’ve bred; they don’t help build nests nor do they feed young. We decided it was just a very curious bird wondering what we were doing all standing in a line watching the trees. There are lots of hummingbirds around, after all.

Then, to our surprise, that female landed on the nest and fed the other bird! It was her baby! The mistake had been ours, of course. We were all greatly relieved to know this was a successful Broad-tailed Hummingbird nesting, and surmised the other bird hanging around was the other fledgling.

As we watched, the youngster turned around and awkwardly left the nest and flew up to another branch. For as patient as it had been, it had had enough; we got to see it fledge! I have included Jerry’s beautiful shot of the youngster and Janey’s too, as she also sent a few for the blog.

One of these days, I’ll either get my camera fixed (sadly, I dropped it) or I’ll manage to buy a decent one. [sigh, I’m so jealous]

Unmarked and unfocused shots are mine, the rest belong to some very gracious friends of mine. Thanks! ...and oh look, Janey just sent another shot of Mamma feeding youngster!

Remember, click on any label (or tag) listed at the end of every post to find more of my posts on the same or similar topic...

For those of you who'd like to see an incredible story by an awesome story teller/ photographer, visit Nature Remains, another blog I throughly enjoy. The author, Nina, writes in a poetic style that takes you right into her world and tells her story of finding a hummingbird nest below her window. Do yourself a favor and read the story sequentially…that would be from the bottom of this page…up!

Late Summer Morning

The other day, I was watering some of the new plants in my garden. It's been quite hot here of late, but the evenings are cooler already; the mosquitoes are not such an issue. If there is one in the yard...it finds me and feeds. Ugg..

But this morning...oh my, it was lovely, cooler and sans blood-suckers. Hummingbirds were all about, and to my surprise it seemed they were following me as I watered various new shrubs and trees. This behavior is not unlike my dog's, who will follow me until I drop the end of the hose down to the grass, so that he can drink the cool, flowing water. I've read and seen video clips showing hummingbirds like to bath on wet shrubbery and in a fine mist.

So...I changed the nozzle to a wider, finer spray and aimed at one of the larger shrubs. Sure enough, a couple of hummers darted in and about the spray and landed on branches where they rubbed their heads on the wet leaves. They were bathing! It was way cool and I repeated this behavior for them…and so did several of the little birds. I was nearly late for work! LOL

While I wolfed down a little breakfast, I watched the birds out the huge kitchen window. I just love the sweet ‘peeps’ and ‘trills’ that the Evening Grosbeaks make while calling back and forth; whenever I hear that sound I know they’re in the yard. I watched as a male feed two fledglings, nearly as large as himself, begging and fluttering wings just a few feet from where I was sitting. It was magical…

This morning, I watched from the same place at the same feeder where a young Black-capped Chickadee fed. This little guy’s cap and bib were quite black, but it’s back and wings were lighter and it still had the slightly rufus down along its flanks and back; obviously very young…he was pretty fuzzy!

Funny, so are nearly half a dozen young Black-billed Magpies that frequent my yard. These big birds look so comical with their fuzzy heads and begging attitude.

I’m just tickled pink I can make life easier for the birds here. One of these days I’m going to apply for, errr, purchase that Wildlife Habitat certification and sign. I understand it’s a good thing that might encourage others to do the same.

I think my next post will show the various foods I have planted for the birds and bugs. There’s a lot already ripe and more to come. I think the plantings are half the attraction; bird feeders make up only about a quarter of a bird’s daily diet!

Video from YouTube
Photos from Wikipedia

Lotsa Hummingbirds!

I am floored at the number of hummingbirds in my yard.
Last year, when the guy across the alley was repairing the roof on his old barn…he said he watched as many as 50 hummers at a time, buzzing around my yard. Well, that might be an exaggeration, though he did have a better vantage point of my whole yard from his roof-top, but I’ll tell you I’m thinking there are 30 or more here at the feeders just about any time of the day. Of course, very early mornings and late evenings are the busiest.

They are here at 5:30 am when I get up…feeding and fighting over feeders. I have five feeders and see as many as 6-8 birds at each one. I’ve shown other pictures of them here, group-feeding like little polite soldiers. I talk there, about my theory on why they settle down at in the early evenings and feed communally.

For those of you who follow such things, here are the 2009 arrival dates of the four species who regularly visit here:

• April 22 – Broad-tailed
• April 25 – Black-chinned
• July 9th - Rufus
• July 14th - Calliope

While I read others descriptions of a couple of each species at their nectar feeders, I’m astounded to find so many here. Is this unusual? I have no idea. I do have sort of a Wildlife Habitat going on in my yard…and continue to plant many bird-friendly trees, shrubs and perennials; but it is a slow process and nowhere near all that ‘wild’ yet.

I think I’ll just color myself lucky!

The first four of these (poor) photos were taken outside my kitchen window, where two of the favorite feeders hang.

These last four were taken from inside my kitchan, and show that hosing off a window is NOT cleaning it!

Also obvious here is the black, nylon, bird-netting I've hung outside my window. It has stopped the regular 'thud' of birds slamming into the reflection of sky and clouds; while this year I have had two actually hit, I've not had a death in over a year now!