Hummer Time

I took a lot of hummingbird pictures this fall…and now that all of that beautiful green background is gone I’m glad that I did!

Scenes from (around) the bird feeder

My favorite bird in Oregon (besides the hummers)

Steller’s Jay—isn’t he gorgeous?!?

I read something online about it being important not to feed the squirrels.  Apparently they didn’t get the same message.

And last, I’m thinking these are immature blue jays?

(ok that last picture was complete and total luck.)

And this concludes today’s tour of the bird feeder and it’s environs.

Hummers in the Snow

As you already know, one of the consistent delights about Oregon is that there are hummingbirds that stay all winter.  (You may worry, as my neighbor did, that feeding them encourages them not to migrate and puts their bitty lives in danger.  I did some research on this and it turns out that once the urge to migrate starts, all of the nectar in the world can’t keep them from going.  So if they stay it’s actually a service to feed them.)  (You may also feel like I am focusing over-much on the previously mentioned ultra-long Oregon hummingbird season.  That is because I focus over-much on anything & everything I like about Oregon.  Since, you know, I’m still not a 100% fan of living in Oregon.)

Anyway.  Back to the hummers. 

Last week (as you also already know) the Pacific Northwest was hit by a big winter snowstorm.  We started with 7 inches of snow and ended with a nice topping of ice on that.  It was enough to close the MAX down when the freezing rain built up, and I am not sure that has ever happened before.

Anyway.  Back to the hummers. 

As the snow fell and fell, it piled up on everything.

Including the hummingbird feeders.

One of the kids pointed it out to me when they noticed the poor hummingbird (who didn’t get the urge to migrate to warmer climes, remember?) flitting around and around, puzzled by lack of access to nectar.

When I saw what was going on I staked out the window, took a bunch of feeders, then sent a child outside to knock the snow off of all of the feeders.  Those poor hungry birds!

The other thing we noticed was that the hummers were resting in unusual places.  We’ve seen one sitting here before when the feeder was in the midst of the tomato forest, but not since the tomato plants have been gone.

But we’ve never seen one sitting here, on the fish yard ornament.  (That you are NOT surprised that I own, I’m sure.)

I was baffled by this until I looked at the world through the eyes of a hummingbird.  And realized that all of the normal places they like to perch were covered with snow.  At least this fish’s fin stayed snow free, unlike the tree they like to hang out in!

I’m sure that all of the hummingbirds were thrilled when the snow started melting on Monday and they could go back to their regularly scheduled eating schedule.

Don’t you think?

Maybe Not

A few weeks ago I got something new for the birds—a bell shape covered in birdseed.  I thought it would be fun to watch the birds peck at the seed, and hung it out in the yard.

It was an immediate hit.

And then, just like that, it was gone.  No trace whatsoever.  So sorry, house finches, you’ll have to satisfy yourself with the seed from the (relatively) squirrel proof feeder…

Serendipity

This is what happens when you take down the hummingbird feeders to clean and refill them, and you are standing at the window while doing it…

The Swap

I’ve loved having the hummingbird feeder in the window over the sink.  (In case you hadn’t noticed.) 

But the truth was that the little birds could (and did) spend a good amount of time keeping the bulk of the feeder between us.  So when I was out refilling all of the feeders the other day I started wondering.  Would they still come to feed at the window if I switched feeders?  I wasn’t sure, especially since they have never seemed to like the other (more expensive) feeder as well.  And I knew I couldn’t put one of the little feeders in the window because they leak and I didn’t want the sugar/water on the deck.  Anyway, I decided to give it a try.  At first the hummingbirds seemed hesitant.  And if they see us moving abruptly inside the house they usually fly right away.  But they seem to come to the other feeder in the window just as much, and we can see so much better!

Poetry in Motion

It’s Not Exactly that Familiarity Breeds Contempt, But…

 

I just can’t stand here at the kitchen window ALL evening watching you!

Nighttime Visitors

For some time we have suspected that there were critters coming onto the deck at night.  Just little clues, really, like the birdseed container being gnawed on, or the woodpecker’s suet block disappearing overnight, or this feeder being empty every morning.  (Despite it’s squirrel-proof billing.)  We’ve started only putting one scoop of seeds in it so that we aren’t going through them so fast.

When Russ was getting ready for seminary the other morning he heard something out on the deck and looked out the bathroom window.  He told me later that he saw two raccoons on the deck eating the birdseed.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that…until Josh and I were up late Friday and he called out to me that there was a racoon on the deck.  I grabbed my camera (not sure what I could do with it that late at night, but darned sure I was going to try!) and ran to the window.

Sure enough, there was the masked, ring-tailed culprit.  Having his way with our black oil sunflower seeds.

Somehow watching it out there on the deck took all of the irritation right out of me.  How am I supposed to get mad at this???

 

PS—I have a hard time reconciling the image of the cute critter on my deck with the animals in the book “Where the Red Fern Grows.”  But I’m not going out there to play with it any time soon…

Hummer Games

 

I love being home.  I love being in my home.  This may not be apparent based on the amount of time I’ve spent here in the last 4 months, but it is, nevertheless, true.

One of my favorite things about my home is my deck.  For many years I only loved the screened in porch and didn’t pay any attention to the deck at all, but in the last few years it’s become the focus of my flower planting attention.  My favorite part of the deck is this corner,

complete with pink mandevilla, several pots of gerbers, petunias, impatiens, hummingbird feeders, and this year a butterfly bush too.

This year the hummingbirds have been even more active than last year.  I have loved watching them as they feed, and as they chase each other around the deck and yard.  (True fact—hummingbirds average speeds of 20-30 mph, but during courtship dives can go 6omph.  They really zip by!)

This summer we’ve also put a feeder right in the window over the sink.  I was a little dubious about whether or not the hummers would come that close to the window (and therefore us,) but come they have.  They often keep the feeder between them and us, but we’re still able to get a close (and short) look at them quite often.

This evening after the winds from Hurricane Irene had died down the hummers were particularly active.  At least four of them were zipping around the deck like crazy, stopping to feed and then chasing each other back and forth.  I tried to take some pictures but there wasn’t enough light, and a flash from the inside doesn’t work.  I decided to try taking some video and I couldn’t believe how much I was able to videotape.  The hummingbirds often perch on the feeders, and on the bars above the small feeders, but tonight several of them were also perching in the butterfly bush.  I put together all of the clips, and slowed them down so you can actually see them fly.  Towards the middle you can see two hummers sitting in the butterfly bush at the same time, something I’ve definitely not seen before.  I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed watching them!

Darned Varmits

I am learning that one of the unexpected effects of trying to attract creatures to our deck is that we invariably attract some unwanted critters as well.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time this week trying to figure out how to keep the hornets out of the hummingbird nectar; I can’t imagine that the hummingbirds really enjoy the nectar as much when there are dead hornet bodies floating inside!  I finally gave in today and went to the bird store and spent real $$ on a better hummingbird feeder.  Of course then when I got home I realized that the hornets are mostly gone, so I’m conflicted.  Do I take the feeder back and keep using my cheap Lowes feeders?  Or are the hornets just taking a hot-weather-hiatus??  (Just in case you were wondering, I was told not once but twice by the lady at the bird store that I could not get these kinds of bird feeders at Lowes…got it, lady!!)

As you’ve seen before, supplying seed for the beautiful birds also means that we end up with squirrels everywhere.  Including in the screened in porch looking for more bird seed.  But I think that we’ve attracted a stronger, smarter varmit with the birdseed as well. 

First of all, I put out a new suet cake for the woodpeckers just yesterday.  This is all that is left today.  And when I came out the arm of the bird feeder holder was swiveled all the over the porch—and I know for a fact that I left it all the way over the lawn.  I’m thinking I need to move the suet feeder to a less cooperative (not mobile) holder.

I bought a nice new container to put our birdseed in, and thought it would be plenty safe in the screened in porch.  Instead, something half gnawed away the lid in an attempt to get at the seed.  We have resorted to keeping our birdseed in the family room (which is closer to the feeders than the garage) and I’m sure that’s a very redneck thing to do.

And then I made the mistake of putting a new bag of seed out there last night, and forgetting to transfer it to the container.  When I went out a while ago there was a big hole in the bag, and the bag was surrounded by empty sunflower shells.  Some creature had an easy feast last night…

And lastly…just in case you’d ever wondered what kind of sunflower would grow from the black oil sunflower seeds that my birds (and squirrels) (and mystery critters) love, here you go.

Cause I promise you I didn’t plant a lone sunflower in this pot of petunias!!