Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Feathers

Musical Chairs Played Hummingbird Style

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I am often reminded of the game of Musical Chairs in August as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds appear in large numbers.  They dart every-which-way vying for a seat at the feeder.  Now, let me point out:  There are FOUR hummingbird feeders within 100 feet of each other. I am making nectar by the gallon and filling the feeders twice a day.  These “magical flowers” NEVER run dry, so can they just settle down to enjoy an energy drink?  Nope.  No way!

The nectar feeder featured in the video is the “chosen one”.  Perhaps they like the bell shape of the feeding seats — each with a bright yellow insert.  The unique design of this feeder makes it more difficult for a perched hummingbird to see if another perch is taken.  It seems to me the balance tips at 3; filling that fourth seat almost-always results in all seats being vacated while the intruder is driven away by the other 3 intruders.

As you enjoy a trip down Musical Chairs Memory Lane, note the appearance of a Chickadee (highlighted in the video).  S/he is trying to figure out how to navigate through the hummingbird-swarm while getting from the perch above the hummingbird feeder to the cup of mealworms below.

 

A Few Updates

The last on-camera brood of 2018 fledged successfully late last week.  I was asked how I plan to carry out my threat to relocate a bird family if another nest is started.  It took me a while, but I finally do have a plan.  I’m going to unplug the camera which renders them “gone” to me!

The Grackles are still driving Drake and me crazy, but their numbers have dwindled as their food sources have been “jailed”.  You’ll hear more about that in coming posts.  Sometimes I think therapy might be a better answer to dealing with my empty-nester blues!

Birdbath Classes: Bluebird Synchronized Swimming

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Sending you “uplifting” posts is going downhill … so we’re going to take a break and enjoy a pair of juvenile Eastern Bluebirds engaging in Synchronized Swimming.  Juvenile Bluebirds are showing up at the birdbath and all the worm feeders — usually in groups.  They appear to be from both the East and North houses.  The Garden fledglings are almost-certainly still hanging out in the trees being fed by their parents.  I know the most-recent East brood is still in the nest with an anticipated fledge date of mid-August.

I do not know where the bear is.  A neighbor told me the bear demolished other trash cans and bird/deer feeders in the neighborhood.  I was also told he totaled a car at the sports park about 2 miles from here.  Yeah — time to get lost in synchronized swimming!!