Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Feathers

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Glowing Red

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird Glowing Red

When watching the cameras the other day, I was captivated by a Ruby-throated Hummingbird Glowing Red.  It took a minute to restart my brain.  Then, I figured out the hummingbird's beak and feathers were picking up the red color from the sun shining through the feeder's red dome.

Mystery solved -- but still a delight to watch.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Glowing Red - Feature Image

Birds Freeze When Hawk Is In The Area

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There are multiple ways to know a hawk is in the area:

  • You see a hawk (often perched close to your bird feeder/s).
  • A group of Crows is carrying on and flying-at something in a fixed area.
  • A Blue Jay is sounding the hawk alarm (or he's sounding a false alarm so he can have the feeder to himself).
  • You have a number of bird feeders, and there's not a bird to be seen.
  • Birds are on your feeders, but they are not moving -- at all.

The multi-view picture shown here is the simultaneous display from eight of my cameras.  There's not one bird in sight.  It's interesting how often this is the case immediately after I put fresh bird food out.  Hawks are not dumb!

Empty Feeders

The two sets of camera snapshots below show the "freezing" behavior birds exhibit when a hawk threatens.  The photo captions show the start and end time of this behavior.  The second set of photos is particularly interesting, I think.  For seven full minutes, a Titmouse perches motionless on top of the feeder -- and a Chipping Sparrow stands, with its head rotated 180 degrees, without so much as an eye-blink.

It's all about survival.  Too bad the birds don't know a hawk can't get to them inside the "cage".

Downy - Hawk Start

Downy at 4:09pm

Downy - Hawk End

Downy at 4:13pm

Hawk in Area Start

2:44pm

Hawk in Area End

2:51pm

I learned virtually everything I know about hawks from my friend, Debbie.  Well, with one exception.  I have not learned to drive with my eyes fixed on the sky instead of the road, although decades of practice made Debbie an expert.  It seems fitting to publish this post on the day of Deb's Memorial Service in Vermont.  I will be there, along with all of her family and other friends, honoring the memory of a most-special person.