February 08, 2008

• When the researchers say "manipulated their tail feathers" do they mean "pluck"? I'd probably stop chirruping if someone pulled out my outermost tail feathers.
• Hummingbirds are of the devil!
• not when one is lucky enough to have them in one's own back yard... :)
• Oh, es el Queso, thank you for this! I have spent hours watching the Anna's hummingbirds divebomb in my own yard in the spring, to chase off other males and attract the ladies. The chirping sound that comes from them is quite loud. So cool to know that it's all feathers and timing!
• Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm *eats up all the sugar*
• The Anna's stick around here all year! Love 'em.
• Ike and Tina encourage more of this
• I've never heard the tail chirp, myself. (I read about this on Birdchick's blog.) However, for two months out of the year, my porch is filled with the constant "EEkitaEekitaEekita!!!!" of rufous-backed hummingbirds. I love the little buggers, that's why I set out the feeders (which have to be filled every damn day). But man, if I could silence the "angry squeaky toy" sound simply by plucking a few tail feathers, I totally would.* * I really wouldn't. But anyone who's set out hummingbird feeders totally knows where I'm coming from, amirite?!
• move the feeder away from the porch :) ours are in the garden, which is far enough away from the indoors as to negate their cheery calls
• Some years ago, we had fuschia plants hanging on our balcony. The hummingbirds loved them, and would complain at me whenever I went out to water the plants. We lived in an upstairs apartment with big glass door windows that reflected eastern sun and the swimming pool. The most interesting birds were the robins. Originally, there was just one, who would fly into the window thinking it was just more sky. He came back with a buddy to show him that the sky was hard in some places. They would fly into it several times a day, till they got tired of beating themselves up. The original bird came back for several years before he either figured out that it wasn't the sky or died from brain damage. We named them George and Bob, and had an entire dialog attributed to them. It started out something like, "Hey, Bob, check this out." Thump! "No, George. that can't be!" Thump. Then, there were the mallard who tried to take over the pool...
• This is the first year I've had a patio (new apartment) and no outdoor cats. I'm totally having a hummingbird feeder. Can't wait for spring!
• path - the robins might have attacking their reflections. They're quite famous for that, I understand.
• *have been attacking*
• Can't stand the little buggers. They're like giant flying insects.
• Hmmmmm, Tummmm? I wonder if people either love or hate them. I love my rufous-backeds! We only get them for about three months out of the year, but some years they're as thick as flies, and just as pestiferous. Love to sit on the deck in the eve and have them come up to check out what color I'm wearing. Don't especially like to listen to them squabble and bitch at each other at 5am, but it's all part of summer. ahhhhhhh, summer!