Friday, July 04, 2014

What to Do on a Rainy July 4th: Watch a Hummingbird!

This juvenile (I think) ruby-throated hummingbird has been perched on the feeder outside my window for some two hours. Unlike adult hummers and larger birds, such as finches, it doesn't care how close I get to the window in my bright red shirt, and is unfazed when I move the camera. Every few minutes it takes a drink or two from the feeder. I even saw its tongue!


Update: After some five (!) hours an adult male attacked, jabbing ferociously until feeding from the opposite port. (Hummingbirds don't share and are examplars of Kissinger's saying about academia: The fights are so vicious because the stakes are so small.) The youngster hung upside down for a few minutes, motionless.

I thought he was injured or dead, but when I went outside to take a closer look he'd righted himself. Now he's just sitting there again, taking the occasional sip. Maybe he'll spend the night...


Further update, 6:40pm: S/he's gone--hopefully someplace safe for the night.