After The Rains

It has been gray for 6 days now and rainy for the last 3 (OK, drizzly 2 days, rainy with lightning 1 day). All told, 2 and 3/4" of rain. This seems to have built up quite the appetite on the hummers. Here are a few photos: the images are clickable for larger views.

 It is not as dark out as it may seem, but it was gray and a little drizzly so I used the flash to get sharper pics.

 This was, by a good measure, the most activity at a feeder I have seen at my yard. For some reason, this was the hot feeder this morning! This shot has 21 birds, I am pretty sure.

This photo is the dead ceanothus (Ramona Lilac) bush that is a favorite landing spot for the hummers (and orioles, when it is that season). I counted over 20 birds waiting for their turn at the feeders.

Gray Sunday

Last week was in the 90s, today was 60 and wet. The weekend (actually, since Friday) has been gray and on and off drizzly.A good indication that this is just fog-marine layer is this capture from UCSD High-Performance Wireless Research and Education Network
at around 5 PM taken from North Peak at around 5700 feet looking west.

Hummingbirds are not bothered by this weather and are buzzing around like crazy.

Summer in October

It's October 10th, 2010 or as some have said - 10 10 10, earlier this day was 10h:10m:10s. Such a binary occasion, what could it all mean? Seems to mean "it is going to be hot today!' 92 degrees by 2 o'clock.

Old Guy hummer report: possible sighting - old guy behavior for sure, with a twist. He is still guarding his favorite feeder ( but losing the battle midday to the bees). But early in the AM and later in the PM he is hanging out on a ledge created by the outside window treatments. I think it may be warmer there than elsewhere, but who knows. Also, I was not sure what was happening to his tail feathers until I got a closer look. He's molting, just as Phinny (pinhead, photo to follow) the parrot is.

Of course, they all do it, just the first time I have seen a hummer doing it. I don't know if somewhat limited flexibility is keeping him from getting the casings off quickly. The bill condition is slightly improved.

 Here's the pin head, although it will be more noticeable in a couple weeks.

A photo of an Anna's showing some tail to a female, she's watching but not too impressed!

It's Hot Again

It's really hot (over 100) today and will stay that way a couple more days. It seems to be having a bit of an effect on the hummingbirds. They must be staying up in the trees more where it is cooler, there is not quite the activity around the feeders today. 

Here is a photo of a hummingbird who may or may not be the 'old guy', he has all the right moves for sure. His beak is quite gnarly and might be due to avian pox according to a couple postings online. If so, it can heal up on its own, looks worse than it really is.

Lots of bees, will be going to hardware store in search of more solutions to bee guards for feeders. Orioles are gone so there are more options to keeping out bees. 

No sign of the partially albino hummer again, watch continues.

Orioles Are Gone

It has been a week since the last hooded oriole sighting, the last group must have returned to their winter home in Arizona or Mexico. Just about a year ago to the week was the previous end of the summer visit.

Lots of hummingbirds around, mostly Anna's and blackchin.Yesterday I saw a type of hummer I not seen before - a mostly white one. This trait is known as leucistic - where there is a partial loss of pigmentation. The feet, beak, and eyes were dark and there were some green feathers.  By the time I returned with a camera it was gone.

Last evening there was another visitor that did hang around long enough to get a photo.

It was a 2-3 inch Pepsis or tarantula hawk wasp, known for their hunting tarantulas as food for their young. When I first saw her (as judged by the curly antennae) she was sharing the feeder with a hummingbird.

September 11, 2010

A good day to look back and remember those gone...


It's almost the middle of September and the hooded orioles that stop by for the spring and summer are mostly gone now. I thought maybe they were all gone, but this afternoon I saw a female on the fence next to a feeder. Could not tell youngster or Mom. Update: Sunday morning - 2 females at feeder.

We are still having a cooler than normal summer, much to my pleasure, but this does not seem to be impacting the hummingbirds in any way I can see. There are plenty around, 2 gallons a day worth anyway!

The 2 feeders below hold 1/3 gallon each, they are emptied every day.

Just when I think the 'old guy' Anna's is not around, the feeder he guards starts draining very slowly and a male Anna's is chasing off all comers. But I can not tell if it is him, older for certain, but less bold toward me so I can not get too close.

This is the 'hummingbird tree' next to several feeders and behind the webcams. It's hard to see, but if you click on photo to enlarge, there are 30 or so hummers in the dead Ramona lilac bush. I would take it out but the hummers really like perching there.

I am waiting to see a few Rufus hummers as they make their way back south, none identified yet.

We have always had a few black phoebes flitting around, lately one has taken up bug patrol along a fence below several hummingbird feeders and flies back and forth between a coyote bush and a small Tacoma Stans (Yellow Bells) shrub. The coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) is blooming, such as they do, and there are extra bugs attracted to it.

Best Kitty in the World

Grasshopper is gone after a brief battle with cancer.