Red Aggressor

Day 181: It wouldn't be bad if there were only three or four of them, but there are...wait, that was number 32,794 who just zipped by...there are DOZENS of them, and they're all in bad moods, driven by the biological imperative to attack each other, the Anna's, Evening Grosbeaks, Steller's Jays and even me if I happen to be trying to hang up a refilled feeder. Sitting at the rigid heddle loom with my back to the front window, I could be excused for thinking there was a logging operation going on in my front yard, so loud is the buzz and whir. I've mentioned previously that there seem to be an inordinate number of birds in my yard presently, and that includes a veritable swarm of Rufous Hummingbirds (mostly male). Their most active period is at dusk, each trying to seize a spot in the queue for the feeders but being so preoccupied with defending their territory against all comers that only a lucky few actually reach a port. They say that red is the colour of aggression; Rufous is out to prove it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Day 44: Happy Thanksgiving from Crow, Tippy and all the well-stuffed "turkeys" who keep me entertained daily. The Porch Parrots (Coccothraustes vespertinus, aka Evening Grosbeaks) happen to be passing through currently, and there are at least two dozen of them vying for space in the feeders. They tend to be rather cranky toward their associates and while many beak-battles ensue, everybody eventually gets a share of the seed. It's kinda like Thanksgiving with the relatives: everybody shouting to try to make themselves heard over all the loud conversation, Aunt Maude engaged in a heated debate with her daughter-in-law over the choice of bowl for the potatoes, the television blaring even though no one is watching it...Grosbeaks can be a noisy lot and everyone has an opinion to air. When all is said and done, though, and the dishes/seed hulls are cleared away and tempers settle, the family acknowledges that its flock-bond is stronger than the arguments. Grosbeaks figured that out long ago.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta Canadensis

Day 318: Although not a Life List bird for me, today marks the first appearance of a Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) at my present location. We had a rather startling introduction, little Nutty and I, meeting first as my hand entered a bird feeder from one side just as he entered from the other. We both jumped, but not very far. After pouring a cupful of black-oil seed in the tray, I proceeded to the enclosed feeder shown in this photo. Nutty sat atop the shepherd's hook as I loaded it up, less than six inches from my face. By that point, I'd recovered from our first encounter and met him eye to eye. "Oh! You're a Nuthatch!" I said, after noting his identification points (not that there's much chance of misidentifying one of these cheeky little birds). "I don't s'pose you'd let me go get the camera, would you?" Predictably, he was gone when I got back. I settled in to do some sewing in the kitchen, thought at one point that I might have seen him in the Philadelphus, and when I migrated back out to the living room and sat down at the computer, he made another split-second appearance at the feeder. Now thoroughly motivated, I moved the quilting frame to a spot where I had a clear view of both of the feeders he'd visited, set the camera on a stool beside me and waited. He returned several times, and I took half a dozen photos of an empty feeder, an equal number of shots of red-breasted blurs, and then at last he settled in long enough for me to focus the lens through the kitty-nose-printed double pane window and bingo, I got my documentation shot. Hopefully, he will allow me a field-guide photo session once he becomes accustomed to my presence...if, of course, he's not just passing through.

Purple Finch Male

Day 199: Backyard birding has taken on a whole new relevance since COVID-19 appeared on our maps, and although I'm not likely to see any new species, it's a delight when one of the "summer folk" arrives. I presently have a disproportionate number of female Purple Finches giving the few brightly coloured males a wide selection of potential mates. The female is an LBJ, "Little Brown Job" in birder parlance, and sometimes difficult to identify at first glance because she resembles a sparrow. Look for a light "eyebrow," a heavy, seed-cracking beak and a dark lateral (side) stripe on the throat which begins at the lower part of the bill. The male is much easier to pin down. He looks as if he'd bathed in raspberry juice. Where the species overlap, males can be confused with those of House Finch, but remember: Houses have shingles, i.e., their breasts are marked with dark flecks. The breast of the male Purple Finch is clear.

Mrs. Rufous

Day 243: Although they're not swarming yet, the population of Rufous Hummingbirds in my yard makes it dangerous to stand within ten feet of the feeders. Hummer wars are often engaged, males vying with one another for possession of the ports or for a female's attentions, or females squabbling over who has right of prior domain. The defeated party almost always flies off at high speed, not necessarily watching for obstacles like a human on the sidewalk. I have come very close to taking a hummer in the face on multiple occasions, and it's not uncommon at all to have my hair ruffled by the passage of wings when an abrupt change of direction has been deemed necessary by the flier. The magnitude of inbound and outbound airborne traffic is increasing daily, indicating that I should probably think about moving one shepherd's hook to the other end of the garden as a secondary destination.

Annual Guests

Day 231: My favourite summer tenants have arrived! My feeders are under siege by dozens of Evening Grosbeaks, the air alive with the sound of their "CHURP!" calls and the flutter of wings. Alongside them, Pine Siskins and Goldfinches have discovered the bottomless supply of black-oil sunflower seed (if only they knew!), and no one minds if the occasional Black-Headed Grosbeak stops in for a snack. The only arguments are among themselves for the most part: "I was here first! Go find your own spot!" and a Goldfinch trying to squeeze in between is usually ignored. Occasionally, there are some hard words directed toward the hapless Steller's Jay who mistakenly assumes that his year-'round renter's agreement permits the best seating at the table, but generally, everyone gets along just fine.

Selasphorus Rufus, Rufous Hummingbird

Day 189: Hummingbird season has just begun, but there are at least a dozen, the sexes equally represented, vying for positions at the feeder. I only have one station up at this point, but as word gets out, I'll need to put up at least two more. Species Rufous has marked my yard on the map, and each year, my clientele is growing.

The female Rufous Hummingbird (left) can be distinguished from the similarly sized Anna's Hummingbird by a blush of soft rust on her flanks and rusty band on the upper tail. The Rufous male has an iridescent red throat which in certain lighting conditions appears dark (as indeed it does in the photo on the right). Allen's (nearly identical) does not occur in the Pacific Northwest, but for those of you living in areas where the two species mingle (California, for example), look for narrow, almost thread-like outer tailfeathers on Allen's.The voices of both species are also similar, and according to one naturalist whose name I have forgotten, "consists of 90% swear-words." For a tiny little fellow, Rufous makes up for his size with his vocabulary!

Some folks can't get enough of Snowy Owls. Others fancy Bald Eagles or other raptors. Personally, I could watch Rufous Hummingbirds all day long and would never tire of listening to them cursing like sailors.