There's a Hummingbird in the Livingroom!

We are getting ready to return to Oregon. I am always torn between our two homes. Each has it's own charm and appeal. But I can tell you for sure, the hummingbirds do NOT come into the house in Oregon. Arizona however is another thing.

I have told you before that I am married to a Doctor Dolittle and that animals, birds and even lizards are okay having him very near. He talks to them as though he is one of them. Our cat, for example, thinks he hung the moon and looks at him with such adoration it melts my heart.

Our hummingbird feeder hangs near the place where we sit outdoors in the morning and evening. Each time a bird comes to feed my husband talks to them and encourages them to just relax and take a load off. See, a sitting hummingbird is not very common.

When a friend came in the house to share a glass of wine yesterday, she left the screen door open. We were visiting and evidently the bird heard my husband talking and laughing. It flew onto the porch and then into the living room. We ducked as it flew to a nearby window and we were thinking it would be wounded after fluttering behind the blinds. To our surprise it let my husband gather it up in his hands. He took it outside and we watched it flit away none the worse for the wear.

Doctor Doolittle with our
 baby granddaughter last summer
in Oregon.

I miss these creatures when we return to Oregon where we live in the city. Here we watch Vermillion Flycatchers, and red headed wrens, red birds and the ever present red capped woodpeckers. The doves are mating now and the coveys of Quail will be marching by anyday now.

The cat brought a blue bellied lizard in the house the other day. My husband caught it twice...the first time it just shed it's tail and ran away. The second time my husband left it's tail alone.

We have not been plagued by bees this winter at all. A couple of years ago a hive gathered in the cactus across the street and our workers killed them all...killer bees can be very nasty so no one takes any changes. Since then the bees have avoided us. It is really strange.

Coyote howl in the Pantano Wash located just across the street from us and rabbits feed in my friends secret garden.

We live in an RV Resort in east Tucson and even though we are close to all services we live up close and personal with the desert. I think we are very lucky. I, of course, am doubly blessed...I live with Doctor Dolittle!

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Note: I do not call birds or animals by any scientific names so don't be alarmed at my lack of tagging skills. I prefer it that way. If I took it too seriously, it might not be as much fun to watch and learn.

Hummingbirds On Welfare

What have we done? Really, it was not our intention to create needy birds that would not fly south. All we wanted to do was watch them and enjoy our back yard bird sanctuary.

The hummingbirds are beautiful here in Oregon and actually they may stay here year around and we just don't know about it. It doesn't matter either way. The truth is our hummingbirds have gone on welfare. The truth is it is a lot easier to put them on the dole than it is to get them off.

Now Christmas is here and we are beginning to think about going south ourselves. But the hummingbirds still come to the feeder every day. They sit on the feeder and guzzle sugar water as though there were no tomorrow.

So I am worried. I talked to the neighbor about the possibility that she might keep her feeder out all winter. I suppose it may work. Maybe a bird on welfare doesn't really care where the food is coming from as long as there is a donor. I don't know!

Just a thought!

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Arizona...Cold weather and Hummingbirds!

Image via Wikipedia

Murphy's Mom Blog

If your are thinking you are cold, take a look at this very cold armadillo caught on the grill of  Murphy's Mom car grill in Amarillo TX.  Check out this blog to see what she has to say.

This weather is so hard on animals.  We forget because, even when the car is iced over, our homes can be kept at an endurable temperature.  Even here in Arizona we see our hummingbirds are suffering from the cold.  They eat large quantities of food but rest in the sun as often a possible.  I see on a garden blog that the cold water in the feeder may be doing more harm good.  I will warm the water and take the feeder in at night so it won't be so cold tomorrow.   We leave our ourdoor lights on at night so they can roost near them if they choose.  Let it be said that we are trying to help as much as possible without interfering with nature....well maybe we do just a little!

Hummingbirds are cranky little territorial critters and will do war over the least intrusion into their world.  This cold weather has them zooming in their airspace and taunting each other.  We face south so our water gets warm quicker and the sun heats the front of our park model.  We have the hummingbird feeder of choice.  The hummingbirds are even following us down the street on our way to our mailbox...I guess they are a little suspicious of our activities and motives!

Blog links to Hummingbirds and other Desert Creatures

Have a wonderful day!

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Related articles

• Rufous Hummingbird - a Rare Late Season Visitor (timesunion.com)
• Fun and Amazing Facts about Hummingbirds (brighthub.com)
• Why can cold weather be dangerous (wiki.answers.com)

Birder's Paradise...Ruby Throated Hummingbird Nesting

Image via Wikipedia

Our Ruby Throated Hummingbird has returned to nest again under the canopy on our park model.  Living up close and personal with nature here in this RV Resort is a way of life.  We share our park with Javelina, Rattlesnakes, lizards and termites.  Some of our neighbors are more popular than others.

When the Ruby Throated Hummingbird comes to spend some time, it makes any little frights because of the snakes and lizards worth it.  She is working very hard to make this the very best nest ever.  You can tell it is a very small space, something I can relate to.  She is wondering, I think, whether there will be room.

We have watched a hummingbird's nest before.  A nest next to our RV several years ago was the object of interest from the time the birds hatched until they left the nest.  Interestingly enough, the mother continues to feed the babies for several days after they fly from the nest and the babies roost very near to the nest at night.  I would love the see that again but I am afraid we will be gone back to Oregon before this cycle is completed. (Images above are ones we took of the babies in the nest and after they left the nest.  This baby would sleep near to our canopy lights at night to stay warm.  There was only a heart beat between wild flapping of wings and sleep). 

You can watch a live stream of a hummingbirds nest on ustream.  

I just thought you would want to know.

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