7/2/14
If I had any doubt about the similarities between these two very different species, a recent visitor to the hummingbird feeder has resolved any remaining question. I saw that the feeder was nearing empty, and it had been my honest intention to make another batch of food. For the next two days, though, by the time I walked inside the back door, other priorities surfaced, to the point that I had forgotten any thought that had taken place in the previous few minutes as I rinsed and filled water buckets, put mail away, etc. So, the feeder was very close to empty. Plus, with the recent rain, the remaining feed may have been more dilute. I’ve seen the liquid level rise after heavy rain, and hummers can’t tolerate a decrease in caloric intake. So, this morning as I walked inside, I determinedly took care of preparing the hummingbird food first, before any other distraction could surface.
The food had been sitting long enough to be lukewarm when I decided to refill the feeder. I carefully cleaned the glass container, then filled it and carried it outside, upside down, to the Shepherd’s hook before replacing the bottom. This keeps the sticky mess from a spill out of the house, but it would explain why ants sometimes show up in that area.
As I held the base for the feeder in one hand and the glass container in the other, a hungry little hummingbird approached. It buzzed around the feeder base, and I tried to move the base so it wouldn’t drink until the food was added. There were only water drops on the base, which may have looked like nectar-rich dew to a hummingbird, but this was nothing that would supply its energy demand. This very persistent little bird reminded me of a certain young Newfoundland who simply c-a-n-n-o-t wait for a water bucket to be filled. If you have a hose in your hand, you will be the recipient of more attention than you may want, and as long as the hose is running, you may not be able to do anything with it other than entertain this little girl. Water is her passion! (in any form) You cannot move the hose out of her way faster than she can be on top of it. The little hummingbird was mimicking her antics, following the movement of the base with its drops of water. At one point, it was able to sit on the base, which was still in my hand, and drink a drop of water. Then it sat on the Shepherd’s hook and chirped at me. I think I received a Hummingbird scolding for the water drops not being food!
Finally I was able to re-hang the feeder. The bird had disappeared by then, for only a moment. It quickly re-appeared at the feeder, and like Banner, happily drank its fill.
All is well in the world once again!
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