If you're interested in birds or know someone who is

[djkimmel]

This is my therapy I got into heavily and seriously (as much as I can anyway) starting this July - birding or birdwatching. We started a few years ago feeding birds out back so our indoor scaredy cats had some entertainment just outside the windows - kind of like cat cablevision...

After I lost my job 3 1/2 years ago I was around the house more. I've always loved the outdoors like many of you, and I've always loved watching fish and wildlife do their thing. This summer I needed something to offset the anti-outdoors of all the 'government' meetings.

So I decided to try to attract hummingbirds. I didn't know if it would work or how long it would take. My wife had already started us out by planting a couple butterfly bushes. I decided to add several sugar water feeders and add additional 'pretty' bird feeders thinking the more bird variety I attract the more likely passing hummingbirds will notice.

And it worked!!! I couldn't believe it and at first I was enthralled. I wanted to sit out there for hours and just watch and listen. When you used to fish 130 plus days a year and now you fish less than 20... and you spend a great deal of time trying to get enough people to understand why MORE fishing for everyone is good for EVERYONE and you can't understand why ANYONE (other than anti's) wouldn't just jump right on the bandwagon... being surrounded by the 'outdoors' just outside the back door is pretty darn great. At least for me.

Of course, that has been me this year. Some of you are getting out a lot more, and maybe some of you aren't into birds or nature watching quite as much but I bet some of you are into it a little. I bet some of you know people who are into it more. I also wonder if this is something that might help more of us a little with the cabin fever over another (maybe loooonggg, coooollllld winter??). I've personally gone a little crazy and added more variety (and we're going to plant more hummingbird friendly plants next spring) to see how many birds I can attract! I'm going to ramp it up even more next year reaching out for species that may or may not even fly by?? Who knows...

But the hummingbirds are going to be hard to be. They're the epitome of all overachievers, constantly living on the edge of survival. They are both cute and toy-like, yet fierce as any island warrior! I'm fascinated by them though I had enough success this year that some of the novelty has worn off now. Only makes me more determined to attract more males earlier next season and find some nests to observe from a safe distance.

If you have any interest, want to give it a try (cabin fever treatment maybe?) or know someone who might be interested in Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and many other bird pictures and videos I've started sharing them on Facebook under Michigan Bird (a new website I'm working on - only a temporary placeholder at the moment www.michiganbird.com coming) - www.facebook.com/michiganbirder for the Facebook Page. I'm also sharing a few other person's pictures and maybe some video in the future because I'm fortunate to know a few people who a way, way better with cameras than me!

Here's a sample of two of my favorite videos I captured this year of a couple special Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that spent part of their summer with us - the first one is a juvenile male that taught me quite a bit about Hummingbirds - I call him Spot. You'll see why and can read about him on Facebook. the 2nd one is a female that I'm not sure was an adult or a juvenile from this year but judging by her dominance I'm guessing she is the 'mom' of some of the juveniles we hosted this summer (there is probably a nest way up in the top of one of my neighbor's trees but it is so far up we can't be sure if it was used this season).

Spot - Juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird that ruled our 'backyard nature center' in SW Lansing for over a month - in his favorite evening perch lording over all his land (the visible feeders he guards) and cleaning his all-important feathers thoroughly and carefully - cleaning is critical to the survival of hummingbirds:



And this female I never gave a name to because at the time we had several females and several juvenile males - all who look a lot alike unless you can see them up very close and clear - not easy to do because they do many things very, very fast and they are tiny, tiny birds - this female taught me that yes, baths/showers are very important to Hummingbirds - they eat lots of sticky liquids and messed up feathers can quickly mean death to a hummingbird - hours sometimes due to the vast amount of energy they burn in a hurry and the limited amount they can store in their tiny bodies - Hummingbird in the Rain:

[djkimmel]

PS: the birds making most of the LOUD background racket are some of the approximately zillion new Goldfinches that fledged this year around our house. Most of them are fledgling squeaking (Chip pee Chip pee) for someone to feed them even though they are now flying and can go to the Nyjer and other seed feeders just fine if and when they want to. They are quite noisy.

Sometimes just one juvenile Goldfinch will sit on a branch over the feeders making that loud Chip-pee Chip-pee over and over and over for maybe an hour or more... I have to admit a few times I have broke my 'cover' and said ALRIGHT ALREADY! GO GET SOME SEED!! IT'S RIGHT THERE!! WHAT, ARE YOU BLIND?!? But most of the time I try to be patient with the little 'kids.'