H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 – Page 850 – "My Backyard Visitors" – All about birds

Bird Humor # 7

“Another good thing about laughter is that you can discover how wide your mouth really is”

BIRD HUMOR # 7

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT BEFORE YOU GO TO A MEETING!

Quotes and photography © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: Bird Humor, birds, nature, photography, photos of birds

By now you must have figured out that my new backyard visitors are keeping me busy. How could I not pay attention to such beautiful creatures, although you see them large on the photograph they are approximately 2.5 to 3.5 inches long all included. They can fly so fast that most of the times if they do not hover, all you’d see is a blur!

The female is larger than the mail, they are not able to walk like any other bird only perch and slide sideways, their legs are short and very close to their body. It’s been estimated that they must eat (drink) nectar 9 times their own weight daily, to compensate the amount of energy necessary to fly at such speed, their weight averages 4 grams. While hovering the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds beat their wings 55 times per second.

I’m happy to see them daily, wouldn’t you?

Click on images to see enlargements

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (M)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (F)

(M)

(F)

(M)

Text and photographs © H.J. Ruiz

Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

House Finches

House Finches are getting more abundant around my backyard, the fledgelings are juveniles now and they’re all over at the feeders and flying around at home (My backyard).

—o—

Important Note: Update on the bald-headed female N. Cardinal, she’s still bald, no change at all after 15 days since I took the fist photo.

—o—

There are two male House Finches (J) that are together all the time, they do the same things together it’s like mirror image sometimes. They look identical.

This season I’ve seen more quantity of birds but less variety of species.

Click on images to see enlargements

House Finch (M)

House Finch (F)

(M)

(F)

2(M)

Tags: birds, House Finch, nature, photography, photos of birds

Old Western Movie

The boisterous bunch of Common Grackles are in town and as always they create a raucous signal that they’re around.

They go to the feeders and make a mess with the seeds. These birds are much larger than any of the sparrows or cowbirds and they push their weight around.

Remember the old western movies? The bunch of rowdy brutes ride into town making a raucous entrance, shooting their pistols in the air and shouting. Yeeeeha! Then they hit the fist bar they find and make a mess and everybody else takes off to avoid any confrontation! Does it sound very much like I wrote on the first paragraph?

Anyway, so they are a bit crazy, they are born that way! But they are not so bad. Most feeders are not designed for their size. I like them better that crows though. They’re very intelligent birds with bad manners that’s all.

I have some pictures for you today, all about them!