[obol] Calming the Savage Hummingbirds

[Steve McDonald]

I was sitting on a chair under a camellia tree yesterday, getting ready to use my electric shaver.  What I think were 3 female Rufous Hummingbirds, were doing their usual skirmishing among the branches and spending more energy on fighting than feeding.  But, just as soon as I turned on the shaver, they settled down on twigs within a few feet of me.  They kept moving their heads around, looking me over and paying no attention to each other.  However, when I turned off the shaver, they sprang back into combat mode.  There have been dozens of hummingbirds of all the usual species, feasting on the thousands of blossoms on my two large trees this past week.  Two advance scouts gave a look today at my red currant, which will be in full bloom in a couple of days.
 
I've never seen more than an occasional passing C. Raven near my house, next to the beginning of the Cascade foothills.  This year, for the past month, a pair have been flying and croaking every day around the mixed woods of fir, maple, oak and ash on a low ridge nearby.  They've been carrying sticks and other materials, so they must be planning to nest.  It's unusual to see them doing this so close to people and to be so audible and obvious about it.  Also, for several years, two pairs of A. Crows have nested in big firs right over my house.  Their fledglings come to my peanut feeder the first day they can fly.  I'm sure they could see where their parents had been getting the peanuts they brought to the nests and wasted no time getting directly to the source.  In my earlier years, no crows would have ever been so trusting as this.Steve McDonald http://www.flickr.com/photos/22121562@N00/
Eugene, Oregon
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