What is your favorite bird? And every fowl encounter you've had under the sun

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An avian mystery:

Why does the tray of a hummingbird feeder have six feeding ports when a single hummingbird continually chases away any additional visitors to the feeder?

Hummingbirds are unsocial and generally refuse to share feeders with other hummingbirds. So, what’s the point of having multiple feeding ports?

The only chance a second hummer has of not being chased away is when it perches on a port directly opposite that of first bird, so it cannot be easily seen. As soon as the first bird spots it, it gives chase and a skirmish in the air occurs.

Hummers also tend to hog the flowers they visit, even from butterflies and bees as well as from other hummers. Rarely have I seen more than one hummer feeding from the same flowering plant at the same time.
 
Here’s my latest watercolor. I call it “The Delicate Art of Desert Living~Black-throated Sparrow”

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CRV said:
That’s good! I didn’t know you could paint so well.
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Thank you! This is probably as good as I’ve ever done. I quit my job on May 1 so now I don’t have anything to do except what I want to do. This is the result. You could say all those hours spent out in the field are finally coming to fruition. It’s a pretty happy place to be.
CRV said:
Do you sell your artwork?
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Why I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of dollars selling my artwork. 😎 😉

Leaving you all with this today. I hope you like it. 😆

 
I rescued a baby hummingbird last week…had gotten caught up in cobwebs and the mama hummingbird had been looking for the baby frantically. When I discovered the baby and realized, I helped remove as much cobwebs as I could…so tiny! and peeping away. I had to be ever so gentle, and the little bird flew right out of my hands and into a giant tree next to the barn. Then I heard what I can only guess is the mama hummingbird screaming in delight, so many loud joyful peep peeps.

After that, I’d say hummingbirds are my favorite. They are so gorgeous. Rare to be able to hold one and get away with it, especially with a good reason. I hope the baby survived.
 
tad said:
I don’t have anything to do except what I want to do.
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Now that’s a blessing indeed! 👍
tad said:
This is the result. You could say all those hours spent out in the field are finally coming to fruition.
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Studying a subject can and often does have unexpected benefits!
tad said:
Why I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of dollars selling my artwork.
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Ahhhh … … so then, I’d be correct in saying you’d be just a tad rich 🤣 😂 😉 😇
tad said:
Leaving you all with this today. I hope you like it.
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That was well done - I did enjoy it too 🙂
 
TheIttyBitty said:
Then I heard what I can only guess is the mama hummingbird screaming in delight, so many loud joyful peep peeps.
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… or perhaps what you heard was the mamma bird scolding the baby for showing off on it’s maiden flight! (I “told you to look where you flew! Don’t ever do that again! Oh, my poor rapidly beating heart!”) 🤣 😂
 
true, she really could’ve been saying anything, but those were some loud peeps!
 
You’re fortunate to be able to sell your artwork. My experience is that people around here don’t appreciate creativity and even though we have an art gallery and annual craft shows, folks rarely buy. I used to participate, until I found out what a waste of time it is.
 
JanR said:
Why does the tray of a hummingbird feeder have six feeding ports when a single hummingbird continually chases away any additional visitors to the feeder?

Hummingbirds are unsocial and generally refuse to share feeders with other hummingbirds. So, what’s the point of having multiple feeding ports?

The only chance a second hummer has of not being chased away is when it perches on a port directly opposite that of first bird, so it cannot be easily seen. As soon as the first bird spots it, it gives chase and a skirmish in the air occurs.
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Say what?

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😆

OK, to be fair that photo was taken two weekends ago at a lodge that caters to birders. The have about a half dozen feeders being fought over by couple of dozen hummingbirds. Amazing place. I didn’t know where to point my camera.

My personal theory is at times like these they reach ‘critical mass’ and ‘personal distance’ goes out the window. At my own feeders I’ve noticed the birds sort of give up at the end of day and share a feeder with each other. I guess they get tired of fighting and realize everyone needs to fuel up for the night.

My other personal observation about feeders with multiple ports that are defended by just one individual is that the bird chooses the port that best lets it keep an eye out for attackers.

Here’s some photos of a Broad-billed Hummingbird defending his feeder against a couple dozen interlopers.

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I generally don’t like feeder shots but here’s a couple photos of a nice looking Hepatic Tanager pair

Male
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and female He made them(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Here’s a better shot of the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. It sat up nicely for me.

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Yearbird #192 Varied Bunting. It’s hard to see, but these birds have some cool coloring. (I got a few other year birds last weekend. I’ll have to catch up with them later.)

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We had little thunderstorm pass through. God is good.

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Maybe you could copy and paste!
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I am honored, Greenfields! I know what kind of sacrifice that entailed. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
In the olden days, we went up levels based on posts
Maybe with the new system, we could be allowed extra hearts to distribute after our first 400 posts?
(or a heart with lace or a cool cross centered in the middle!
O.K. back on track. It’s not a bird, but my angel emoji does have wings!
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And i visited the local zoo last week and spent a bit of time enjoying the flamingos.
They had red knees.
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Last year at this time, two large birds crossed the road ahead of me. As I made a turn as the nearby intersection, one of them made an aggressive move toward me. Later, I learned that these were Sandhill Cranes.
 
He looks as though a cane under a wing and briefcase too,and a top hat would suit to a tee 🙂
 
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