(no subject)
(Ok, I'm getting a strong feeling of deja vu here; did I post about this happening once before? Because it's happened more than once)
Another hummer trapped in the skylights on the patio. I have got to get to the hardware store and get some screening to close off the bottoms of these things. All kinds of insects get up there and bumble around because they can't find their way down and under the patio eaves, but you'd think the hummingbirds would be smarter than that. The other rather strange thing I've noticed is that - flying around and at the feeders and flowers, you almost always see Anna's hummingbirds, probably the most common hummer in southern CA. The birds getting stuck in the skylight have been most commonly Allen's hummingbirds - either females or immatures (I'm inclined to think the latter, but you can tell both from the reddish tail feathers), which I hardly ever see visiting feeders or generally flying around. Odd, that.
Patio
Huntington Beach CA
Sharp VE-CG30
12 June 2008
crossposted to mylife_onceaday
I've tried using a butterfly net to capture these guys, but they're pretty adept at avoiding it and keep bumping into the plexiglass besides. To minimize their getting hurt, I found coming at them gently from two sides makes them easier to catch. The broom bristles and the soft wool duster have a lot of give, so they don't get squished, and then I can take them outside the patio roof. They zoom off immediately, which is a relief to watch.
Another hummer trapped in the skylights on the patio. I have got to get to the hardware store and get some screening to close off the bottoms of these things. All kinds of insects get up there and bumble around because they can't find their way down and under the patio eaves, but you'd think the hummingbirds would be smarter than that. The other rather strange thing I've noticed is that - flying around and at the feeders and flowers, you almost always see Anna's hummingbirds, probably the most common hummer in southern CA. The birds getting stuck in the skylight have been most commonly Allen's hummingbirds - either females or immatures (I'm inclined to think the latter, but you can tell both from the reddish tail feathers), which I hardly ever see visiting feeders or generally flying around. Odd, that.
Patio
Huntington Beach CA
Sharp VE-CG30
12 June 2008
crossposted to mylife_onceaday
I've tried using a butterfly net to capture these guys, but they're pretty adept at avoiding it and keep bumping into the plexiglass besides. To minimize their getting hurt, I found coming at them gently from two sides makes them easier to catch. The broom bristles and the soft wool duster have a lot of give, so they don't get squished, and then I can take them outside the patio roof. They zoom off immediately, which is a relief to watch.