What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. - Chief Seattle
This is the place to continue your journey with me to help you realize how every aspect of nature is an integral part of your life.
Fueling
Another sip of the bee balm nectar which has been the apparent favorite for multiple hummingbirds during the past week.
This particular plant is located within 10 feet of an oriole feeder which also has become more active during the same week.
This hummingbird is the dominant one and will chase away any suspected intruders irrespective of size. We have watched this one chase finches, orioles and unbelievably even blue jays to protect its food sources.
Its aggressive nature has become even more apparent now that it is preparing to migrate south.
Migration Preparation
This past week we saw 2 ruby throated hummingbirds zipping back and forth among the feeders, the fuchsia plants and the feeder. They passed each other quickly, and when they happened to approach the same area at the same time, their aggressive nature became ver apparent.
Even though they are small, they are very aggressive. We have have had a dominant hummingbird here all summer that guards all the food sources and chases away any and all intruders.
Going Fishing
This male Belted Kingfisher has taken to perching in a dead tree outside my office window late afternoon while looking for its dinner. I have yet to see it catch a fish from that perch, but some day hope it all comes together.
As you can see Belted Kingfishers have a comparatively larger head than other birds - - about 1 foot overall length and weight at about 6 ounces.
Unlike most bird species the female of the species is more colorful than the male.
The male is called a cock the female a hen and the babies are known as chicks. Hmmm. Makes you wonder if there is any relationship to chickens.
They can fly at a speed of about 35mph.
PeWee
This Eastern woo-pewee Flycatcher is a newcomer to our yard. During the autumn they migrate to Central and South America to avoid the cold weather. My best guess is that it stopped here on its way south which tells me I should follow suit in the near future.
They produce a whistling sound like pee-a-wee which I suppose it how it got its name.
It is an omnivore as it likes plants as well as flies, butterflies, bees, wasps, grasshoppers and crickets. They catch their prey in the air.
Itching
This hummingbird stopped to perch on a branch to take time to scratch an itch.
I had seen tiny bug nearby that must have caused the itch. If you look closely you will see the details of the tiny foot and also the closed eyelid to protect the eye from what appears to be a very sharp toe nail.