Spring is finally here in the sense that it isn't snowing, and the night temperatures are not going to dip to freezing. As weather goes, it's very pleasant here right now because we not jumping right into hot weather.

It's time to get serious about moving my garden plants outdoors. The zucchini plant has bloomed a lot, if the fruits were setting, I'd have had at least 50 squash by now. Once they are outside the flowers will get pollinated and hopefully there will be a harvest.




More hummingbirds showed up over the past couple of days and the yard is in full bird hysteria from the males racing around making their shrill sound. It's a hectic sound made by their wings as they fly. They are very territorial and generally each male will try to guard a feeder for himself, chasing off any other birds who want to eat there, especially other males.

In addition to visiting our feeders these little dynamos eat flower nectar, of which there is not much this time of year, and bugs, a lot of bugs. They don't hang around the house looking for handouts, you can hear them all over the property including out in the woods and patrolling the river looking for bugs.



Dusk is a prime feeding time, though, and they usually give up the guarding and are better about sharing, but between trips to the feeder they still put up a show of chasing around making noise.

If you go out there to jiggle the feeder or hang a full one, they will come right up and you can hear the whisper whirr of the wings of the females and their chirping. Hummingbirds chirp a lot at each other, and just in general. It's not notes strung together like some birds trilling or warbling, it's staccato chirps.

Some bird books comment on a ventriloquism effect to the hummingbird sounds, and I've heard that in Las Vegas - the bird can throw its voice so you don't know which tree it is in.

Male on the right with the red throat, female on the left.