Friday, March 6…The Race Is On (George Jones)

 

   Peanut butter ball crumbs are gone from the platform feeder. Mealworms and bird seed are still there.  Even though the mealworms were picked out of the seed cake, the birds don’t seem too eager to eat them when they’re presented in a pile. Maybe the thrill of the hunt, so to speak, makes them taste better?        

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   This morning, as I sat quietly at the picnic table just after eight o’clock waiting for the warmth of the sun to reach our campsite, all was calm in the yard itself, no birds on the feeders or on the ground, just lots of chirping coming from the bushes. A lone hummer was on a feeder but that was it. Suddenly, birds were out of the bushes and in the yard, some fighting over the suet cake and others grabbing up the crumbs falling to the ground. It’s as if there was some unseen force keeping them at bay until just the right moment…sort of like a starter’s gun at a race. And I know that my presence wasn’t cause for any hesitation on their part because I can sit out there all day long and it doesn’t interrupt their routines.  

   I thought that because the Dawn Patrol is awake and singing before dawn, they’d immediately be at the feeders. This morning didn’t bear out that out; and, while I realize that one morning’s observation doesn’t constitute a study, it did pique my curiosity enough to ask the online experts.

   Ha! It appears that ‘the experts’ can only agree on “sometime in the morning between sunrise and 11 a.m. because they’ll be hungry”.  It can differ with species, regions, blah, blah, blah. Hmmm…maybe I should be out there again tomorrow to begin my own little study.

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   Over the past year, Kim has lost some weight. In addition, the lymphedema, caused by prostate cancer treatment, that made his legs feel like stumps is also under control due to a water pill. Because he’s feeling more energetic, he decided that he wants to do the Coolidge Cotton Days 5K walk/run again. Last year, we didn’t do it, but in 2024 his time was 54:38 by my stopwatch. He wants to beat that time.  So, he started training this morning…for the race that is tomorrow.  Timed himself on a walk to Nutt Rd and back…under an hour. I’ll be there to cheer him on. He’s all signed up; all he has to do is get there before the starting whistle at 7:30 a.m.

   I rode to Harmon Rd. on the e-bike while he was walking. Just over 5 miles roundtrip.

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   We spent the afternoon checking out a new bird spot…the Paton Center for Hummingbirds (PCH) in Patagonia, AZ. Less than 2 hours away, it was a nice afternoon for a drive. The PCH used to be the home of Wally and Marion Paton, who took backyard birding seriously.  They put up multiple feeding stations around their property which drew a variety of birds and then they shared it by encouraging local bird enthusiasts to visit. Upon their deaths, their property was eventually purchased by the Tucson Bird Alliance, which owns and operates it. Visitors are encouraged to walk the trails or just sit on conveniently located benches to watch the birds and squirrels. It’s open dawn to dusk free of charge, with donations accepted.

   We saw Gambrel’s quail, finches, assorted woodpeckers, robins, sparrows, doves, and, of course, hummingbirds. The male Violet-crowned Hummingbird was a new one for me. He was trying to keep a feeder for himself in much the same manner as I watched the Rufous doing here. It would sit in a tree, watching, then zoom toward the unlucky hummer that thought it was okay to get a sip of nectar.  Across the path, in another tree, a male Broad billed hummer was doing the same, except he was  defending four feeders against multiple invaders.  And I believe I saw a couple of female Black-chinned hummers but am waiting on confirmation from the AZ Birding FB page.   **Update: I saw a Broad-billed female instead of a female Black-chinned hummer.**

   Overall, it was a quaint little place. I would have been very content to sit on a bench for a couple of hours.

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   Roadrunners are the most frequent daytime visitors showing up on the trail camera, with coyotes being the scariest nighttime visitor.  We’ve seen many roadrunners out and about, but they’re too fast for my camera. For now we have to be satisfied with getting their picture on the cell cam.  

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   No imaging for Kim tonight because the sky was cloudy when we arrived back in camp. Besides he’s got an early wake-up call tomorrow morning for his 5K walk.  As I get in the truck, I’ll check to see if birds are on the feeders. That’s the best I’ll be able to do for the Breakfast Hour of Birds study tomorrow.