Not Exactly An Owl

Bobbie has a new bird friend and it certainly isn't an owl and she certainly isn't trying to escape its attention for the simple reason that it is actively seeking hers. Each early morning as she makes her first dog trip into the patio urging Baby to do her potty thing QUICKLY, the littlest of hummingbirds is waiting in the rafters for her to bring the warm (that is, unfrozen) nectar for her. (I don't know why we have assigned a female gender status.) As Bobbie holds the feeder at waist or chest height, the bird comes right to her and lights on the perch to get a good, long drink. Bobbie holds it several seconds saying that she barely breathes so she won't interrupt the feeding. Then the little thing hovers as she slowly raises the feeder into place. Then she removes herself to watch the bird get yet another long drink before it buzzes off.
Bobbie says the bird was so close that she could see its eyelids. She reports that she was as enthralled with this encounter as she was with the owl of last spring that sent us into the adventure of the year. But this bird encounter reminds us that maybe sometimes it's okay to interfere with the natural order of things. In this case, the hummingbird actively responded to human presence by taking the food from Bobbie's hands. If it hadn't, it might have been death by starvation for the little thing who had grown dependent on the feeder.
So remember to keep up your feeder food during this bitter cold weather. Remember, too, that the birds need plenty of water while everything is frozen up. Bird food and water could become one of the gifts you give back to nature this holiday season.