Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:49 am, sunset 6:38 pm for a total day length of 9 hours and 48 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 22 seconds shorter.
After almost a week after I put up my sunflower seed bird feeder and four days after I added peanut butter suet, the little songbirds finally found it. CHESTNUT-BACKED and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and a SONG SPARROW flitted back and forth from the nearby spruce trees through the big-bird exclosure made with wire fencing. By the afternoon, the Nuthatches didn’t even bother to perch on the wires before entering; they just expertly shot right through.
A too-big STELLER’S JAY squawked in frustration, perched precariously on the outside. I didn’t feel bad; these guys are well-fed with peanuts and other snacks from other neighbors. So far, the pigeons have not yet found it.
While casually enjoying the busy scene from my kitchen window, I snapped to attention when an ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD suddenly appeared, hovering on the outside of the exclosure! Though I grabbed my camera quickly, I was too late.
What a dilemma! Should I try to feed this wayward wonder, likely doomed to perish over the long, long, winter, and agonize over its welfare? Or simply marvel at its presence and wonder where it might be finding tiny insects, spiders, pollen, and nectar in mid-October.
I didn’t ponder long. Soon, I had retrieved a hummingbird feeder from storage, mixed up a sugar solution, and hung the feeder up outside the exclosure with sigh of resignation and a tingle of anticipation. I hope I’m lucky with the camera if it returns!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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