Oh, my God!!!! Rufous!!!

It was very refreshing to see the shovellers doing Mix-Master. They swirl in a circle, stir up the bottom and edibles rise for easy eating. There were other great subjects yesterday, but the best follows.

One of the birders asked if I'd seen the rufous hummingbird. I didn't believe it. A hummer? In December? And not a ruby throat???? I tramped off to see this expecting to see nothing.

Oh, my God. A real treasure. I couldn't believe my eyes. This is also the first rufous for me. At first I went happy-stupid, but then settled down to observe behavior. Tiny hummer. Cold weather. A few shrubs, Mahonia bush, an evergreen shrub, spike-tipped with multiple blossoms. Thank goodness for the blossoms. Nectar! The behavior was the same as the ruby-throat, - dine, rest, dine, rest. The difference was that this baby seemed to move slower,
or maybe it was because all the blossoms were in one spot, no need to flit over a large space. When I came along it was roosting.

Before long out came tongue and off it flew.

Very convenient shrub. Rufous could sit on leaf or twig and sip. Energy-saving.

I wanted to get all the details, the tail feathers, the front of the bird. All I could do was shoot non-stop and wait.

To be continued. I'm worried for this whimsical little bird. It's so cold and windy. It has a long trip ahead of it. Will it find its family? Will it survive?

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