This handsome young juvenile male was looking very fierce and powerful after having a very thorough tidy up in the gentle rain this morning. I watched him for at least 5 minutes through the window with my 300mm lens. I can't get enough of them as their time here dwindles.
"Hummingbirds are big fans of baths and groom themselves often. They have an oil gland on their back, close to their tail, that they use to cover their wings with by using their beak. They will use small twigs to assist in the cleaning process for areas that they cannot reach. If you can see them in a tree when they are grooming themselves, you might catch them swiping their beak against a small branch as if to sharpen it. They are actually using the branch to remove the pollen and dirt from their beak.
Hummingbirds have proven themselves to be very smart and they have an excellent memory. It is thought that hummers remember every flower and feeder in their territory and on the route they take for migration. In fact, if they observe the same person filling the feeders in their territory, they may try to verbally alert you when the feeder is out of nectar. Because they are so observant, very little gets passed them." hummingbirdsplus.org
For the Record,
This day came in with a welcomed gentle rain. Cool temps but very high humidity made it feel unpleasant outside.
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
