Black Diamond NOW

Tales of Nectar & Pollen

What's your favorite insect?  For me, it has to be bumble bees.  Large, cute and fuzzy when compared to honey bees, they don't produce much honey but are important pollinators.  And they don't sting me either, like their much more aggressive cousin the yellow jacket - who make me swell up like a basketball when stung.  Here's one of the cuties that doesn't seem to mind having it's picture taken.  Note the red tongue protruding forward in the following photo.

Like other bees, they thrive on the nectar of flowers, rich in sugar, that provides the energy they need to make their rounds all day, even in cold weather.  Add some of their saliva to the pollen they collect and we have honey.  Note how the pollen collects on one of their legs while their tongue laps up the nectar and that's how we get pollination between flowers and the makings of honey.

Why don't we get stung a lot bumble bees?  In part, it's because only females have stingers, and not males.  They also form in small groups, typically 50 or less, and stay close to home.  Because they have long thin tongues, they can reach nectar in long tubular flowers that other bees can't and don't have to compete with other bees feeding off the same flowers.  You can see how long their tongue is in the follow photo.

Only the queen bee survives the winter, with enough honey stashed away to support her until the spring when she starts a new colony.  

So much fun to watch.

Muskrats at Lake Sawyer?

We have long known that Lake Sawyer and environs are home to both river otters and beavers.  But muskrats?  Apparently so.  Though I have seen them before swimming under and around our dock, I always mistook them for beavers.  But if you look carefully at their tails, which are much more like a rat's tail, long and roundish, then it's a Muskrat.  In other words, a big rat that swims.  On a clear day with bright sun (too much for good photos), I was able to capture a few shiny images while one frolicked around our dock.

Look how long that tail is.  Not the wide flat tail of a beaver, nor the smooth pelt of an otter.  

You'll be happy to know that muskrats are prolific breeders and may raise 20 or more youngsters each year.  They normally stay very close to their home den, maybe 150 feet or so, which is why I'm surprised to see them where we are on the lake.  

Perhaps they have a den somewhere at the north end of the lake.  They are known to burrow into floating docks and make a nice comfy home in the dock's Styrofoam.  Will have to do some exploring of the shoreline and floating docks up here.  Unlike otters, muskrats' diet consists of grasses and plants growing in shallow areas of lakes and streams.  After this guy finished swimming around under our dock, I got one picture that shows it with it's prize bouquet ready for dinner, taking it back to the den.  Which makes me think their den is pretty close to home.  Will have to go exploring and see what I can find.

Other sightings or observations?

Yeah - The Lake is Open for Fishing

This is the time of year when the "pros" return to Lake Sawyer for a summer of outstanding fishing.  Though they don't need a fishing license from the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, the timing of their annual visit typically mirrors the official "opening day" for the rest of us.  And no concerns about social distancing for these pros.  Who am I referring too - osprey of course,  otherwise known as the fish hawks/aka Seahawks. 

These are real pro fishermen and nobody does it better.  While local bald eagles will dip their talons in the lake to snatch a fish near the surface, they would just as soon have a lunch of duck, fish carcass or squirrel fricassee than go diving for live fish.  Osprey diets are 90% + fish and they really know what they are doing, often diving fully submerged in order to latch on with their talons for dinner.  We get to see lots of "fly-byes" this time of year as local osprey patrol the lake.

Eagles will sometimes perch in a tree waiting for an osprey to catch a fish, then dive bomb the osprey as it struggles to fly with a heavy load.  The osprey has little choice but to let go, dropping its dinner while the eagle swoops in behind snatching the fish in mid-air before it hits the water.

Turnabout is fair play, however.  Here is an eagle reacting to being dive bombed by an osprey from above.

Although smaller than an eagle, the wing span of an osprey approaches that of an eagle, making the osprey quite strong when lifting fish from the water.

I took the above photo at Hayden Lake Idaho, showing an osprey flying away with a kokanee salmon it had just captured.  Here's another one with an even bigger fish.

Spawning kokanee, which by the way we once had here at Lake Sawyer, weigh probably on the order of 3 lbs or more - heavier than an osprey for sure.  My biggest kokanee catch at Lake Sawyer weighed less than this and had not turned red yet, but was sure fun at the time, and tasty too.  Alas, no more kokanee at Lake Sawyer these days.

Enjoy the sights and theatre this summer and hopefully you'll get to see some real pro fishing.

 

Juvenile Bald Eagles

It's going to be a great week with lots of sunshine.  A perfect time to go birding in the Samish Flats along Bayview Edison Road near the town of Edison in Skagit County.  Salmon runs up the Nooksack and Skagit rivers have ended and a large number of eagles head west to feed on migrating birds that congregate here.  I saw over 30 eagles perched in one tree.  What caught my attention was the large number of immature juveniles under 4 years of age.  At least two thirds were juveniles.  How can you tell a juvenile from mature bald eagles?  Pretty easy.  Following is a picture of a youngster learning to fly here at Lake Sawyer.  

Despite being just 3 or 4 months old, Junior (my nickname for him/her) had grown to be pretty large by then - nearly the size of an adult.  Junior was learning to fly by hopping between branches where they were nesting.  Note the black beak.  That's a sure sign of a first year bald eagle.

Here's another 1st year juvenile feeding on fish in our front yard.  They grow to full size quickly.  Note their feathers - more white feathers on their back and definitely not very graceful.

In the second year, juveniles acquire more white mottling on their back and underwings and their bill begins to turn yellow-brown.

As you can see, they aren't afraid to take on the adults.

In year three, almost there.

And finally, in year 4, ready for a post card.

 

 

Coho Salmon Run Update - No Luck Yet

This past week, I went for a hike along Ravensdale Creek that took me from Lake Sawyer to Ravensdale Lake and back.  Good exercise but no luck in spotting any Coho salmon making their way upstream just yet.  Here's a photo of what we're looking for taken a few years ago.

Let us know if you spot any.  So much fun to watch them spawn.

Ragfish for Dinner Anyone?

Yes, there is such a thing as Ragfish that reside in the waters of the North Pacific.  The following photo taken in 1927 by famed northwest photographer Asahel Curtis shows a fisherman posing with his "prize" catch of the day.

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Photo courtesy Washington State Historical Society, 1943.42.51989, Asahel Curtis photographer, circa 1927

Those are egg sacks from this ragfish lying in a puddle on the dock.  Not the prettiest catch you'll find, nor a delicacy to behold.  The ragfish body is scale-less and limp and has a skeletal structure made up mostly of cartilage, giving it "flabby" muscles.  Catching a ragfish is a rarity since they reside at ocean depths in the 2,500 to 5,000 ft. range, which makes me wonder how the fisherman shown in the above photo could have caught this one.  I'll take halibut, thank you.

Chinook Salmon now Spawning in the Green River

On Tuesday, I headed out to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park hoping to see some fall colors along the shores of the Green River.  What did I find - Chinook salmon spawning close to shore and some fall colors too.  What a treat this was!  These are the big guys that we seldom see spawning around these parts.

I'm not sure which of these are the female and which the male, but they sure make a pair working their way up and down the spawning grounds and within about 20 feet from where I stood.  More often than not, there were three or four fish swimming side by side participating in this annual ritual.  You can see the eye of the one salmon to the far right - one of four in this cluster making plenty of splashes on the surface.

Here's another pair.  Note how big the humpbacks are.  The water is crystal clear.

Spawning is apparently a bit early this year, thanks to fall rains.  I also saw some smaller Pinks spawning, but the Chinook steal the show.  You can see the eye of another salmon above.  Is it the male with the bigger humpback or the female?  Judging from the positioning of the two fish, I would have to guess the bigger fish is the male, trailing somewhat the movement of the female.

I did find some fall color and the carcass remains from spawning fish that had arrived earlier.

On the one hand, it makes me sad.

On the other hand, we should be very happy.  It's the time of year when trees shed their leaves and salmon spawn, depositing their fertilized eggs for the spring return to sea and leaving their remains for the eagles and other wildlife that rely on them for sustenance to make it through the winter.  And to see them survive and now return in increasing numbers, it's a special treat.

This coming weekend should be a great time for visiting Kanaskat-Palmer State Park and wandering the shoreline, both to see the colors of leaves falling and to see the Chinook salmon in the act of spawning.  The best place I found was along the shoreline to the far north end of the park.  After entering the park, head down the road toward the river.  When the road T's, turn right and follow to the end.  Follow the trail from there to the river.  What a treat!

More Birds of Prey - Some Odd Shots of Owls

What does a baby Great Horned Owl look like when it first ventures out of the nest?  It looks like it had a rough night!

Taken from a very long distance but managed to get focused on this one's eyes.  These two youngsters were moving about very carefully in the crotch of a tree at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.  Both had what looked like a feather "crust" still clinging to them around their head area.  Lots of growing up yet to do for these two.

Fierce predators.  Because most owls are nocturnal and silent hunters of the night, finding and photographing them has for me been very challenging.  Short eared owls in the Skagit Valley have been the easiest to find during the day.

For Burrowing Owls, who also hunt and wander about during the day, Othello is the place to go.  You'll find them burrowed under some old irrigation ditches.

Cute little guys.  Speaking of little guys, try to find a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl like this one hiding in the bushes at Nisqually trying to get some sleep.  Not much larger than my fist.

This Long-eared Owl was nearly impossible to find and photograph hiding among all the branches.  Finally, it was his eye that blinked open, giving him away.

In Black Diamond, Great Horned Owls seem to be the most common in the forested areas around Lake Sawyer and I have heard reports of a Great Grey Owl.  Though I have heard a lot of them, I have yet to get a decent photo here.  But it's a fun challenge.  Keep your ears open and let me know where you see or hear them.  Thanks

Predators

Living in the northwest, we are blessed with nature's bounty.  This includes the cute and cuddly looking bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks that we so love to see, even in our yards, as well as those predators who rely on these same creatures as a staple in their diet.  I didn't think that I'd ever see bears roaming around Lake Sawyer, but so they were this year, even swimming in the lake.  Raccoons are also regular visitors and not to mess with as are river otters and beavers.  We've even seen a weasel in our yard.  But it's birds of prey that we see most often among the predators and their antics can be amazing to watch as they target their dinner of the day.

What's the most amazing bird of prey that we've see while hiking and exploring?  Not eagles and not osprey, though they are so much fun to watch, but I would have to say seeing a peregrine falcon in action was the most exciting.

We saw this peregrine eating dinner after downing it's prey along Shi Shi beach.  Never thought that we would be so close.  Did you know that peregrines are the fastest bird in flight in the world with speeds topping 200 mph.  They literally dive bomb their prey, stunning them with the force of their hits.  They are not big (about the size of a crow) but they sure pack a wallop.  

Eagles, of course, are reining kings of the sky and appear to fear nothing.  Just look at those talons.

For the best form diving, however, it's osprey that win the prize.   And look at the size of the prey they can catch.

This kokanee salmon must weigh 2 or 3 lbs.  A family of osprey take up residency here at Lake Sawyer most of the year, while bald eagles typically head north by mid July or so for summer vacation - and summer salmon runs.  Here's one at Lake Sawyer with a large catfish.  Poor picture but it does show the catfish.

Not quite as glamorous perhaps as peregrine falcons, bald eagles and osprey, we also have quite a few of what I'll call "blue collar" birds of prey of the hawk and owl families that we can see more widely in the Puget sound area.  We even get to see short eared owls in flight during daylight hours.  Very graceful and very powerful.  I wouldn't want to be a rodent with these guys around.

Rough legged hawks are somewhat smaller but fast and also in pursuit of rodents.  Even saw one of these guys hunting at Kelly Butte lookout.

American Kestrels are one of the prettier, though petite, members of the hawk family.  

Kestrel will eat anything from insects (beetles, dragonflies, spiders and butterflies), to rodents, to small birds.  Really really quick.  Too many more to include in this post.  Soooo much fun observing and photographing them all.  One thing they all seem to have in common - so graceful and so determined.

 

 

Otters at Mount Rainier?

Yep, we have river otters at Mt. Rainier National Park.  And fish in the lakes too, but I guess that is why we have otters. What surprised me was how high up in the mountains they were.  

The above photo was taken yesterday at Reflection Lakes, elevation 4,900 feet.  Given the heights of the waterfalls at the outlets of these and other lakes up here, one would have to reason that otters live here year round.  Can you imagine otters making it up and over Narada falls to get to these lakes?  The fishing seems to be good too.

In the 30 minutes or so I watched this otter make the rounds, he/she caught two fish.

I wonder how they could make it through the winter?  There must be some streams that these otters travel that avoids the big waterfalls.  Some interesting colors in the lake this time of year, though wildflowers were not blooming yet here. 

 

Backpacking? Bring Your Bear Canister!

Planning to do some overnight back packing and camping in the mountains this summer?  There are black bears with young cubs in the cascades and even a few grizzly bears in North Cascades National Park.  Bring your ten essentials and add an eleventh - bear canisters to safely store your food and not attract unwanted visitors.  The following photo in Mt. Rainier National Park, with Pinnacle Peak in the background, was taken several decades ago but bears do seem to be as common today as they were in the past, if not more so.

Image courtesy White River Valley Museum, PO-00660, n.d.

Following is a quote from our National Parks: "Proper food storage is essential and required (by law) for the health and safety of humans and animals in North Cascades National Park Complex. Many bears (black bears, but including the occasional grizzly bear) make their home in the North Cascades, and sightings are not uncommon. Bears are opportunistic, omnivorous eaters who will take advantage of easily available food sources, particularly in the fall when they are fattening up for the winter." 

When you stop by the Park Service at Mt. Rainier, North Cascades or Olympic National Park for your backcountry permit, be sure to bring you bear canister.  Hard sided canisters are now required at a number of sites depending on where you are hiking (though they do have a few canisters to lend for use and return for those who forget or were unaware).  You must be able to hang your food out of reach at all back country sites.

With recent reports and sightings of a mother bear and cub here at Lake Sawyer and elsewhere around the community, including one swimming across the lake, keeping food in the house makes sense everywhere in our community too.

 

Watching Eagles Fly

What is it about watching eagles fly that is so much fun?  And even better is having an opportunity to photograph them.  This time of year is not always the best, but we sure got lucky this weekend.  It's been years since Judy and I wandered the beaches of Point Defiance, but decided to visit some of our old haunts so off we went.  In addition to the innumerable seals, gulls and herons, a low tide always exposes some fun to see marine life.  And then, perched on a tree overlooking the entry channel to Gig Harbor, we happened across both an eagle and a whale.  No whale pics but I was dialed in to the eagle as it pondered staying perched on the tree limb or flying away.

Looks to be a little wet after having breakfast no doubt.  And then it was time to fly.

Always so stern and concentrated.  I don't think he liked us.

Is that a wing span or what?

I didn't have my long lens with me, but for some reason he chose to fly low along the water and close to shore, providing us with some great views.

What a treat.  Judy and I are so very fortunate to have the many opportunities we have for experiencing nature at its best - in the northwest.

Friends of Lake Sawyer - On Vacation or Moving Away?

In the nearly 40 years that we have lived at Lake Sawyer, we could always count on visits from lots of regular friends.  Though I expect that they are still around, it's been awhile since we have seen a few of them.  Maybe I should put up some MOST WANTED posters.  First on my MOST WANTED list are the family of river otters that seemed to visit so regularly during fall and winter months.  They are so fun to watch and a great indicator of healthy water quality.  But, it's been a few years since we have seen them making the rounds.

At one time we had kokanee spawning in Ravensdale Creek - a  fisherman's delight to be sure for both man and otter but kokanee haven't been seen here for 20 years or more and are no longer planted in the lake.  But, trout and bass fishing do seem to be reasonably good, judging from all the cormorants, osprey and fishing boats we regularly see.  So let's hope that our otter friends are just vacationing elsewhere for a little while, letting osprey guard their territory.

A couple of winters ago, a storm wreaked havoc with the eagles nest at the south end of Lake Sawyer next to Frog Lake.  Alas, too much damage done and the eagles haven't been seen nesting here since then.  Though we do still occasionally see them patrolling around the lake, it sure would be great if we could find where they might be nesting now.  Close I hope.

Here's a view of a 3 or 4 month old eaglet taking some practice flights between branches, about ready to leave the nest.  Where else have you seen this before and within walking distance of your home?

Next on my MOST WANTED list are the winter Coho salmon that have historically spawned up Ravensdale Creek.  Four or five years ago, Judy and I were able to find them spawning near the "slatted" bridge.  Quite the spectacle to witness.

The good news - a substantially modernized salmon hatchery downstream at Big Soos Creek is now nearly completed.  Let's hope that increasing water temperatures and more development along Covington Creek don't ruin this important habitat.

So, if you spot any of these "friends" on our MOST WANTED list, please let me know.  It's very important that we keep the welcome mat out - through our actions to protect lake water quality and to maintain the vital wildlife habitat that we now have.

With the old Black Diamond sewer plant no longer discharging into the lake beginning about 1991, with the John Henry No. 1 mine shut down beginning in 1999 and now we have an "anti-degradation" phosphorus discharge limit in place and enforceable with the MPD developer, we have a good shot at protecting the lake.  But, it will take the continued work and vigilance of us all to make that happen. We do have challenges ahead.

Australian Hiking Buddies

Hiking the trails in Australia National Parks has been an experience that we won't soon forget - not to be missed if you have the opportunity.  Not only are the beaches and forests unique, but they are among the best maintained and most scenic we have seem.  And the wildlife - so much fun.  Here are a few examples - photos that I haven't posted on facebook or Instagram.

What did we see first day out in the wild?  A Koala hanging out it one of his favorite trees.  So lucky not only to see him, but to be able to photograph him as well in his natural setting.  A rare experience I'm told. 

Emus were not quite so rare.

Stay away from these guys.  They are big and seemingly unafraid.  

Kangaroos seemed to be everywhere, but we also managed to see a family of pademelon, smallest of the kangaroo family.

The Tasmanian Native Hen has some pretty colors.

A few more of our hiking buddies, not so unusual.

Kangaroo

Hooded Plover, currently mating and nesting.

Cockatoos, the noisiest and most obnoxious bird I've seen.  The penultimate gang members.

In part, because of the hot summer weather, most the wildlife we have seen are sparse or out of sight during the day, spending their time napping in the shade during the day and being active at night.  But thankfully, we found our hiking buddy Mr. Koala moving about and were able to observe and take a few pictures.  

Having way too much fun.

Snowbirds

A combination of people and warmer winter climate seem to have resulted in more wild birds wintering over in the northwest rather than migrate further south.  When we do have a period of winter weather, it's interesting to see how these birds cope in the snow.  Following are a few pictures of our feathered friends dealing with the snow and cold of early February.

The colors of this male House Finch really stand out in contrast to the snow.  They also look a little larger than normal as they puff out their chest to help protect from the cold.  

I can't remember seeing so many Varied Thrushes like the one above hopping across our deck.  Following is one in flight.

Robins really stand out in the snow too and boy do they puff out their chest.

The "thugs" of this winter, and very noisy ones too, have been the Stellar Jays and Northern Flickers.  This flicker should be arrested for attempted "breaking and entering".

We did find a couple of casualties in the aftermath.  One was a humming bird, though I'm not sure why since we kept them supplied with unfrozen sugar water, and a Towhee. Here's one of the towhees that stayed close to the bird feeders.

Gotta love the Chickadees.  

Hopefully, it's time to say "until next year".

Snow Buddies

One might think that snow and cold weather would bring levels of outdoor activity to a halt.  Nope, it's been quite the opposite.  We've had visitors stop by that we haven't seen in some time knocking on our door.  Regulars take us a bit for granted, like our hummingbird friends who stare at us through the window if we are late in thawing the sugar water in their feeders.  Or the tribe of Dark-eyed Juncos who invited all their friends over.  I must say, they are fun to watch as the snow falls.  They stay so "puffed up" in the snow.

I still haven't been able to figure out which Juncos are females and which are males, though love is certainly now in the air.  They also invited their friends the Towies over for lunch.

The Wigeon family have been the biggest party crashers and made themselves at home in our yard and under our deck.  We haven't seen them all year.

Two females scouting the territory, followed by the boys.

The army of Coots stayed in the water (only about 100 or so of them), which is just fine by me.  Mallards, of course, acted as if they owned the place, waddling along right up on our deck.  We never feed them, but they sure looked like they expected a hand-out.

Mallards are truly the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the duck family but they really are a pretty bird.

And, of course, the squirrel family joined the party, cleaning up after the others.

Quite a menagerie on a snowy day.

Time to go for a hike in the snow.  Enjoy!

Bald Eagles

Why do we get so much pleasure from observing and trying to photograph bald eagles?  For me, it's a long list:

• It gets me out into nature
• Provides both physical exercise and mental therapy
• Though eagles are no longer endangered, they are still somewhat rare
• They are so beautiful, regal and strong
• Fun to watch
• Always satisfying to capture a good photo, which is not always easy to do
• I learn a lot about nature and our environment

As I have had more opportunity and some success with photographing eagles while they were perched on a tree limb or maybe doing a fly-by off in the distance, capturing an image while they are engaged with other eagles or perhaps doing something out of the ordinary has become my greater focus.  And its fun.  Following are a few of the more unusual and action sights from my couple of trips to the Nooksack this winter.

Landing on a tree branch isn't always quite so easy.

Weighing on average about 4 lbs, finding a sturdy branch to land on makes things a whole lot easier.

Making room on a branch or stump for both Mr. & Mrs. can also be a challenge.

1st or 2nd year juveniles can look pretty fierce.

Adults, though, seem to have a real grace about them despite their ferocity.

Being on a hill above eagles as they dive down to dine on salmon carcasses provides some interesting perspectives and close ups, and sometimes can put you at nearly eye level.

Two more photos out a several hundred.  The stare down of this eagle is down right intimidating.

And my favorite - in the spotlight.

None of these are the perfect shots either technically or artistically, but it sure is fun.

Lake Sawyer Wildlife - Making it through Winter

Helped no doubt by our unseasonably mild weather, local wildlife seem to be thriving at the lake right now.  I see one or two bald eagles most mornings taking stock of what's on the menu for the day.  They also are flying a lot together - could it be mating season?  Migrating ducks are also abundant now with mergansers and goldeneyes also making preparation for mating season.  These Common Goldeneyes are good sized and live up to their name.  First the male:

Females too.  Their orange tipped beaks and reddish brown colored heads, along with their eyes, stand out more than many female ducks species.

My favorites are still the Pied-billed Grebes that go fishing every morning just off our dock.  The females have quite a long neck.

Males have more coloring on their beaks and are noticeably smaller.

I think we have a pair of squirrels nesting under our deck.  They love to do cleanup duty on the seeds and bits of suet that fall from our bird feeders when the birds are feeding.

Easy to get closeups of these guys. 

This one looks like he's sticking his tongue out at me.

Our favorites, of course, are the hummingbirds.

Will post some lake eagle pics when we get some more sunshine.  In the meantime, here are a couple of eagle photos from my travels to the Nooksack.

 

 

Salmon Fishing - Eagle Style

Having the opportunity to observe bald eagles feasting on salmon each December along the North Fork of the Nooksack River is one of those experiences not to be missed.  You'll find plenty of these beautiful birds hanging out in the trees along the river in no apparent hurry to go "fishing".  Given that salmon often outweigh eagles, finding a carcass floating downstream along the shore after the fish have spawned is the typical method of choice for landing an eagle's breakfast and dinner.  Occasionally, however, we do find an eagle diving out into the water to drag one to shore.  A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to be able to capture the sequence of one eagle eyeing it's dinner in the river and then diving down to "land" it.  

Following are a few of the highlights:

On the glide path.

Concentrate!

Splash down!

This was the easiest part so far.  Now you have to get really wet and drag your dinner to shore.

After a few minutes of really hard wet work, you can finally rest and savor your meal.

The only problem, however, is that once ashore, all the eagles who have been watching this spectacle would love nothing more than a free lunch.  Here they come.

One hates to eat and run, but that's the life of an eagle.  Fortunately, there's lots of food in the river this time of year.
 

How Do Hummingbirds Make It Through Winter?

The short answer to this question is that most of them migrate to warmer climates in Mexico and the Caribbean in winter and even to South America.  That's a long way for such a small bird.  But, according to National Geographic, more hummingbirds are staying north these days as a result of both warmer winter weather and human activity.  Winters in the Puget Sound region are by no means severe and we have lots of people activity, so we find lots of hummingbirds here year round.  How many of us have hummingbird feeders that we dutifully keep full of nice sugary water?  Many of us I'm sure.  Watching them fly and feed is so much fun!  So is trying to photograph them while in flight.  This one was taken Christmas eve morning.

To capture this image, I took the photo through our kitchen window and had to use a shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second.  What do hummingbirds feed on?  Of course, we all know that they love sugared water.  A concentration of 25% sugar is very similar to the high sugar content of flower and plant nectar that we typically see them feeding on in our gardens.  But hummingbirds are actually carnivores and feed on insects as their main food staple.  For some reason, the more people there are, the more insects and the better the habitat for hummingbirds.  Hmmm, some "food" for thought.  Sugar from plant nectar and people hummingbird feeders provide the fuel needed for them to catch their real nutritious food.

Look at those tiny little feet!  Hummingbirds need lots of sugar to survive and consume up to 1/2 their body weight in sugar each day.  A hummingbird's metabolism is the highest of any endothermic animal on earth and thus the need for lots of fuel.  To conserve energy during extreme cold weather, a hummingbird's heart rate can plummet from 1,260 beats per minute down to fewer than 50 beats - entering a state of torpor.  Even then, however, they can still lose 10% of their body weight over night.  They need food and lots of sugary fuel to find it.

Following is our latest addition of hummingbird feeders, this one made of blown glass by an artisan at a farmers market.  Pretty fun and holds plenty of sugar water.

Some people caution about making hummingbirds too dependent on people during the winter.  Fair enough.  Probably the best thing we can do is grow more plants that bloom in colder seasons - like hellebores.   And a couple of feeders properly attended will do just fine.

Now, if only I could find a way to increase my metabolism while eating all of that sweet holiday food, instead of going into torpor.