The Feeders, Refilled

It sounds like I’m speaking Tamarian, doesn’t it?

The hummingbird food is disappearing MUCH faster than usual. Part of this is more hummingbirds now that Little Bastard is (sometimes?) allowing other hummingbirds to feed here. There were, for example, three of them at this feeder just before I took these pictures. The other factor, of course, is the presence of the orioles.

This afternoon I brought all of the feeders back in, cleaned them out, and then got ready to re-fill them. I got the first one refilled and hung up and went back into the kitchen to get the second. I came back out with the second feeder, not three minutes after I rehung the first, and started the two orioles who were about to make their move. They were lurking in the vines that spiral up the support posts on the patio right next to where the feeders hang.

They had an almost commical reaction, like, “Oh, HI! Don’t mind us, we’re just…just…we’re just here protecting, yes, that’s it! We’re here protecting this feeder from, um, um… From the squirrel! Yeah, the squirrel, you know that they’re sneaky little rat bastards. But now that you’re here we’ll just be flying off to the big tree. We’re going to go right over there, it’s not far, we can come right back if we’re needed. Yes sirreee, bob, yep, that’s us, protecting! Staying right here nearby. Protecting! Not stealing at all! Wouldn’t think of it! That thought never crossed our mind and to be honest, we’re hurt that you would think that!”