I wish I could start the hummingbird season with a happier story.
On Saturday we had left the screen door to the deck open for the cats and dogs. Unfortunately, a hummingbird came in and trapped itself against the sliding glass door. I drew the curtains across the window, hoping to help it find its way back out the open part of the door. I looked from the outside, but all I saw was Lucy between the door and the curtain. I hoped that the bird had found its way back out, but a few minutes later when I looked in Lucy’s kennel, I saw this sad, little body.
Sorry to subject you to that.
I guess the hummingbird dropped to floor level after I closed the curtain and Lucy went for it.
I was not happy. (Leah says I went ballistic on her.) I know, Lucy is a dog, and dogs are predators, so they will kill animals under the right (or wrong) circumstances. Sylvester, one of our cats, has also killed a hummingbird. Sylvester routinely kills anything he can, from lizards to birds. I expect it, but I still don’t like it. We have already had to take down a bird-seed feeder because Sylvester was using it as a hunting ground. I don’t want to have to stop feeding the hummingbirds.
I don’t like it when one of our cats or dogs kills anything around here, but I especially don’t like it when they kill hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are one of my two favorite birds. Even aside from their beauty and amazing flying ability, they seem to be interested in us, at least a little. Sometimes when I’m out in the yard, one will fly up to me and hover at eye level, staring at me. It seems to be sizing me up for something. It finds it, or not, and then flies away. A few days ago one flew up to the same door that proved so deadly a trap on Saturday and stared inside. That door is where we hang the hummingbird feeder. It seemed to be letting us know they’re back. I’m anthropomorphizing, but still, the most interaction we get with other birds is when they fly away when they see us.
My other favorite bird is the pileated woodpecker, and I think it’s for exactly the opposite reason. The pileated woodpecker seems supremely uninterested in humans and their petty activities. They’re busy and just can’t be bothered.
I get the sense that they think they’re better than us. Maybe they are
Total bummer, Mark! Though it wouldn’t have made any difference in this case, this is why we don’t let our cats outside; they just brought back too many dead birds. I know cats pine for the outdoors, but…Kali and I just couldn’t tolerate the carnage. Plus, now the coyotes in our preserve kill all the outdoor cats; they don’t last long here any more.
That is such a sad story. Poor hummingbird, traveled all this way. They are such smart little creatures. They always let us know when they had arrived and expected their sugar/water mixture ASAP. We stopped feeding birds before we left Grass Valley. The bears knocked down the seed feeder AND hummingbird feeder more than once. It was sad to take down a reliable food source for them, but between the cats and the hawks, it was better to not have the birds congregate regularly in one spot.
Scott — Unfortunately, we don’t have any real choice about keeping outside cats. There are just too many to bring them in full time. Fortunately, it’s only Sylvester that seems to have such a strong hunting instinct. The other cats don’t seem interested.
Robin — We both like to see the birds, but the feeding birds were just too attractive for Sylvester. We have seen him staring intently at the hummingbirds, too. The feeder high enough to be out of his reach, but if a hummer decides to check him out like they do me, he might be able to reach it and be quick enough to catch it. I really would hate to have to take down the hummingbird feeder.