Rain Ahead

Posted on by Crystal M. Trulove

Rain, rain, rain, rain.

Ah well. I do live in the Pacific Northwest, and we are famous for it. Currently I am in my toasty little back yard office, completely dry and looking out large windows onto the beautiful wet world. So things are pretty good in my perspective.

Red-Breasted Sapsucker visits often to pinch out treats from the bark of the apple tree.

I have taken a few photos through the windows. The windows are often splattered with raindrops, and that makes it more of a challenge.

Anna’s hummingbirds have found my new feeder

I hung a feeder at the office. It’s the same style as the one outside Pedro’s office. I like it because the design has a perch that runs around the entire base to make it easier for the tiny birds to stop and rest while they feed.

It took them some time to find it, but I knew they would because I saw them buzzing around the office often, looking in vain for flowers through October, then November. These hummingbirds will stay in the area and will not migrate to warmer areas, so they need to find a food source. Finally, the end of November they found the feeder and have visited constantly.

This one has tiny sugar water droplets on its beak

A couple of males battle for territory already. It’s cute but also makes me sad because for gosh sakes, there is plenty to share. I understand that wild animals must follow their instincts, and hummingbirds are some of the fiercest fighters I’ve ever known. As they zip around, the light catches their feathers sometimes and I can see a split second shock of neon magenta flash at me. Of course I could never catch it with a camera, but it’s fun to see.

Such a pretty, tiny visitor.

With all the wind and rain in store for us, these tiny creatures will have to work even harder to thrive. I’ll make sure the feeders stay filled and unfrozen.

21 thoughts on “Rain Ahead”

  1. I love this post and the photos. Nicely captured. And I too enjoy the rain and gray (although I can get tired of it, I have much more patience than my spouse who did not grow up in Western Oregon).

    Reply

    1. Thank you Dede! I struggle to not let it get me down, since I grew up in arid Idaho with lots and lots of sunshine. The thing that helps me is the lack of snow. I have lived in many different states, and most of those had really rough and cold winters and I seriously have had enough of shoveling snow to last me the rest of my life. I never have to shovel rain, and even after all these years in Portland, it still fills me with glee to remember that.

      Reply

  4. Our hummingbirds are migratory, and people are encouraged to take their feeders down at the beginning of fall so they won’t hang around to their detriment.

    I plant lots of flowers that they like, so I have them around all summer. They always seem to nest in the sanctuary, and I can see them zipping along the boundary on their way to breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    I had a cat who loved to watch them ( only watch them) and would sit still for minutes until they were finished and sped away. All the while, she would be totally still, except for the tail lashing. But she never tried to catch them.

    Reply

    1. That is all so interesting, Lou. When I first moved here, I took the feeders away. But then I was reading up on hummingbirds in the area, and learned that Anna’s hummingbirds in our geographical area have been conditioned to require humans for survival. They became dependent upon feeders. I had never heard of this before. The wildlife website I was reading encouraged people to either not have feeders, or commit to them year round. Since I read that, I have been diligent.

      I love that you plant things that hummingbirds especially like, and that you had a cat who enjoyed watching them. Like TV!! I had a cat who hunted them. He had good luck on cold mornings, so I had to keep him indoors when it was cold out. My guess is that he found them somehow disadvantaged by the cold, and less able to escape him.

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      1. None of my cats have been successful bird hunters, but they made up for that in terms of other prey, including my prior cat and dog, Xenia and Sam, cooperating in catching frogs in the pond. I tried to stay close to help with the “catch and release”.

  8. Your little hummingbird feeder is gorgeous. I’m so glad they found it. It’s been gray and rainy here too. I’m glad you are nice and toasty in your office, and can enjoy the wet landscape from there.

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Jolandi. I love this small, dry island in the middle of the wet back yard. When I shared Pedro’s office with him, the window faced the busy street out front. It was fun to watch all the activity of the cars zooming past and queueing at the stop light and the kids walking to school and the ambulances with lights and sirens and the people walking their dogs and the neighbors coming and going and coming and going…but… back here it’s so much slower and quieter. 🙂

      Reply

      1. I would also rather take the slower, quieter lookout onto the world, although the window from Pedro’s office also sounds like a good spot to observe without partaking, which is mostly my preference in life in general.

  9. O h such ;ove is felt in this post and closing line about making sure their feeders are full! and by the way, speaking of rain, I thought of you when i pulled out my old “marmot” rain jacket. We had to walk the dogs in a bit of rain and it helped so much – and I faintly remembered you posting about a Marmot jacket??

    Reply

    1. I may have at some point, I don’t recall. But I am sure I posted about actual Marmots at some point, ha ha!! I rarely see them, but when I do, it’s exciting. It’s so sweet that our blogs make us think of each other, even when we’re not blogging. 🙂

      Reply

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Published by Crystal M. Trulove

storyteller, thinker, worker, lover, student, mother, dreamer, achiever