If you look at the image above, out of context, you might think you are looking at an injured Anna’s hummingbird. But the thing is…I watched her fly out of the tree direct to the ground, then flop herself out like this. No humans were around except me, and I was watching from inside my backyard office. For that reason, I am inclined to think this behavior was not for me.
She stayed there a long time – not still, but not getting up. It was long enough that I recovered from my astonishment, and grabbed my camera and was able to get a dozen great shots.
Then, she tipped her head a new direction to look around, and whoosh! Flew off as quickly and as healthy-seeming as when she flew down there. It looked like Killdeer behavior, of trying to tempt a dangerous creature away from a nest. But who was she displaying for? I do not believe it is a male trying to attract a female because I have seen that behavior, when he flies way up into the sky, then drops like a rocket making a whistling sound.
It’s the end of the apple season, and my tree is almost empty of fruit, but this one remains and it is so eye-catching. I feel as though it’s how an apple would look if imagined perfectly by an artist:
One of my most popular TikToks lately was a finch eating an apple from the ground, but I loved capturing this one in the tree. The red caught my eye, but once I saw the photos enlarged, what I love most is the messy beak. It’s so cute and relateable.
At the base of the apple tree I see two more all the time. The bark on this apple bears a lot of interesting bits for a wren and a woodpecker. They like the old fence behind the tree just as much.
The Bewick’s Wren has flitted and flicked around for months, but I can never catch it. Up down in out. Flick! Flick! I just have time to grab my camera, then flick! it goes deeper inside the foliage. One day it stayed out a long time and I finally got photos, but it was through a very dirty window, so they didn’t turn out great.
After that day, I washed the window, and somehow, a couple days later, caught the wren once more.
The nuthatch was so pretty and not common. I followed it around and could not get a shot except the blurry one above. I threw it into this post anyway, because I like the big pine cones. This tree is in the neighbor’s yard, but so large and close that we get to enjoy it as well.
I will leave you with two of my favourite birds. When they take dust baths, these girls are SO happy. I have a big covered area in a different area beside the house that I try to keep dry so they can do a bit of this over the winter, but we receive so much rain here that it is never the same as the months of July and August and September, when things are dry as dry can be. I had to snap this photo because today around noon the rains are supposed to begin. No more hot days are projected until 2027.
Live it up, ladies!!
Lucky you to see that hummingbird! They don’t take dirt baths per se, but they will spread out their wings to take in the sun. They heat up quickly so they can easily dislodge bugs. Tilting it’s head is all about getting maximum sun exposure. Of course if there was no sun, I’m stumped!
It was a warm, sunny day! Since Brian made the same comment, I am going to assume that is what she was doing. Wonderful to learn something new about this familiar bird. Thank you!!
Nice collection. Love your chicken names!
Mathilda and Chick are opposites; especially when they were babies. Mathilda the Hun has always been a bold terrorist, a bully, just a powerhouse go-getter chicken who tries to dominate anyone near her – including humans. Chick Nhat Hanh is super chill and laid back. She rests and stays out of the way. When others are having a conniption, she naps, half-closes her eyes. She lets others go first and does not make much noise. I chose their names first, out of the group of peers, because it was so easy, haha!
Ah, personalities first, love it even more!
I wonder if the dirt bath was to get rid of parasites?
For the chickens, yes. But you mean the hummingbird? I think yes on her too. That seems to be the consensus. Not necessarily “dirt” bath, but a heat bath on top of the hot gravel seems to be what she was doing, after reading comments. So neat to learn this. 🙂
Wonderful Crystal. I think the Hummingbird was on the hot gravel to get parasites to move on. I am always cleaning windows, you never know what opportunity may come along.
Glad you included a couple of the girls 😀
Ha! Of course you are cleaning windows too! You have such marvelous creatures beyond the glass, and your attention to nature and photography is unbeatable. Of course that couldn’t happen with splattered glass. I am happy you like my girls.
Good to see you still doing well with bird photography
thank you, Derrick. It’s a bonus of having giant windows in front of me.
Good advice for your chickens, Crystal. Everything I’ve seen about the West Coast says that you are in for a wet and wild time. It’s always fun photographing backyard birds. I laughed about the dirty window. Screens do the same thing. Our bird feeders attracted a lot of feathery friends this year. Unfortunately the screen between us and the bird feeders which are 3-5 feet away discouraged any photography. I’d take it down but then it would be an open invitation to stink bugs when we open it. Sigh.
Good job catching you winged visitors. Have to agree. What in the heck was that humming bird up to? Looked it up. AI told me the two causes are overheated or exhaustion. But…
Curt, based on the consensus from my comment section, it seems that she was taking a heat bath on hot rocks to dislodge parasites. I did not realize that hummingbirds would do this, but three people commented about it, so they educated me today! She spreads her wings out and since she’s so tiny, gets hot quickly, and the little bugs find the environment unpleasant and are more easily dispersed. Huh.
Yes, screens are awful for watching and especially for photography. I have to compromise. I take screens out all the time, but then when I want the windows open, I have to put them back in to discourage flying things and to keep the cat contained. She found an open window in the night and got outside. We found her peering in the window of the front door one morning when we got up. I was in trouble with Pedro, for letting his baby get out. EEeek.
Squirrels sometimes do dust baths to accomplish the same thing, Crystal. I used to watch them from our library in Oregon.
Hey, here’s an idea Crystal. Have that handy man of your put in a screen that can go up and down at the push of a button! Safe kitty, happy Crystal!
Those birds look so cute, Crystal! I especially enjoyed watching a bird eating an apple from the tree. That made me smile, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ☺️🐦
Have a lovely new week ahead, and I’m following you so that I don’t miss such awesomeness!
Again, thank you for your kind comments on my avatar! ☺️
Thank you for coming over here from Brian’s post to see mine, and thank you for taking the time to comment, and to follow. I will admit, after the astonishment of the hummingbird behavior, my favourite was the same as yours: seeing the bird eat an apple in a tree. So dang cute. ❤
It’s always my pleasure, Crystal. You’re right, it’s so cute to see a bird eat an apple in a tree! 💜
And yeah, I came from Brian’s post, and I always enjoy seeing his photographs. He is such a talented photographer!
Have a very great day! ☺️
What a wonderful series of pictures. Great shots, Crystal.
Maybe the hummingbird was just exhausted? I saved one inside the house once when it was banging on a large window bay trying to get out. I put gloves and picked up to bring it outside, it just wouldn’t or couldn’t fly away. Until we gave it a bit of sugar water…
Thank you for rescuing the bird!! It sounds like that one indeed wanted a rest and rejuvenation. Mine, it seems, was doing a little heat therapy and parasite control, which I have now learned due to the insights of my readers. ❤
I always rescue birds who get trapped inside. Implies a bit of technique. Gloves. Sometimes a hat to control them and stop them from flying out of reach inside. Fun.
Insight? A sand bath to get rid of fleas and such?
PS. Looks like WP now asks you to put your name on every comment! 🙄
isn’t it so annoying!! It absolutely would not allow me to comment on two of my regulars, no matter how many times I signed in, and I had to log out and back into WP to even comment at all. The naming myself on every single person’s account, every single day is getting so old.
WP now abides by the counter-rule:
“It works? No, no, that’s not possible. Screw it up immediately…”
Live it up ladies – indeed – and I was not familiar with dry baths – and the opening bird did look injured.
and wow – I enjoyed this post so much – that single apple does really feel ideal for an artist portrait – I learned a bit here too – thanks Crystal –