A Charm of Hummingbirds

A Charm? More like a Ruckous, a Challenge, a Hubbub, a Fracas...

Not only have we filled our yard with hummingbird flowers, we also have at least 5 feeders going around the house because of the Rufous Hummingbirds. They are so territorial that I wonder about the collective noun given to them. Spring is quieter for some reason, but mid-summer birds are zooming in all directions. The Rufous take over the prime perches on any nearby shrubs and especially the Serviceberries.

I put the feeders all around the house so that if one is being defended by a Rufous, another may be open for a little Calliope to nip in for a quick sip.

There was a Black-chinned hummingbird that came up to check out one of the places where there is usually a feeder, but is not yet even though it is June. He looked at the hook and the flew over to look me in the eyes as if to say, "Where is the feeder? Get with it!"

The first hummingbird flower to come on board is the Firecracker Penstemon, Penstemon eatonii. The little Pineleaf penstemon, Penstemon pinifolius soon joins the firecrackers. We also have Cutleaf penstemon, Penstemon richarsonii which is very happy to self sow all over the place. Unfortunately I did not pause to consider the hot pink of this in conjunction with the orangier red of the first two. Too late now--but the hummers and bees don't seem to mind and love them all anyway.

California Fuchsia, Zauschneria or Epilobium canum fills in most of the summer. It is becoming a bully and spreading by rhizomes, so it may be pulled out and replaced (after the current rock garden is planted with 60 native plants). I think I will stick it into pots to contain it and because it droops down a lot. Hanging over the edge of a pot would make it much easier for them to feed from it as well. ~Don't mind spoiling one of my favorite birds a bit.

Posted on June 18, 2018 03:24 PM by wenatcheeb