Dog Days of Summer

Finally, it seems that the monsoon has arrived. Now we have a "damp" heat.

Well, the Hummers are busy getting fat for their big trip south. Because they arrived earlier this year it seems that they will be leaving earlier, too. The Rufous seem to be getting the fattest so far. They will probably leave soon. The adult Black-chinneds are also getting fatter. They look like little flying walnuts! We also still have the Calliopes hanging around and I think they may leave first. Today, there was constant commotion around the feeders. I am not sure if it was because of the threat of rain or the fact that the Rufous need to pack on the weight, but it sure was noisy.

We have been going through 3 quarts of sugar water a day now. As I explain on my web site, you can estimate how many birds you are feeding by dividing the total number of ounces consumed by the weight of the birds. Each bird must consume their weight in food each day. Most species weigh between 3 to 5 ounces. We mostly have the Black-chinneds so I use their weight and we seem to be feeding about 27 birds right now. That seems about right.

Not much else is happening but I'll let you know when things change.