Preparing for change

Although summer can seem to be one long season of sameness (especially August) things are changing all the time. Nestlings have fledged, flowers have come and gone and the days are gradually shortening.
But now the pace is beginning to quicken, the change to fall isn't that far away. Temperatures will drop and birds will migrate (some have started already). The tempo of life adjusts as preparations for the next season begin.
One of the most obvious changes in my yard is the activity at the hummingbird feeder. It is in constant use and each bird tries to defend it for herself (The males have left my yard). I have to fill it every day as the tiny creatures bulk up to prepare for their impressive journey to Central and South America. These thumb sized birds make the trip twice a year and it includes a 5-6 hundred mile leg over the Gulf of Mexico. Absolutely mind boggling.
Soon other migrants birds will appear for a day or two to rest and use the feeders. Mammals will be checking out the space under the porch and salamanders will be burrowing under the leaves. Finding shelter is a prime survival strategy.
The animals have had a good year. I see lots of offspring, but that will increase the competition for food and shelter. I'll do my part, but nature will make the final decisions.

HAWK!

My wife was sitting at the table this afternoon and spotted something large at the bird feeder. There was a hawk perched on the metal crossbar that holds the bird feeders. My wife doesn't wear her glasses and she isn't very familiar with hawks in general but based on her description and estimate of the size it was probably a sharp shinned hawk.
Despite the number of birds we have we don't seem to have a lot of hawk activity, partly because there is not a good hunting perch for the hawks to use. By the time this one had landed on the feeders all the smaller birds were long gone.
Some people get upset when hawks take birds around their feeders. My feeling is that it is a true part of the natural order of things and who am I to interfere with that? Usually hawks don't spend an entire day hunting in one location. They may make one or two passes a day through the yard and they aren't always successful.
One thing that I noticed was that all the squirrels scattered too. Maybe if I could talk the hawks into concentrating on the squirrel population we wouldn't lose so many of our flower bulbs.

Nuthatches

I would never declare a favorite bird, they are all interesting and worthy of attention. But I have to comment on the entertainment value of nuthatches. The "heads down" approach to everything makes them seem like little clowns at times.
We had a family of white breasted nuthatches nesting in an old nest box on the back of the garage. They seem to have found it to their liking as there seems to be more of them around lately. The increase in numbers has led to more entertainment, we both win.
The other day I saw one approaching a hanging squirrel "resistant" feeder, the kind with the horizontal bar for feeding. It perched on the hanger pole and swiveled its head back and forth as if trying to figure out the best approach. It flew to the bar and hung upside down, unable to reach the seeds. Back to the hanger and then another failed attempt. Back up to the hanger and a pause with lots of head swiveling.
Third time's the charm, it landed on the moving metal piece that is supposed to cover the feed slot under a squirrels weight, tipped its head back(down) and helped itself to the sunflower seed prize.
After that all was well, success after success for the nut hatch, lots of entertainment for me.
One other thing about nuthatches is the distinctive nasal voice. I particularly like the red breasted nuthatches 'neep neep' which always makes me smile.

There are downsides too

While I will continue to extol the benefits of a wildlife friendly yard I have to acknowledge that all is not perfect in Eden (or Penacook, as the case may be). Last night around 9PM I heard my wife in the kitchen go "EEEEEWWWW"!! Skunk!
It was close, right by the back of the house I'm sure. This is a season of transition for skunks. The young are moving out and finding their own territories and that often leads to conflict, either with another skunk or with some other critter that feels ownership in the area. And when a skunk conflict evolves to a certain level the results are unpleasant for all.
I have a certain affection for skunks. They are beautiful creatures and for the most part quite calm. A few years ago we had a pair of youngsters that would visit the bird feeder spill in the early evening. The newly independent youngsters seem to be less rigorously nocturnal than adults. I could be within a few feet of them with no incidents. One time one of the neighbors cats was hiding under the bird feeder within inches of the skunk. Again, no conflict.
The good news is that our bedroom wasn't seriously impacted by the odor and by morning it had dissipated. So all is well in the yard again and I hope our skunk and rival have reached a long term agreement on property rights.

Evening rewards

Last evening the cool dry air came in and it was just a delightful time to be outside. I grazed on the sungold tomatoes and picked some green beans, just enjoying the heck out of the garden.
While I was at the bean bed I noticed a chickadee in the dogwood about 10 feet away. He was flying to the strawberry towers next to the beans and picking bugs out from among the leaves.
Further down the back flower bed a male cardinal was perched on the tall phlox. He seemed to be going after bugs among the sunflowers and dill.
Then I saw a humming bird working around the red runner beans and checking out the underside of the cardinal, I guess because he is red!?
I kept going with the beans, they're producing at a tremendous rate right now. Then I saw the male cardinal chasing a grackle around the beds. He was clearly in pursuit, but I didn't know why.
I moved to the next bean bed (we always plant to many) and I could hear a rapid chip chip chip in the dogwood. A small brown bird that didn't look exactly familiar was raising a ruckus and hopping awkwardly around the branches. Suddenly (s)he made an equally awkward flight to the beans I was working at, it was less than three feet away. Then the male cardinal showed up, also making a racket. Then I recognized the first bird as a fledgling cardinal. The chipping was similar to the familiar sounds of the adult cardinals, just higher pitched and about twice the rate.
The adult herded the youngster into the neighbors burning bush and took up a vigil, obviously trying to keep the fledgling safe. I heard a lot of noise at one point and saw the neighbors cat under the burning bush. I chased the cat away, although the cardinal didn't appreciate my intrusion either.
As I continued working a round the garden I saw the adult cardinal hanging around for over 20 minutes. Later when I went back the area was quiet, I guess the adult got the fledgling to move to where ever it was he wanted him.
All in all I think this sums up why I love our yard and gardens.

Personalities of all sizes

Having watched the generations of animals that have inhabited our yard I notice behavior differences among individuals. Often that behavior reflects their tolerance of humans.
In the past we have had resident humming birds that used the feeder outside the kitchen window no matter what we were doing at the sink. In fact at one point one was so used to me that even when I was outside within 3 feet of the feeder it would feed readily.
Our current group range from shy to downright skittish. The female in the picture above is the least wary. She will use the feeder if we are still, but much movement will drive her away. The rest of the several that use the feeder will barely tolerate our presence in the room. As a result the kitchen blind is frequently closed when we should be enjoying the view.