California Wildlife

September 01, 2024

Recent Allen's hummingbird

CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE SEPTEMBER 2024

Barn owls at our home have finished their nesting and have left area after approximately forty-three days of living here. I believe they had a very successful fledging, though I left them alone knowing later I would know the exact results when I perform fall cleaning of the barn owl box. (I will report) This was a good residential test in my opinion of having the owls breed here in the neighborhood. Plenty of stress as the neighbors paid to have their yard cleared with chain saws, blowers, many employees with loud voices, all within about twenty feet and further from the box during early daylight hours. Many nights I had to take my pup out front for late night rest room visits. As a family, we gave them their space for over a month. They drank water from our back yard pond, which I believe they appreciated. Only once, did we see them come out during the mid-day. I hope they return in the future.

In keeping with the residential wildlife, I have Allen hummingbirds visiting our many plants in the back and front. Anna’s are the most numerous here, though I have shared so many of those, Thought I would share several looks at Allen’s hummers who have shown consistently for years now in our yard. We maintain four feeders in our large lot, and with some experience can answer the age-old question, ‘If there are ideal plants for hummers, will they mostly still use the feeders? In our case, they favor the feeders heavily, in fact the fight and play over the feeders especially during morning and evening prime feeding times. The great plants for hummers always get consistent visits from the hummers. I never have to wait long to get solid looks around their favorite plants. So, my answer is it is not quite 50/50 but the hummers will use plants much of the time. Females more frequently than males. I think it is a fun factor, as I previously stated, they are the masters of distracted driving. And, they are also in everyone’s business. A scrub jay can’t fly across the yard without one following. Even cooper’s get harassed around a kill. Hawks and owls even get buzzed by the little flying monsters. And out watering or working, they love to get in your face and size you up, or advise of an empty feeder, as I’m sure many of you know. Including other Bay Area species also in this group.

Great news; Raptors Are The Solution Bill AB 2552 passed

Bill AB2552