It is a sultry overcast day here in Alamos. There is not a lot of breeze and there is a little poof of darkness over Mt Alamos. For days it has felt like rain. It has smelled like rain. No rain.
Water is still being rationed, but in the same manner as I mentioned before. We have it for only a few hours every morning. I went to La Capilla on new old bike the other morning. La Capilla is a pretty little barrio on the other side of the Arroyo Aduana. I saw so many overflowing tinnacas. I was very surprised. But I believe people have figured out how to beat the water system. They are leaving their hoses on all the time. So, once the tinnaca is filled, they may already be gone for the morning or maybe they are still sleeping. And the water just runs and runs and runs. Into the street. Into the arroyo. I do not think we are saving any water, possibly only using more.
Here is my new little friend. I call him Flicka. He, I say he is a he, makes a flicka sound, over and over, all day long. He is a Gila Woodpecker and he has taken over both hummingbird feeders. The hummingbirds were beginning to come around and he chased them all away. They would be sipping away quietly and he would dive bomb them, force them off the feeder and take it all for himself.
I filled the second feeder which is on the adobe wall side. He took that one over as well. The good news is the hummingbirds are very smart. When he is busy at the feeder on the east side, they zip over to the west side. But, Flicka is also very smart. He watches them from the Plumeria tree. Wherever they zip, he zips as soon as possible after them. He wants to claim both feeders for himself. Spoiled little thing.
So I considered giving up the feeders, but last night I noticed Flicka has an early bedtime. So the hummingbirds are getting to the feeders late in the day and he is tucked away by his mommy in one of the yucca tree branches.
The feeders will stay up and Flicka will soon get too fat to fly and the hummingbirds will all fly with glee and drink nectar until they can drink no more.
Okie dokie, end of story. I have to water the palms. lindalou
6 comments:
Hola Linda,
Just writing to let you know that I am still following and enjoying your blog regularly. Looking forward to getting down there and seeing both of you. I owe you a dinner with margaritas although, it could never be a wonderful or as gracious as yours. The progress on the casa looks great.
feed them all....there's lots for everybody!...you just have to be on the filling schedule! ...but so fun to watch.....
Yes, they are greedy aren't they? We have them too; but they all seem to eat in the end.
I hate the Gila's and my Hummers and cats keep the on guard. I dont know why, but I have found 4 dead on our property in the last couple of years. I always sterilize the feeders at every change of food, I can only hppe they are terminating from other reasons...
Ahhhh, Glenn Ian, good to hear from you. You don't owe us anything, except a visit. Hope you will be here before long!
Susan, you are so right, feed them all! This morning I did put seed out on the asador and the fat doves kept chasing off the cardinals, but eventually they held their own and shoved their way onto the food.
Brenda,they are ALL so greedy!!!!!!
Hey Chrissy, sorry to hear you have found some dead gilas. I think they are real pretty birds with the red hats. NIce to hear from you. Where have you been? What have you been doing?
What a funny, funny little Flicka! Sounds like he is a busy bird...lol
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