There’s an invisible line in many middle-aged lives (not all, but enough to become meme/cozy murder mystery/joke worthy) where the excitement of leaving behind a busy work week to let off steam at a noisy bar or dance club with drinks and thumping bass is suddenly no longer appealing, and you realize rather jarringly that you’re excited by the birds in the yard instead. It’s right up there with spending loads of money in spring on plants and flowers or new furniture/appliances, or spending parties (which now end at a decent time well before 11pm) talking about water heaters and retirement fund tips. I’m not sorry about this particular change, but I do think it’s funny.
Last week, the hummingbirds returned to our yard, and the boys were SORELY disappointed that my office now sits where one of their feeders hung last summer off the edge of the deck. I presume the ladies are sitting on eggs, since they haven’t appeared yet. A pretty little green dude buzzed up to the screen of my window, looked in, and buzzed away. I felt guilty enough to immediately order a couple of those suction-cup window feeders, which are now full.
We do have a feeder set up in the front yard: there are five male hummingbirds engaging in aerial battle over the four feeding stations in near-constant territorial squealy combat. It’s hilarious, but also foolish. they’re so invested in their arguments they pay no attention to any potential dangers, and that feeder is probably too close to the ground to be safe. Also it’s not safe for anyone (ahem, like me) using the potting table next to it, because hummingbirds are freaking FAST and they do NOT care if you’re standing in their way when they’re hungry or arguing. Ffs.
We don’t currently have a deck (it’s coming eventually), so the sliding door has a block screwed in to stop the door from opening more than a few inches for safety. Minerva, in particular, is in danger of doing an idiot-dive if she sees something bark-worthy in the woods or golf course, and no one wants anything or anyone falling into the yard from a story and a half high. Sigh. Anyway, I can just snake my arm through that space, so I stuck one of the feeders outside. The other I put on the office window above my desk, because i don’t currently have a screen on it.
It’s like the dudes have been waiting for food to appear in the “usual” spot. They were on the feeders before I’d fully backed away, looking in the window/door like “it’s about damn time!”
And that’s how my view came to include tiny bird butts all day from my desk. Like this (you’re welcome):
No Pithy Phrase 