Happy day after Thanksgiving,
Since it was not raining around lunchtime, I left my office at 12:50 and
went to the Ripley Garden to check on the Black-chinned Hummingbird. The
city is crawling with tourists today, but in spite of the hustle and
bustle, I could once again clearly hear the hummer before I could see her.
She was perched near the top of the Silver Bell tree which now holds the
hummingbird feeder, and she was as vocal as I've ever heard. She kept up
an almost continuous series of rapid-fire, high-pitched squeaks for between
5 and 10 minutes. Even while drinking from the feeder, she was squeaking
between sips! For anyone familiar with hummingbirds, the sound is
unmistakable. However, I watched with amusement as some tourists who
slowly walked right under the tree, looking at all the plants and signs,
appeared to never hear or see the hummingbird, or notice the feeder hanging
in the tree. The hummer made a few trips to other areas of the garden, but
always returned to her perching spot. By the time I left about 15 minutes
later, she was still in the tree, but had fallen completely silent,
apparently having had her say! I like to think the easy viewing was a
little bonus for those of us who are at work today.<g>
It appears that, with the addition of the feeder, the hummingbird may be
using the Silver Bell tree as her "command post," which is good news for
any birders who wish to see her. I hope many birders get the chance this
weekend: it is hard not to be charmed by this lively little bird!
Laura Farron
P.S. Below are links to relevant sites about the Ripley Garden and how to
get there.
http://www.gardens.si.edu/horticulture/gardens/Ripley/ripley1.html
http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/SMITHSON/smithson.html
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