Between the 5's

At Birds and Beers last night someone asked how long it would take for hummingbirds to find a new feeder. My answer, between the 5's. It takes somewhere between five minutes and five years. I'm pretty comfortable that that is an accurate albeit less than useful assessment.

Chelsey and I put up a feeder a few weeks ago when we spent a gift certificate her parent's had given her for the garden center down the street. We bought some roma tomato plants too.

Some time within the next five years I hope to report that hummingbirds have found the feeder.

I'll go ahead and update my bird tally for the year. I added a eastern meadowlark at Afton State Park on Father's Day. Chelsey took Cam and me there and we all went birding. Note in the photo we're both sporting our new organic 2008 Warner Nature Center summer t-shirts. The logo this year is a swallowtail butterfly. I had seen a meadowlark on a telephone line weeks ago but as I didn't hear it so I couln't say for sure it wasn't a Western Meadowlark. We were only there for a short time and only hiked along the path on the prairie but we saw 15 species of birds which wasn't too bad for a casual stroll though the park. Chelsey enjoyed hearing the clay colored sparrows as she had just told me that she and Camden had been playing with my bird sounds book and was surprised how many birds sounded like insects. We heard and then spotted the buzzing clay-colored sparrows just down the trail so that was fun.
Here's Cam lounging in his car seat before we headed home.
2008 Running Bird Tally:
127 Eastern Meadowlark