Texas Hummingbird
For the past three weeks we have been feeding four hummingbirds that stopped by our back yard to refuel. They have fought over the sugar-water in the two feeders we put up and enjoyed the natural nectar of the flowers and herbs that are blooming. They provide great entertainment as they zoom around like tiny Star Wars Jedi starfighters and occasionally buzz the cat, Wiccan.
A woodpecker has been hanging around for some time also and we hear it making its churr-churr and kek-kek-kek calls. Once we heard it pecking rapidly on our metal chimney.
Then Saturday morning we looked out to the veranda to discover that he was helping himself to the hummers’ sugar-water. He flew away as soon husband grabbed his camera, but then he kept coming back and husband was able to get this shot.
I named him Baby Huey, but he is actually a male golden-fronted woodpecker. They are described this way in John L. Tveten’s book, “The Birds of Texas.”
“Ten inches long, and with a black-and-white barred back, the golden-fronted woodpecker has light under parts, a white rump and an all-black tail. A large golden orange patch ornaments the nape, and there is a smaller yellow patch above the bill, the “golden front.” In addition, the male sports a small, round red cap that is lacking on the female.”
Baby Huey was back Sunday morning for a little Sunday brunch. He has not kept the hummers away, but they do not challenge him when he is feeding! The hummers will soon be gone and won’t be back until around September. We will enjoy them and share our space with them for now.
THE COASTAL CRONE 
What an amazing shot! Texas Hummingbird 🙂 Love it!
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Thanks! He does look silly!
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What a delightful little creature! Growing up, my parents would put feeders up all around our backyard. Every time I caught one feeding, it felt like I was witnessing some rare encounter.
Blessings,
Cara
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Humminbirds are special. I hope you realized that my “Texas Hummingbird” is a woodpecker feeding at my hummingbird feeder. Thanks for the comments!
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LOL — Yes, you do make mention of that in the post. Thank you for clarifying, though!
🙂
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Ha Ha. I’m a little slow this morning, I guess. I kept looking at Baby Huey and thinking to myself that he couldn’t really be a hummingbird! He is the strangest looking hummer I ever saw. When I finally got the joke, I was really tickled. I love this story. He does look a little awkward. My daughter has had lots of feeders in the past, but I never saw any other species attempting to feed at them. I think you may have a permanent joker homesteading on your place. What a character! You should send his portrait to the Texas Wildlife people. 🙂 This was delightful treat for a Monday morning start off. Thanks.
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I’m glad you got the Baby Huey joke – the younger ones may not! Last year we had a woodpecker feed at one of our hummer feeders and my daughter said she had seen one at her feeder last year also. I’m glad I helped to wake you up on a Monday morning.
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How clever he is!
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Yes, he is! And he was back late this afternoon for more.
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Hummingbirds seem quite intelligent. A friend’s parents have a lake house and they kept a feeder by their bedroom window. The next summer they decided to move the feeder. In the spring the hummingbird returned to the first spot hunting for the bird feed he remembered.
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Yes, they must be. “Baby Huey” the woodpecker has come back every day to the humminbird feeder since Sunday. Thanks for stopping by my feeder/blog!
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What a darling bird!
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They have been fun to watch. And thanks for the other “likes” and visiting my little blog!
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Thank you for the pingback! I am glad that all I have to worry about is a woodpecker at my hummingbird feeder. We have no bears in south Texas.
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