Un-Peaceable Kingdom

It's July and the Rufous Hummingbirds, thugs of the bird world, have rolled into town. The morning air is filled with indignant squeaks, as the Black-chinned Hummingbirds discover their favourite feeder has been taken over by a coppery menace.

Going outside isn't safe. The tiny birds are so consumed with their aerial dogfights they don't notice much else around them. They rip by my head, tiny wings buzzing, like Tom Cruise's tower flybys in "Top Gun."



This morning, the last Black-chinned stronghold--the stand of licorice mint--fell to the invading Rufous army.

The Gambel and Scaled quails, on the other hand, seem to be much kinder. In fact they are quite open to racial integration, with hybrid Gambel/Scaled offspring popping up everywhere. This morning a huge covey showed up to clean up spilled seed under the feeder. And...they cheerfully chased away all the other birds.

Can't they all just get along...?

For Any Western Gardeners...
I get many of my perennials from High Country Gardens , both directly from the store and through mail order. Sign up for a free catalogue. It's filled with gorgeous photos and more info than most gardening books. (No, I don't have stock in the company.)

Writing...
Not as much as I'd like, yesterday. Slept most of the afternoon. Must get butt in gear today.

P.K.