This time of year, when the long slow twilight is a major part of the day, is one of my favorites. I was doing a reading on the phone in my office this evening, with my eyes focused on the backyard as I waited for the cards to tell me what was going on. So in that dual reality, I saw 4 chickadees whizzing as fast as hummingbirds, taking turns chasing one another off the long feeder, which is filled mostly with peanuts and sunflowerseeds.
Continuing with the reading, my eyes strayed back outside, where the dark had nearly descended, and the world had lost most of its color. A young deer and a raccoon headed toward another feeder from different trajectories. The raccoon stood up on its back legs and worked to get the seed out. The deer had the same plan, but would have used its long tongue to good effect. I expected the deer to use its long legs to push the raccoon aside, but that didn’t happen. Surprisingly, the raccon won out.
Earlier, I put out the hummingbird feeders. Thought for a minute those whizzing chickaddees were hummers.
Can’t wait to have them back again. Me and the hummers, we’re tight.