Not your average "hummingbird"!

  I filled and hung my hummingbird feeders this past week.  I admit that I am a tad late in doing this but figured it was better late than never.  The hummers have been visiting the Red Buckeye, Wisteria and roses for quite a while now so they have not been going hungry.  Still I thought I would offer them a bit of nectar from the feeders to supplement their diet. I was surprised that I have not noticed any visiting the feeders when I would be out and about the gardens.  My first thought was that they needed to find the feeders but then realized that this should not be a problem as I hung them in the Rose/Herb Garden.  Hummers were busy working the roses so why were they not at the feeders?
 
  This morning, I found the answer to my question.  As I let Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, out to do her business, a flutter of wings caught my attention. Aha!  Were the hummers busy this morning after a most stormy night on the Bayou? All hopes were dashed when I realized that this was no hummingbird!  My nectar feeders were being raided by House Finches!  A pair of finches were filling their tummies with the sweet nectar.  The male finch sat high on the hook holding the feeder while the female tried to balance on the feeder.  There she would sip and swing!  He kept a close watch on Nycto, the new cat!

  Having the finches grab a sip or two from the nectar feeders did not bother me in the least.  If the hummingbirds were not going to make use of the free offerings, why should the finches not?  Several times today (between the rain storms), the pair came to one feeder or another. Usually, he sat standing guard while she fed.  After a bit, the two would fly away only to have him come back to feed.  I suppose she is trying to hatch another batch of eggs and was afraid to let them cool too long.  Once the rains started nonstop, she never returned.  Well, if this helps her a bit, then I am all for it!  Help yourself, Mama Finch.  You will need your strength to find food for your little ones soon enough!