DEAR JOAN: This morning we saw the most amazing sight — two hummingbirds fighting over the feeder. It has five holes, but they would not let each other imbibe. They kept fluttering around, ramming each other, and even were on the ground fighting in a ball. It was scary.
We do have fewer hummers now. What could this be about? I understand they can be territorial, but this was horrific.
Gae M.
Concord
DEAR GAE: When I first started learning about hummingbirds, the most difficult belief for me to let go of was that just because hummers are tiny, delicate-looking birds, they were sweet creatures that would perch on your finger and make the day sunnier.
Beautiful yes; delicate and sweet-natured, not so much. They can be downright mean. It’s sort of like imagining a butterfly in a knife fight.
Hummingbirds are one of the few birds that will aggressively defend a food source. They even do this when they are migrating. I believe the drought has made them even more contentious. With a marginalized food supply, they will fight to death to protect what they view as theirs.
You can reduce the bloodshed by putting out more feeders, and by growing plants that hummingbirds like. With a yard full of food, the fights should be reduced.
DEAR JOAN: This weekend at 1 p.m. I faced off with a rather friendly young raccoon. Recent raccoon sightings in my neighborhood are a real frustration to those of us who are pet owners and who have compassion for wildlife faced with dwindling supplies of food in the drought.
I sent out a message to my North Oakland neighbors about the recent sightings of otherwise healthy nocturnal creatures scrambling to find food at odd hours.
I am accustomed to cleaning up after feeding the outdoor cats, removing the food long before the raccoons ramble through my area after dark. But not at 3:30 p.m., which is when we’re starting to see them.
I thought the cats must really love that new organic brand of food, but I was fooled. It was a raccoon, getting started early.
A few squirts of the hose worked for a bit. I’ll offer up a few prayers for God’s precious creatures.
Maxine B.
Oakland
DEAR MAXINE: The drought and climate change definitely has nature out of balance. It used to be rare to see a night creature out in the daytime, but if they can’t find food and water at night, they’ll hunt in the day.
Here’s hoping the recent rains will help fill some watering holes and provide wildlife with the water and food they need, away from our backyards, which are not safe for them.
Protecting your home
Those of us who love autumn and who have missed the rains, have been overjoyed by the recent storms and cooler temperatures.
That joy can fade quickly, however, when we realize that outdoor creatures will be seeking shelter where they can find it, and that could be in our homes.
Rats and mice will be seeking warmth in garages and attics, so if you don’t want them in your house or sheds, take steps now to make to keep them out.
Contact Joan Morris at jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/AskJoanMorris, and read more of her Animal Life columns at www.mercurynews.com/animal-life.