Feathers and Flowers

They’re back. My long-time feathered friends and their favorite flower arrive about the same time every year. When my red Texas sage plants begin to bloom in late spring, Miss Phoebe and her smaller winged neighbors appear within days and stay all summer. While Miss Phoebe and I dicker over where she builds her nest on my porch, the hummingbirds argue about who claims which sage plant in my yard. Hundreds of trees surround my house and a dozen sage bushes grow across my property, but both bird species prefer specific locations.

If you’ve read my story “Never Underestimate a Bird Brain” in Callie Smith Grant’s Consider the Birds (Revell, 2025), you know about my lengthy dispute with Miss Phoebe. She favors my front porch, and I encourage her to go somewhere else. As usual she won the war this year, but I secured a major victory by convincing her the far side of my back porch provided a better nesting site. For the first time in years, she and her messy first brood came and went without me stepping in their tossed out garbage (if you know what I mean). Thank goodness she decided against having a second brood this summer, and you’ll hear no complaints from me about it.

The hummingbirds pose a different challenge because they defend their favorite sage bush with aerial conviction, as in mid-air acrobatic duels. Their defensive tactics range from moderate to intense, and sometimes they chase each other around the yard at daredevil speed. Multiple times I’ve opened the front door and nearly collided with a hummer on a mission. While their long, pointed beaks fit perfectly into the tubular blooms of Texas sage, they also wedge tightly in the tiny holes of the aluminum screen encasing one section of my porch. A gentle push from the inside sends the miniature speedster back into action to protect and defend its chosen territory.

But instinct and old habits are difficult to overcome, one of several characteristics humans and animals share. In jest and amused at my prevention tactics, my husband suggested I post No Vacancy signs for Miss Phoebe and No Fly Zone notices for the hummers. Huh, even if birds could read, I suspect their reaction would be the same as humans observing the highway speed limits—no way! Born to run, baby. Move over and let me fly.

Well, that’s enough about my bird friends and their prolonged visit this summer. Let’s talk about you—what’s your preferred driving practice: over, under, or right on the speed limit?

Click here to leave a comment.

www.JennyLynnKeller.com