Hello to tweeters,

Today I was sitting at a flowering willow along the Black River near
Littlerock, in south Thurston County. The catkins were at peak pollen
productions: bumblebees B. vosnesenskii and B. melanopygygus were present, several
overwintered California tortoiseshell butterflies and many many flies, solitary
bees, honeybees and other insects I can't begin to enumerate (or identify).
The highlight of our visit was the Rufous hummingbirds: at one time we saw
4 different female Rufous nectaring from the willow catkins, sticking their
bills deep in the base of each catkin, hovering and feeding. In between times
they were fighting, especially when one male Rufous hummer showed up.
We watched them for 25 minutes and through binoculars it was clear that
they were going for nectar, not insects. We had never heard of hummer using
willows in this way, so it was a real eye-opener.
One good picture available, if interested.

Janet Partlow
Olympia


**************
Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for
$10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001)