Rain or shine, subzero or sweltering, around 2:00 p.m. each weekday some internal alarm prompts me from my chair toward the kitchen. Although this is a short migration, it involves a radical shift in habitat. My office is tucked on the north side of the house and flanked by an Entish pin oak tree. Those with an aversion to low light might find the room too solemn, but I enjoy its cool, shady attitude. It feels as though I have my own little bower among the branches of the house. I work here for hours at a stretch, cocooned in a silence that is conducive to concentration but not oppressive. There’s a palpable shift in my awareness when I enter the kitchen, which is flooded with light throughout the day and in all seasons. Wide windows on its east and west walls, and exposure from the south through an adjoining mudroom, make the kitchen open and lively. This is the real heart of our home. Even a quick infusion of its light, color, and space gives me just the dose of energy I need to remain focused through the afternoon. A cup of tea doesn’t hurt, either.
Teatime is not a fancy affair. I don’t prepare food, and never even sit down. But there is a ritual associated with this break. I take down two mugs from the cabinet. One is chosen randomly, though it can’t be too large. The other is my favorite mug, made of thick, cream-colored ceramic with a handle that looks like a twisted twig. Across its surface are painted two of the birds that commonly appear in our yard: the Baltimore oriole and the blue jay. The style of painting looks somehow old-fashioned, like it belongs in a dusty field guide you might find tucked away in your grandparents’ library. I choose a bag of good black tea to go in the first mug. Something fruity or spicy goes in mine—but no caffeine allowed. Finally I fill the burnished metal teakettle and place it on the burner. Now begins my favorite part of the routine. Until the kettle sings I have a few free moments, with nothing more important to do than watch.
Teatime is not a fancy affair. I don’t prepare food, and never even sit down. But there is a ritual associated with this break. I take down two mugs from the cabinet. One is chosen randomly, though it can’t be too large. The other is my favorite mug, made of thick, cream-colored ceramic with a handle that looks like a twisted twig. Across its surface are painted two of the birds that commonly appear in our yard: the Baltimore oriole and the blue jay. The style of painting looks somehow old-fashioned, like it belongs in a dusty field guide you might find tucked away in your grandparents’ library. I choose a bag of good black tea to go in the first mug. Something fruity or spicy goes in mine—but no caffeine allowed. Finally I fill the burnished metal teakettle and place it on the burner. Now begins my favorite part of the routine. Until the kettle sings I have a few free moments, with nothing more important to do than watch.
Much as I love spending time outside, it’s no exaggeration to say that I could gaze out the kitchen windows for a whole day. The east window provides a view of the hillside meadow and lake that comprise our “backyard.” We don't live in isolation; I can see houses on the far lakeshore and, at night, lights from the highway beyond. Yet this is something more than the typical sprawling suburban property. It’s just on the edge of wild. We routinely observe loons on the lake and bald eagles overhead. The tame and familiar wildlife—deer, raccoons, and woodchucks—are occasionally joined by minks, coyotes, and huge flocks of turkeys.
A view of the front yard from above the kitchen
The expansive lakeview is always tempting, yet today I’m drawn to the smaller, paired windows over the kitchen sink. There's no grand vista framed here—just the front yard. It’s a yard like many others in our area. There’s a deck and a small, screened cabin where we sometimes take our meals. Several flower patches and bird feeders are scattered across the open space. A big, hundred-year-old boxelder tree throws shade over the grass where my young son plays. A tidy orchard gives fruit of three varieties, and a white picket fence defines part of the property line. This view is appealing not so much for its scale as for its intimacy and the relatively invisibility offered by a reflective window pane. Wildlife—particularly birds—come so close to the windows that it’s breathtaking. At this moment a downy woodpecker clings to a suet feeder half a meter from my face, but the bird is heedless of my presence.
A male downy woodpecker feeds on suet in front of the kitchen window
The woodpecker circumambulates the birchbark feeder in search of a good toehold. I lean over the sink to carefully open the opposite window. Moments later a distinctive sound reaches my ears. It’s the low, whirring drone made as a hummingbird’s wings beat the air more than 50 times per second. A male ruby-throated hummingbird rockets in from the east side of the house. It clears the suet feeder—and my corner window—by a narrow margin of safety. The emerald green bird’s destination is the nectar feeder that hangs from a pole in the deckside flower garden. It hovers before the feeder, dipping down to feed then popping back nervously to look around. Suddenly the hummingbird pivots toward me. The feathers of its gorget (throat)—which had at first appeared black—now flame metallic red. This burst of iridescence occurs when sunlight reflects off microscopic air bubbles located inside each barb of the gorget feathers. (If you’ve never examined a feather closely, there is a long, stiff central shaft with many thin “branches” extending off the sides. These branches are the barbs.) Iridescence is only visible when the bird and observer are face-to-face. The flash of color fades when either party changes angle relative to the sun. And it doesn’t take long for this to happen. The hummingbird holds its position barely long enough for me to complete a full breath cycle. It emits a rapid series of high-pitched chitters that seem out of proportion to its size then lunges forward in a wide, arcing sweep over the deck. I suspect the source of the bird’s annoyance, but it takes a moment for me to locate it. Another male hummer has flown near the feeder.
Minnesota lies too far north to support hummingbirds year-round. Their presence is limited to the warmer months, when flowers are blooming and nectar supplies are ample. Even when food is readily available hummingbirds must conserve energy by entering a hibernation-like state called torpor for part of every day. A generalist feeding strategy also aids their survival. Rather than focusing on a narrow category of foods, they feed opportunistically on a variety of items. All hummers are known for their love of nectar, but ruby-throated hummingbirds are especially open-minded tipplers. Due to loss of habitat throughout their range, human-made nectar feeders are a crucial source of food. Where they can get it, however, these birds take nectar from any reddish, bell-shaped flowers large enough to accept their beaks. That includes everything from phlox and Monarda (aka beebalm and wild bergamot) to morning-glory and honeysuckle. In our yard, ruby-throated hummingbirds also go for giant hyssop. The pale lavender flowers of this mint species are tiny, but they form tall inflorescences atop stems that tower over my head. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are known to follow sapsuckers in spring. The sapsuckers drill small, round wells in the bark of maple trees to release sap, and hummingbirds take advantage of the free resource. Throughout the year they also seek small insects and spiders, capturing prey mid-flight or scooping it off surfaces.
Minnesota lies too far north to support hummingbirds year-round. Their presence is limited to the warmer months, when flowers are blooming and nectar supplies are ample. Even when food is readily available hummingbirds must conserve energy by entering a hibernation-like state called torpor for part of every day. A generalist feeding strategy also aids their survival. Rather than focusing on a narrow category of foods, they feed opportunistically on a variety of items. All hummers are known for their love of nectar, but ruby-throated hummingbirds are especially open-minded tipplers. Due to loss of habitat throughout their range, human-made nectar feeders are a crucial source of food. Where they can get it, however, these birds take nectar from any reddish, bell-shaped flowers large enough to accept their beaks. That includes everything from phlox and Monarda (aka beebalm and wild bergamot) to morning-glory and honeysuckle. In our yard, ruby-throated hummingbirds also go for giant hyssop. The pale lavender flowers of this mint species are tiny, but they form tall inflorescences atop stems that tower over my head. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are known to follow sapsuckers in spring. The sapsuckers drill small, round wells in the bark of maple trees to release sap, and hummingbirds take advantage of the free resource. Throughout the year they also seek small insects and spiders, capturing prey mid-flight or scooping it off surfaces.
An adult male ruby-throated hummingbird hovers below the nectar feeder, exhibiting the brilliant red iridescence of his gorget feathers
This juvenile male has only a few iridescent feathers on his gorget. He will complete the molt to adult plumage over a period of months while in his winter range.
Hummingbirds spend at most four months in Minnesota. They show up during the second or third week of May, depending on weather conditions here and along their migratory path from the south. I always try to have the nectar feeders out and waiting, for they arrive as thin as wraiths. It seems that a creature so slight must be tossed by the wind like cottonwood fluff. Hummingbirds appear to have turned this liability to an advantage in some circumstances. When possible they wait to fly with favorable tail winds, allowing the gusts to provide a push in the right direction during migration.
Their imperative here in the northlands is clear: establish a territory, build a nest, and raise a healthy brood of Lilliputian offspring. By early August the breeding season has ended and the birds begin to respond to different internal rhythms. Migrants from breeding populations in Canada and northern Minnesota now join our resident hummers. If mid-August seems a bit premature for migration, consider that by mid-October these wee creatures must cross the Gulf of Mexico to reach their winter ranges in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America. The birds seem to focus on one goal in preparation for this long journey: getting fat. During the breeding season male ruby-throated hummingbirds have an average mass of 2.5 grams. Balance an American penny on the tip of your finger to get a sense of how insubstantial that mass is. Females can be up to 2 grams heavier—closer to the mass of a nickel. In less the two weeks, through a vigorous program of nectar sipping, a hummer may increase its body weight by 75 percent. No body builder ever took weight gain more seriously. At this time the birds engage in fast and furious territorial battles over access to feeders and flower patches. Females are as just as contentious as males. The bird I’m watching now probably nested in our yard, and is not eager to share resources at such a crucial time. I crane my neck to watch as he chases the interloper away, but the two miniscule green birds are immediately lost among the foliage.
Distracted by the hummingbird drama, I’m startled when the teakettle begins to sing. I pour the water and leave the cups to steep for the requisite three minutes. Delivery of my partner’s steaming tea is the last part of this afternoon ritual. It’s sometimes an excuse for conversation, but more often a simple gesture, a quick and quiet interlude in the midst of our mutual workdays. When I get back to the kitchen my herbal tea will require only a spoonful of honey to make it ready. Allowing myself a last glance out the window, I see that a mean, green flying machine is back at the nectar feeder. Whichever of the two male hummingbirds has prevailed, it wastes no time in savoring the sweetness of its prize. As I return to my quiet work habitat, that sweetness lingers in my mouth as well.
Their imperative here in the northlands is clear: establish a territory, build a nest, and raise a healthy brood of Lilliputian offspring. By early August the breeding season has ended and the birds begin to respond to different internal rhythms. Migrants from breeding populations in Canada and northern Minnesota now join our resident hummers. If mid-August seems a bit premature for migration, consider that by mid-October these wee creatures must cross the Gulf of Mexico to reach their winter ranges in the Yucatán Peninsula and Central America. The birds seem to focus on one goal in preparation for this long journey: getting fat. During the breeding season male ruby-throated hummingbirds have an average mass of 2.5 grams. Balance an American penny on the tip of your finger to get a sense of how insubstantial that mass is. Females can be up to 2 grams heavier—closer to the mass of a nickel. In less the two weeks, through a vigorous program of nectar sipping, a hummer may increase its body weight by 75 percent. No body builder ever took weight gain more seriously. At this time the birds engage in fast and furious territorial battles over access to feeders and flower patches. Females are as just as contentious as males. The bird I’m watching now probably nested in our yard, and is not eager to share resources at such a crucial time. I crane my neck to watch as he chases the interloper away, but the two miniscule green birds are immediately lost among the foliage.
Distracted by the hummingbird drama, I’m startled when the teakettle begins to sing. I pour the water and leave the cups to steep for the requisite three minutes. Delivery of my partner’s steaming tea is the last part of this afternoon ritual. It’s sometimes an excuse for conversation, but more often a simple gesture, a quick and quiet interlude in the midst of our mutual workdays. When I get back to the kitchen my herbal tea will require only a spoonful of honey to make it ready. Allowing myself a last glance out the window, I see that a mean, green flying machine is back at the nectar feeder. Whichever of the two male hummingbirds has prevailed, it wastes no time in savoring the sweetness of its prize. As I return to my quiet work habitat, that sweetness lingers in my mouth as well.
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