A Hummingbird's Performance

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Interesting wildlife visitors continue to visit the raptor mews. A few weeks ago, a tree frog relaxed by Aldo's window. And today, the birds got a front row seat to an avian performance.

I was filling a water pan in Carson's mew when I heard high-pitched chittering accompanied by a zipping sound. I ran to the door and saw a blur as a tiny bird dove back and forth in front of the mew building. Even though I couldn't see him well enough to identify the bird, the high-speed u-shaped flight was characteristic of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird's courtship dance. While he hoped that a female hummer would be impressed by his display, he didn't know that 3 raptors and their trainer were also enjoying his performance.

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