In a week without much birding news, perhaps this incident will amuse.
At 6 AM in my garden, a female hummer twice approached within an inch
of my urine stream. Of course I tried to discourage her. I believe she was
confused because, in the same spot at the same time 2 days ago, I was
standing right next to a sprinkler set so low that the drops only rose some 8". This
same bird (I'm sure) came for a drink, apparently sipping drops out of the air and
also from the dripping fronds of a tarragon plant. Then it moved just beyond the
sprinkling and perched 8" above the ground on the wire of a tomato cage, where
it spent a good minute or two preening and spreading out its feathers. All this while
I was standing practically right over her.
I believe when it saw me today and saw the liquid stream, it thought it could repeat the
enjoyable experience.