Hummer Hibernation

Hummingbirds tremble a little and hibernate off and on when super cold, Intermittent torpor. This one didn't notice the camera 18 inches from its little puffed tranced self. It's an Anna's, one of the biggest hummers. 

They can weigh as much as a nickel.

While snowed in, by choice because other animals were outside, the weasel was active. Wet sauce bird feeders that freeze are useless and hummingbirds need food shortly after dawn. Set the alarm, get out of the nest and hang the defrosted feeders early. Toss lots of seed on the snow and ice where sparrows are always the first to start. The weasel's friend said a carpet of ground feeding birds is very good TV.

Hummers are fun for eye darting quick looks. But. There's inaccuracy in characterizing them as cute. They fight a lot. Once the weasel saw one buzz another to the ground and keep poking. Nonsensical when there is plenty of food, who could drink a whole tube of sauce? Do they believe they are big enough to drain it? 

The weasel often wonders about how to approach scarcity, and labeling others is probably not right. Others have reasons, rationales. Is instinct a rationale? Instinct is inside. Is the reason for not labeling rational, the observer striving for empathetic accuracy, instead of moral superiority? 

But if one can only flit and buzz in imagination, provoked by gazing at the ones who can, what are we labeling for? What is this urge to reason? Familiar paws fitting into fanciful wings, the warm weasel feels awe.