Looking for the return of the pollywogs

We're happy to see that the irrigation wheel lines are finally working on the ranch across the road from us and hopefully the grass hay will start to turn green soon. The run-off water is already filling up the adjacent ditches and that means we might get to see tadpoles again this summer. Last year we saw hundreds of them swimming around and eating little plants in the ditch. Our grandchildren have always enjoyed watching - and catching - those tiny animals with the round head and a tail.

It's interesting to watch the tadpoles, also called pollywogs, change as they grow larger. First they grow their hind legs and later their two little front legs. After a few months of growing in the water, their gills are covered up and their lungs develop so they begin to breathe air, but they must come to the surface of the water to breathe it. As a little frog they often change their old skin as they grow into new skin. Our grandsons thought it would be neat to see one pull its old skin off over its head and eat it. Little boys would rather watch pollywogs and frogs than watch TV.

Several months ago we were surprised to see one little hummingbird out in our backyard. It seemed to be looking for a blooming flower so it could sip the sweet nectar out of it. Too bad our flowers weren't blooming in April but we think he came back in July and brought along five friends with him. Apparently their brains can remember where the abundant food is from previous years. Lots of the delicious flowers and three bird feeders filled with sugar water are "easy pickin's" for these very interesting little hummers. Now every morning and every evening we are totally entertained just by sitting on the deck and watching them. We usually have six hummers fighting for rights to the three feeders.

This morning while my husband and I were bird watching out on the deck one of the tiny aviators flew up in front of my face and he seemed to look right into my eyes. He just hovered there for a few seconds before rotating almost 180 degrees and flying back to the sugar water feeder. I've read that a hummingbird can beat its wings between 18 and 78 times a second, depending on its size. That was a second, not a minute. Unbelievable!

As the little bird was guarding the feeder another colorful hummer flew up to it and was quickly chased away. They both made a vertical climb straight up higher than our two-story house and then they quickly dove straight back down to the ground. Hummer No.1 was just defending his territory. These amazing birds are so exciting to watch.

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