Here is where I shall occasionally draw back the curtain and let you in on the best snippets of gossip and whatnot heard during my monthly visit to the Infusion Clinic, during which I spend the afternoon in a gray lay-z-boy enjoying a bag of drugs with other gray-recliner-ensconced “stuck-up” types.
22 July 2020
Sad to say, but for the first time in nearly 1.5 years of regular visits to the clinic, I overheard stereotyping and intolerance. Although the subjects weren’t called out by subspecies, the grouping by color made the racism impossible to ignore. We just don’t have many varieties of hummingbird in New Mexico!
⚠️ Warning: What follows is an example of ornithological racism*…
“Those orange hummingbirds are jerks! Who knew? Bright yellow and orange. The plain ones are nice – with green wings – but those orange-red ones are always fighting over the feeders.”
Yes, dear readers, male rufous hummers are flashy golden, orange, red and can be quite territorial. I am a birdwatcher and lover of hummingbirds and I can assure you that all of those little hovering wonders are jerks. Generally the males tend to be more aggressive dillweeds than the females, but the womenfolk can lay down just as well as the men if they want. And in the midst of summer round here, they often do want. Yup, even the unassuming female black-chinned, described above as plain with green wings.
*aka Bird Bias. Not to be confused with Big Bird Bias, which is absolutely fine between consenting adults — not for me to judge. Though I will say, yellow is not my color. Especially unclothed. Holy frijoles, I’m pale!
My Good Wolf 