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| Anna's Hummingbird & Tobacco Flowers, Middle Lake |
Apparently there's a trace amount of nicotine in the nectar of tobacco flowers. Thinking about animals that could benefit from a stimulant (I'm looking at you, koala bears), hummingbirds don't even make the list.
I didn't know the plant was tobacco (possibly Nicotiana tomentosa) as I watched several hummingbirds bickering over the flowers this morning. I'd have looked it up on the spot if I hadn't accidentally left my phone (plus money clip of cash and cards, and a pair of reading glasses) in a fanny pack at home. If I'd known, I'd have snagged a leaf or two to dry and burn, just to see what it smells like. (I quit smoking cigarettes thirty-eight years ago, which is probably why I'm cancer-free and can still go for walks and bike rides without an oxygen tank.)
Looking for somewhere new to go today, I rode out to Lake Merced to see if I could spot a rare bird recently reported in the area. Not only did I not find the rare bird, I wondered how anyone had spotted it in that location -- in a strip of plants and garbage along a canal next to the Olympic Club golf course.
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| A few Northern Yellow Warblers worked the tree line adjacent to the canal and golf course. |
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| Northern Yellow Warbler, Top View |
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| Over at Lake Merced's concrete bridge I was greeted by another bird I hadn't realized we hosted in San Francisco -- a grackle. |
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| There are signs asking people not to feed the wildlife, but this guy was quite comfortable around people. |
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| Great-tailed Grackle (Male) |
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| Quiscalus mexicanus (Female) |
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| I figured the Western grebe on the right was a youngster since it seemed to be begging from the other bird. |
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| Biking back along the coast via the Great Highway Extension, I thought I saw whale spouts. Only when I pointed my lens out to sea did I see that the splashes were from diving pelicans. |
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| Nicotine Patch |
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| Despite the profusion of tobacco flowers, the hummers also took advantage of the adjacent eucalyptus. |
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| It's nice to be able to get your nectar reward without needing to hover. |
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