Hummingbirds, Martian Slime

They have nothing in common. Hummingbirds and Martian Slime. But, on a road trip from Jacksonville (NC) to Burgaw (NC), I had a chance to see both.

Let me explain.

The road trip was actually a doc-trip. Time for my annual checkup. Doctor Sam is hq'd in Wilmington, but has an office in Burgaw. Closer for me. And, way less traffic.

The route is mostly rural. Along NC Highway 53, two lane, 'bout 30 miles of it. Motoring along, I noticed a big, black blob at the top of a dead tree. Turns out it was a turkey buzzard with its wings spread. A bit unusual, I thought. As I often do, I stopped as soon as I could, turned around, got back to the area, and pulled over. The shoulder was narrow as all get-out, but there's not a lot of traffic here.

The buzzard was still there. But, he was just sitting at the top of the dead tree. Waiting.

Buzzards aren't the most popular, or photogenic, birds out there. But, they serve a useful purpose. Scavengers, and associated with death. I can't fugure out why we like 'em any less than we like seagulls. Both are scavengers. I guess it's because the gulls are less ugly.

The tree was on a creek. Standing on the bridge that crossed the creek, it becamse apparent that the area had been visited by Martians.

Another Area 51. Maybe we can name it Area 53, for the highway. The creek was a mass of green sludge. Martian slime. Likely, Martian waste.

Must be. It's green, like Martians.

Except for the Martian who starred in the TV series My Favorite Martian. He looked human. Except for the antennae growing out of his head.

But, TV shows aren't realistic. We all know that Martians are green. And, they must produce some sort of waste. The proof is in the pictures.

Doc Sam said I was OK. Did a couple things he said would make me less ugly. No need to explain. Just note that I won't be as offensive-looking as the buzzard.

On the way back to Jacksonville, I found that I was hungry. And, as luck would have it, there was this cool place to eat. On a creek. No Martians. I could tell 'cause the creek water wasn't green.

Holland Shelter Fish Camp and Restaurant. Sign said it has been in business since 1981. That's about right. I've eaten there many times over the years. Good seafood.

I took my camera, walked down the bank to the creek, and checked it out for possible pictures. Nothing spectacular. At least nothing that caught my eye.

A water snake made its way across the creek. About 50 yards out. Too far for a good shot. Even with a 300 mm lens. It was tranquil, though. Peaceful. And, no Martians.

Went inside. I found a seat in a corner. One with a pretty good view of the creek.

A hummingbird feeder was just outside the window. Looking around, I saw several more feeders hanging just outside the restaurant.

And, when I stopped moving around, the birds came. One or two at a time. Darting in, darting out. Hovering in mid-air. I've seen hummingbirds before, of course. But, I've never stopped to appreciate their unique skills.

The critters, according to one site on the internet, are 3-5 inches long. Named because of the sound their wings make.

Those wings? Faster, almost, than the speed of light. They can flap those appendages at speeds up to 90-times-per-second! And, they can fly at about 35 MPH. Fast enough to get a ticket in a school zone.

They can hover.

They can fly backwards. The only birds, as I understand it, that can do that.

Kinda like those Martian Flying Saucers from down the road a few miles.