Thursday, September 21, 2017

Hummingbird days. . . . . and the house project!


I cleaned out and refilled the feeder hanging on the front porch yesterday.
 It will be the last time for this year as these amazing tiny birds will be heading
 further south soon. . . . . also work has started on the exterior of the cottage
 so the feeder will have to be taken down. . . . . . . .more on that later.

We have a pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds flying back and forth - mostly when
 I pass the dining room window without a camera in my hand - of course! No other bird
 is as tiny, or flies backward like this one. It also hovers and flies up and down. I did
 manage to get these few half-way decent photos during the past couple of days.
Sometimes I sit outside on the porch but they aren't too happy when they see
 me and take off. They move so quickly, sometimes buzzing me with a soft
 chatter and whirl of those wings - they do not sing.
Weighing in at just 2-3 grams, it takes about five average-sized hummingbirds to
equal the weight of a single tiny chickadee! The heart beats an incredible 1,260 times
 a minute, it breathes 250 times a minute, and the wings flap 50-60 times a 
second.
Above and below - Mrs. Hummingbird
Iridescent green back among the wet oak leaves.
Mr. Hummingbird - you can just make out his ruby colored throat which ends in a lovely scalloped design. 
I took this photo, one of my favorites, a couple of years ago. This female loved the
 morning glories clambering up the porch, and perched on them often.
  I often wonder if it's the same pair returning each summer, or perhaps their offspring.

Do you have hummingbirds in your garden?
I hope so as they so pretty to watch - if you're quick!



7 comments:

  1. I imagine that you've had generations of humming birds coming to feed over the years. My neighbor feeds the birds so I see a lot of bird activity and even some hummingbirds at my flowers.

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  2. You got some great snaps of them! Even though we did not put up a feeder at this rental we do see them enjoying some of the flowers planted around the house.

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  3. Hummingbirds are amazing to watch for sure. We have had a couple fledgling this week and they actually sit still at the feeder longer than the older ones; so I have gotten a few pictures. I watch them in the morning while I eat my breakfast and if I don't move much they just ignore me. I am surprised you don't have some stay all winter. The anna hummingbirds stay all winter here; so we keep our feeder filled all winter long.

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  4. What magical photos of the hummingbirds, brilliantly captured. I only saw my first hummingbirds two years ago in Canada and it was so difficult to catch a photo, they really are incredibly fast. They look so cute on your red birdfeeder.

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  5. I haven't seen any hummingbirds around here in a couple of years. I miss seeing them. They're such beautiful birds.

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  6. Your photos are a testament to your patience, persistence, and great eye. I watched a ruby-throated hummingbird outside my kitchen window a few days ago and didn't even attempt to go for my camera. They move so quickly. Amazing creatures.

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  7. We don't seem to have any hummingbirds here but if we did, I;d want a feeder like this. Great shots, as always, Mary.

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