Monday, August 9, 2010

Little Hummies ...................


We started out this year with only a few hummingbirds. I put out one feeder so those that were here could eat. I didn''t want to attract any more, because I was afraid the cats would catch them. Surprisingly, Maggie May and Mazie Grace don't pay any attention to them. Maybe they move too fast, or maybe they are so small it isn't worth the effort to try to catch them.

Our few have multiplied over the summer and we now have a bunch of the little birds. I love to sit and watch their antics. They can be very loud for such little things - chittering back and forth. They can also be very mean. I have a male who will not allow any other hummingbirds to get close to the feeder. He will viciously attack any that come near.

When I take the feeder down to refill, they wait impatiently for me to put it back. Several will get right in my face and fuss at me if I'm too slow. They can put on quite a show.

We had a couple of good rains last week. Some areas had violent storms with lightning and wind damage. We were lucky since we didn't get the strong winds. Our parched, brown landscape turned green and lush in a matter of days. We've actually had grass to cut. It perked up my garden, but also made my tomatoes crack. The cucumbers are producing a second crop, but the squash are beyond hope.

The heat is still with us. Both June and July were the hottest on record for this area. August is continuing the trend. We've been spending our time either in the AC or in the pool. We have several day trips we want to take, but it's been too hot. They will have to wait for cooler weather.

7 comments:

Gilly said...

I just love those humming birds! I have never seen one except on TV - which is definitely not the same!

We've had a lot of rain, its amazing how fast grass will recover. But we could do without the rain for a bit, now, thank you!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Too cute, I didn't realize that they were that bold.

Arkansas Patti said...

Have you seen the pics of the lady feeding hummers from her hand? I am trying that now, first by letting them get used to me at the feeders. They do get right up in your face and are cranky little darlin's.

NitWit1 said...

Love the hummers. I don't feed them because of stray cats and my propensity to forget to fill the feeders, which I am told is a NO NO.

Love AR PATTI'S IDEA of feeding from hand, but then I would beholding a camera!

KathyA said...

While we've had butterflies by the hundreds, I've seen only a few 'bumminghirds.' I specifically planted red, blue, and purple salvia, million bells, and lots of other flowers that attract them, but to no avail. I guess I'll have to break down and buy a feeder.

Sweetflutterbys3 said...

That is the same feeder we have outside our glass sliding doors. We only have occasional hummingbirds. The ones that do show up sometimes come over to the glass and pause to look in, as if saying thanks for the food!

It sounds extremely hot down there. We have had our fair share of days in the 90's, like today and tomorrow will be. The grass is brown and brittle and my garden is looking bad. My squash died too :(

Lilla said...

great close-up of the hummingbirds!