They are one of my favorite winged creatures... the humming bird.
While the Bella Donna plant can be toxic for humans, it appears that these little guys like the nectar within.
The wings of a hummingbird can flutter at amazing speeds. Sometimes all you can see are the traces of their wings in the blink of the shutter.
Every once in awhile I get lucky, and catch one slurping up an insect I cannot even see, or just at the tail end of that meal with their beaks barely parted.
Often I catch them resting. People tell me they never see them sitting still, but if you watch closely, and become a part of their world, you will see them resting often in between their feeding.
I love each one. Now I await more! This years crop will be coming very soon. I have seen a couple, but not the group I usually see starting in early May. They should be nesting soon.
ReplyDeleteI can hardly wait. There is a plant called a lipstick plant that they absolutely LOVE. I intend to plant a few of them this year and see how many will drink of their nectar.
DeleteGood idea. I always have one bright purple petunia and they will just devour it! We are going to look for a dark trumpet vine, our neighbors used to have one and they were all over it all summer. They cut it down and I think we should replace it! :)
DeleteThey do like those petunias. I have them on most of the borders of the yard. Love em! I don't have any place to put a trumpet vine... they are wonderful.
Deleteomy gosh..how did i miss this????????????? LOVE LOVE !!
ReplyDelete;-) You've found it now. I have been lackadaisical about my photos for the past few months (quite unlike me). Now that the weather is warming, and new life is becoming apparent, my camera will return to its place as my closest friend :-)
DeleteSo BEAUTIFUL!!! Do you have a fawsome camera, or are you able to capture these with a less than killer model?
ReplyDeleteHey there Jester! Nice to see you in here. I have a Rebel T1, it's not top of the line, but it is a nice camera. The zoom lens lets me get close, but I really would love to get a bit closer. The lens I want costs more than the camera... but one day :-)
DeleteWhen I was a kid, my mom planted a purple petunia at the foot of the trellis that framed the side door to our house. That sucker CLIMBED the trellis. And humming birds loved it. We could pick blossoms and hold them, and humming birds would essentially feed out of our hands. Never got a pic. Not one.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh I am going to have to try that Angela. I have been gathering seeds for several years now, and the petunias that grow in my garden are a bit odd. They are purples, and pinks, and white opalescent shades, with stripes, and ruffles, and sometimes dots in various places. They have obviously cross bred at several points over time. I am going to see about training them to climb. I can see it as a possibility, because they are most certainly hearty.
DeleteWhat a great idea!
Beautiful photographs of the hummingbirds!! You must be very patient and quick with the shutter to catch those little guys.
ReplyDeleteI found you, commenting on Claudia Mosher's, 'My Story' and the name November Rain jumped out at me.
Kathy at Oak Lawn Images
Thank you Kathy... I'm glad you decided to peek in. My friends laugh at me, because it took me about 2 years of constant stalking to get a good picture of them. In the process, I learned their habits. Now I know what time of day to sit and watch for them. I know how fast (or slow) my hand can move to bring the camera to my face, and I know how much noise I can make before I scare them off. It's grand fun!
DeleteWow, fantastic photos...thanks for sharing! I really love this!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michael, you have found your way around my little corner of the cyber world :-) I am glad you like what you see.
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