For my blog post today, I thought I'd share with you the antics my husband and I witnessed as we sat on the patio with our morning coffee.
We've got at least four hummers, gearing up for their migration. They expend so much energy chasing each other round the columns on the patio and around the garden, it seems like they will be worn out before they even get started across the Gulf.
Usually, I can only get photos of them either on the feeders, or perching in a tree. I was lucky this morning to be able to capture these photos of a female in flight as she approached the feeder.
The hummers aren't the only birds in evidence today. As I was sitting on the patio, aiming my camera at the hummingbird feeder for the photos above, I kept seeing flashes of color and movement along the back wall of the garden.
This male Northern Cardinal perched and posed momentarily for a photo op, but not for long. As you can see in the photo above (I'm amazed I caught it on film), another male is swooping in to chase the intruder from "his" territory.
At the same time, on top of the wall, what I thought were two adult females, but turned out to be an adult and a juvenile when I looked at the photo on my computer, are happily pecking at bird seed.
The juvenile enjoyed hopping up and down the milkweed stalks. Do they eat aphids? I'm not sure, but at least there were no caterpillars in the way.
When we first moved in here and were surrounded by our own personal forest, we seemingly had our own resident squirrels. Since all the trees died and/or were removed, and since the lots either side have been cleared and built on, we very rarely see squirrels.
I was missing them, but happened to glance out and see one on the fence last week. This morning, it was back, helping itself to the birdseed and nuts on the fence.
There such sweet little things, and so entertaining, I welcome them in the garden. They've lost so much habitat around here, I'll do anything I can to help them survive. If it means the birds have to share their seed and nuts with the squirrels, so be it :-)
Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.
8 comments:
Sharing our gardens with the animals is truly one of the great joys of gardening, at least for me - and, obviously, for you, too.
What a lovely post. Thank you, Jane! We enjoy our resident squirrels as well!
We have loads of wildlife in my garden, too, Jayne, and it is one of the joys of gardening. Thanks for the reminder I need to replace the feeders for the hummingbird migration. From my porch I see them enjoying the turtle head, so I know they didn't leave yet. P. x
Hummers have arrived in Conroe, too. Hubbie got some good pictures this weekend. Lots of customers at the bird feeders, too. I have lots of squirrels, and don't mind them raiding the feeders either. I know some folks don't kine them and try to fight them but you won't win so just embrace them, right? Have a great week. Be blessed.
I think with the cool front we got on Friday it seemed to usher the hummingbirds out of town. We have a few left but not nearly as many as early last week.
I'm in Magnolia, nearby.
I didn't mean to make the comment anonymous...sorry!
No problem Misti. As of yesterday, we still had ours. I was worried about them during the storms on Friday, but they were back in force over the weekend :-)
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