As pretty as a picture. A female hummer bides her time. ❦
Image #305 – Female Hummingbird
Image #301 – Summer Hummer
Summer is in full swing and the hummingbirds are frequent guests here on Fawn Hill. ❦
Image #267 – Hummingbird on wing
I don’t think I will ever tire of hummingbirds. ❧
Image #261 – A Soggy Hummingbird
A soggy hummingbird gives me the eye during our two days of constant rain. Thankfully it was constant and not torrential but it was seriously constant and it made it tough for our friends who live in trees. Where do they go when night falls? Certainly some are minding nests and protecting young ones. Last night must have been a long one because the rain did not cease. First order of business when the rain stopped? Off to Tractor Supply for more birdseed, of course. ❧
Image #260 – Hummingbird in the rain
It has been a wet day here in Western North Carolina. Wet and cool. Natives are already predicting a long, cold winter. But for the moment it is still summer and there are baby birds to feed. Today my feeder was like a drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant. At one point I counted eight cardinals gathered round the feeders. Some of the males flew in to frighten the poor house finches who look so miserable in weather like this. Once the finches were gone the cardinals fed peacefully in some pre-ordained order. Who knows how all these things work.
The hummingbirds have also been in and out all day. That’s one of them in the picture. Notice the raindrop on his head. Hummingbirds rarely feed at the same time. They must have “little bird syndrome” because they are quick to drive away the other hummers. I suppose they each get enough. There were at least three today and I spent so much time observing them that I began to notice the traits and slightly different coloring.
There were at least 13 species of bird at my feeders today. It was a good day, despite the weather ❧
Image #75 — Sub-adult Ruby-throat Hummingbird
Read enough bird identification guides and you come across some curious terms. Like “sub-adult”. Why not “young adult”? Why not “aged juvenile”? Oh well… He’s strong and well-fed. May he live long and prosper. ☙
Image #74 – Female Hummingbird
A female ruby-throated hummingbird sits on a crepe myrtle. ☙
Image #69 – Hummingbirds
There are hummingbirds that come to my feeder. What a treat! You can sit on the porch, with the feeder just a few feet overhead, and the little rascals will zoom in, sometimes stopping to hover and have a look at you. Their aerial abilities are beyond description and, I can tell you, present a challenge to the photographer. All birds, it seems, have an aversion to cameras. Hummingbirds are no exception and their speed and agility make them even more of a challenge.
I did get a picture today of a juvenile sitting on the feeder. I think this is a very young ruby-throat. They are the predominant species here 
but this little guy is still in knickers. Look carefully at the base of his belly and you can still see his downy feathers. Good luck little hummingbird. Live long and prosper. ☙
Alice's WanderLand 