Multifaceted & Multitalented

[Solly Mack]

(Yes, more hummingbirds)

It's about that time of year when the Hummingbirds leave my area and travel south for the winter. I've been spending a lot of time with them. Sometimes just watching them play and fight. They keep getting closer and closer to me. One has actually landed on my husband's upper arm and rested there while he changed out the feeders. I was so jealous!



Pretending to be an eagle.




Pretending to be a turkey.




Pretending I don't exist.




Giving me the "stink-eye" because I do.




This one is singing.








This one is Flamenco dancing.





This one is rubbernecking






I'm going to miss them.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Great shots, Solly.

You're so GOOD!

[Solly Mack]

2. Hey, Blue!

Thanks. Just having so fun.

[NV Whino]

3. Oh my gosh!

Those are great! I love the stink eye. Love the singers and the eagle, too.

[Solly Mack]

4. Thanks, NV Whino.

They can be quite entertaining.

I think the singer was really fussing at me but I'll pretend otherwise.

[handmade34]

5. amazing photos

of hummingbirds!

[Solly Mack]

6. Don't tell him he isn't an eagle. :)

Thanks, handmade!

[Celebration]

7. So nice!

The hummingbird photo you won the contest with was amazing, and these are really nice. People that haven't done it have no idea how much fun it is to photograph hummingbirds!

[Solly Mack]

8. I love the little buggers.

They are a delight to watch.

Thanks, Celebration.

[Mira]

9. This may well be

my favorite "story" telling thread you've ever made. But then there are so many good ones. I love and admire the photographs, and also your humor and creativity.

[Solly Mack]

10. I'm sad they'll be leaving soon.

Thanks, Mira.

[mnhtnbb]

11. I am amazed that you get these great photos of hummers.

I have feeders and love watching them all summer long. Expecting to see
them go very soon--usually mid-September here--but one year they hung out
until early October. But this morning it's 51 degrees--so I think they'll be gone
any day.

[Solly Mack]

13. Thanks, mnhtnbb.

The birds don't seem to mind me being around and they will perch near me.

Mine should be gone by month's end.

[csziggy]

12. Depending on people's locations, they might want to leave feeders out for the winter

I live in North Florida and over the last decade, hummingbird researchers have found that species from the Western US are overwintering here rather than flying south. Many in this area are seeing new to them species rather than the traditional Ruby Throated Hummingbirds!

To see some of the research go to: http://www.hummingbirdresearch.net/

[Solly Mack]

14. Thanks, csziggy!

Very helpful!

[csziggy]

15. I've been on Fred's email list for a while

And I hope to be able to have some hummers for him to trap this winter. The problem has been keeping them up and supplied over the winter but I've gotten into the routine this summer.

[Solly Mack]

16. I usually leave my trap line up

until November just in case any hummers travel my way but now I think I'll keep it up for good. Just to see. I have 6 feeders running back to front in my trap line.

[csziggy]

17. I wonder if the "new" hummers in the area are really new or

If they were coming to the Southeast all along and people just didn't look for them.

I'm hoping once I get the carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand I will be able to hold my camera steady enough to take bird pictures again. Even with my newer camera, I am just not steady enough to get them in focus, especially if I attempt any kind of zooming - which is what I bought this camera for!

I'd love to try for some hummer pictures like you have taken - or any of the other birds we have here at the farm.

[Solly Mack]

18. I get the rufous in the spring on its way back up but I haven't

noticed it coming this way on the way down. Maybe I've just been missing them because I don't watch my feeders as much during the fall/winter. I'm going to keep an eye out now. You may be right.

[csziggy]

19. I'm trying to figure out where I can put more feeders

The hummers don't like how close their feeders are to the ones for the other birds and they are fighting a lot among themselves.

My BIL suggested I should put out more hummer feeders (I have three, one on the south side, north east corner and west side of the house) and put them closer together with the idea that given lots of choices, the hummers will fight less and settle down to eat more. The problem is that I am greedy - I want the feeders where I can watch the birds so that limits the places I want to put them.

I have some ideas where I can put more, but until we make some changes in the flower beds and re-screen the porch, I won't be ready to put up more posts. They also need to be where I can easily take them down to bring in every night so the deer don't eat all the seed and the raccoons don't mess with the hummer feeders.

[Solly Mack]

20. I have feeders out I can't see from a window. Try it when you get the chance.

Might just calm them for when you can see them.

[csziggy]

21. Right now I don't even have any posts or hooks to put on them

And for the next few weeks we will not be here to refill or put the feeders in and out. We have people to take care of the horses and cat, but not for the birds.

When we get back, I'll see where else I can put feeders. I know the seed eating birds love have numerous ones so entire flocks can eat at the same time. I've had dozens of goldfinches mob the feeders at once during the winter!

I just stuck my head out the back door to check for a package and almost got hit by a pair of hummers, one chasing the other. That is UNDER the carport!