DAILY BIRD PICS VOL. 410

Another shot of the kite.

Three Indigo Buntings were feeding on Johnson Grass heads near the South Canadian River in Norman. Lots of Cattle Egrets flying.

ooooo.....LOVE that Kite!!!!!

Wonderful shots Chilly, burn and red!!

I was able to put some fill light in this pic of the juvenile Mississippi Kite. People often see juveniles and mistake them for some other hawk because their coloring is so different from adults.

Those are impressive looking kites, Red.

Still got that impressive ruby-red eye, though!

Resin

WOW!!!!

Think I am going to stop trying to feed the Hummingbirds from the cap, there is too much traffic this weekend, and too many feeders and flowers, so they probably won't be interested in a red cap. What month do they start to migrate? If I did not know better, I would say it was now, they have been hitting the single feeders like mad, we may have to start using sugar water because we are almost out of nectar. The only problem we have is bees and ants, I put some Vicks on the shepherds hooks that they are on and that stopped them for a few minutes but then they started again, and the bees are a problem too. The hummers are smart, they stay away until the bees go away and they zoom in and eat, this one little lady yesterday must have been real hungry, she hovered there for I know must have been at least 3 minutes eating, until a bee interrupted her meal. They have gotten real used to us, they buzz around us all the time, the other day one landed on my hubby's knee and perched there for a second, it was so beautiful. Any advice on how to keep the bees away would be appreciated, thanks.

Teddy, they do start migrating in mid-july I believe. It is on here, as I have a couple a day now. For me it is usually August 1 to October 10 ish.

Now, to the nectar. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you should NOT be using that red nectar. It's bad for them. I'll find a link and post later, unless someone has it handy now.

For bees, I don't know anything besides bee guards.

Thank you Mrs._Ed, I was wondering about the time, it seems earlier this year, I hate to see the time come because I spend the whole winter wondering if they made it and if they will come back. Our Mama Hummer always comes back every spring and she always goes to the same spot. She usually has a nest made in the Cottonwood Tree out front and when her babies are born, she brings them down to teach them how to eat out of the feeders. We have a small hummer(I know, I know they are all small), I mean really small, I got a good look at it as it was eating next to me, it is half that size of the adult hummer. I had my fingers so close to the feeder that when she came to eat, I could feel the air off her tiny wings as she hovered. But the bees chase them away sometimes so they just go to the other feeder that does not have bees on them.

The early migrants are starting, saw some Black Terns this a.m. and American Avocets. An avocet.

A mature and juvenile Mourning Dove.

And a Killdeer.

Nice pics, everyone!

Time to move on to Vol. 411, please head here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1210279/

Resin


This message was edited Aug 13, 2011 7:21 PM