something that i've never seen before. I have the sprinklers going outside right now while i'm in the yard working. I happened to come inside for a minute and as I made my way through the kitchen I happened to look out the window. Midways between my house and the road I have a small live oak tree planted in the middle of the yard. Well the sprinkler is sitting just opposite that tree,as I looked out the window I noticed a small bird sitting low in the tree so the water would hit it when the stream passed by. After looking a little closer I noticed it was a hummingbird.
A male ruby throat sitting there flapping it's wings and just letting the water spray on him. He then moved to the top of the tree for a minute ,shook off and went back down to bathe again.
Wanted to get a pic but by the time I got to my camera and came back he was gone.I've never seen a hummer taking a bath before.
I just saw
That would be so cute! They are darling, and so ltiny.
Boy, you must have good eyes. They're so tiny I'm surprised you noticed him. I've followed them with my eyes before and watched them sit in a tree, but if you didn't know what it was you would think it was a leaf. Maybe he'll come back. Have your camera ready.
Linda
catsmeow I had one here that every time I watered the plants with a fine mist, it would come down in front of me and hover in the spray. They love a bath.
These aren't hummers, but baby wrens, the day before they left the nest. They nested in a hanging basket, right over Potter and Coco, the cats. It was tough keeping the cats away, but we managed and the babies flew, like tiny, jet bullets, outta the nest the day after this photo. One by one they marched to the rim of the pot and hit the air like they had been flying all their short lives, amazing, to me anyway. The babies had never, ever chirped (we're sure mom/pop told them that if they chirped, the cats would have them for lunch!) and of course could not fly, until they zoomed straight to trees, chirping happily as they joined mom and pop, who took wonderful care, wrens are tidy birds and apparently like people. They really had mad faces in the nest when I took digitals, straddled a ladder and a foot on the shelf on my deck and the foot on the gate. I call the babies The Furious Five, because of their precious miffed faces. We believe they still reside in our barn grotto, we think we listen to them each day...
They sell Hummingbird misters here at the Wild Bird store. I've wanted one for a long time, but hubby says we don't have anywhere to put one.
Wow David! How neat!! I would love to get a hummer to my yard. We have them, but mostly in the mtns. Hopefully the brugs will draw them near.
I wonder if you couldnt make your own little mister somehow?
David that is so neat. Yes, they love a fine spray bath but only the lucky ones actually get to see it done.
I have several hummers that visit me all day long now and I never tire of watching them. I posted couple pictures that I took yesterday here... http://davesgarden.com/t/440282/
MzM - your hummer photos are fantastic, just wonderful pics!!! I especially like the second one, where he's looking right at you!! I love birds and your photos are some of the best I've seen!!!
I have an old hose with a split in it and I was watering my ferns the other day and the hose was casting a real fine spray up and over the deck railing.... and woosh, here they came.... 2 hummers and just hovered in the fine spray for a bit and then flew up to the feeders and preened themselves and then repeated the process a couple of times.... I nearly drowned my ferns for watching them and letting them enjoy a bath... lol
Blessings,
Carolyn
David, Hummingbirds are so neat. i have a couple of misters and they love them when the weather is hot. It is 90 ouside right now, which is why I'm inside. Donna
I'm going to rig one up tomorrow. I love watching mine and maybe the mister will give me more entertainment with them.
I love my old cheap hose,I have a new one now,but I would use it as a mister on plants,while I was working on something else.
Ahhhhh David, you lucky guy! We've had hummers here for as long as I can remember, but not this year! Darn....I'm wishing for them and haven't seen one yet! I wonder why that is??? I've had feeders out for them like every year in the past. Keep enjoying them!
Earlier today, I saw my cat playing with a dead leaf on my dining room rug. I went in and bent down and picked it up and then screamed. The cats all ran for cover.
It was a humming bird and it was still alive but mangled. I was so shocked. My cat was playing with it. My kid came in and went to pick it up and it flew up and then down behind a big piece of furniture. We were in a huge hurry so we put the cats outside.
When I got home I had forgotten all about it. I went to start dinner and there was a dead leaf on the dish rack. I reached down and went to pick it up and as I tossed it in the sink I realized it was the hummingbird. Still alive. I was so shocked. I felt terrible we had not killed it earlier. But I never could have done that and my kid was not up to it either. It was just terrible. My DH took it. I did not ask.
That's really cool David. I have seen the Chickadees and Titmice do it