This little guy showed up yesterday at the feeder. He is sitting in a Tyty tree
First Ruby Throat of the year
and then today while trying to get the cats back in the house I left the screen door open and when I went back inside kept hearing a buzzing like sound and thought one of those pesky carpenter bees got inside. I followed the sound to underneath the dining room valance and there he was. He allowed me to pick him up.. and then juggle my camera (left-handed) to get an in-focus picture. I then went back outside with him and opened my hand near the feeder. He sat perched on my finger and drank from the feeder for almost 2 minutes before flying off. What a magical event.
This message was edited Mar 17, 2006 4:37 PM
Oh my goodness, that was so cool!! I hope they are on their way here soon. My sugar water is ready for them. Karen
Oooooo, what a sight for sore eyes! I can't wait till they get up here in Tn.! Thanks for sharing.
OMG! I just saw the bird in the hand picture! What a neat experience.
Holding a Hummingbird is truly magical. They are so tiny and warm, and will stay so still in your hand that you almost forget to breathe. It is time to put out the feeders! My feeders are already in place and I should see some any day now.
DH and I joke about having two seasons - firewood and hummers. Just about time we have the last fire in the fireplace, its time to put out the hummer feeders. Then in the fall when the hummers leave, its time to start getting the fireplace ready to light up again. It seems that our world revolves around these two seasons.
thanks all... I'm always so excited when the first hummer shows up and that excitement never fades throughout the season.
.. MzMunchken ..
Such .. puts one B-I-G ol grinner across ya face, don't it !?! (hee)
Hung one of my hummer feeders out today .. along with a disappointing 'leaky' Oriole feeder. (.. Jes in case, ya know ..)
Saw my 2nd butterfly for our area, today ..
The Zebra Swallowtail, had a heavy hankering for the lil hyacinths. They're blooming to beat the band, I tell ya. The first butterflies, have been the wee lil tiny blues - that will NOT sit still for a second! (hee)
- Magpye
Can someone tell me when and what kind of hummers to expect to see in middle TN? I relocated from Louisiana after Katrina and would like to know what kind to keep an eye out for.
Betty
MzM, that was an incredible once in a lifetime experience! How neat to hold a little hummer while he drank nectar.
Betty, you will see ruby throated ones for sure.
I saw a big rufus hummer at the banana flowers this morning.
MzMunchken,
What a wonderful gift!
And what the heck is a tyty tree??
Magpye.. yep BIG Grin!! I also kissed its little head before taking it back outside..*big smile*
Betty.. Yep.. for sure you will see the Ruby-throat and probably some Rufus as well.
Susie.. it was a special treat for me. I saw him again this morning while having my coffee on the deck. He came right up to the feeder and drank while I sat no further away than 2ft.
Deserteden.. it is a swamp tree.. guess living in the desert you wouldn't have to worry about anything like that.. *lol* I put its info in the plant files.. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/127936/index.html
Thanks for the replies everyone. We had ruby throated in LA. I am off to look up pictures of Rufus.
Betty
.. MzMunchken ..
You've certainly provided some needed reasons .. to extending my own a bit larger today, also!!
((BIG ol' grinners & xtree huggers))
- Magpye
MzMunchkin,
Thanks for the tyty info. Now, what the heck is a swamp? (Just a little desert humor...)
*snort*
Me too! First hummer I've spotted, just today. It nectared from a salvia and then whirred around the yard! Yea!