“A flash of harmless lightning, a mist of rainbow dyes, the burnished sunbeams brightening from flower to flower he flies.” – John Banister Tabb. 5.14.25 through 5.20.25
We have hummers that came in April while it was still cold .Unfortunately, the bear has found the feeder and tore it up. We bought another but he went for it too. At least , got them through the Cold.
I'm glad you liked it! Your bears go after hummingbird feeders? Wow, I've had woodpeckers go after ours, but the bears tend to go after regular seed feeders around here. We set up a feeder a few years back and it lasted less than 48 hours before one of the local bruins found it. We caught it on video - batted it down with a casual flick of his paw and then lay down on the lawn like a dog with a bone to enjoy his prize. We never replaced it, but he came back four more times over the next few days in hopes that we would be foolish enough to repeat our mistake. We weren't. 😂
I'm glad you got them through the cold. We're in a cold snap right now (mid-40s today) and we're getting tons of rain. The grass is growing super well, but if it keeps raining like this, it's going to be another expensive hay season.
About the hummer feeders - is there any way you can mount them high, with something like a pulley system to get the feeders up and down?
I use ant cups with my hummingbird feeders. They're little cups with hooks on both the top and bottom, that get filled with water. The ants can't go beyond the mini moat. Works like a charm.
Jeannine: Your photography and ability to identify and nurture individuals among hummingbirds are WONDROUS.
Reading these tales, they are so life affirming and beautiful and evince more truth, beauty and natural justice than comes from the species of "Rational, Mortal Bipeds" (Aristotle's definition of a human) in Washington, DC.
Your friends in rural New Hampshire are a parable for how humanity should live.
Thank you, but right out front I want to clarify that those are NOT my photographs. If you look at the captions below each photo, you'll see the names of the talented individuals who donated their efforts to Unsplash for free, noncommercial use - they rock! I am strictly an amateur when it comes to photography, taking the sorts of pictures that used to go into family albums, back before the digital revolution made such things redundant.
And I am ashamed to admit that I am not truly able to tell one ruby-throated hummer from another... I can identify who is a male, female, or juvenile (their feather coloring gives them away), and that's about it. They are too small and quick for me to see identifying details. This is micro-FICTION after all, though Roberto and Roberta are based on their real-life counterparts.
But, yes, I love them. And yes, I would much rather hang out with a charm of hummingbirds than a gaggle of politicians any day!
Jeannine: No matter, these are experiences you LIVE and share through the photos that best ignite your own memory.
You enrich us with the beauty that you SAW AND REPORT, and the photographer has wonderful gifts with the macro-lense.
You report being an "amateur" photographer.
As you will appreciate, the root word in "amateur" is "amare": To love.
So you give time you LOVE in photography.
And I love your memories as you reflect them and the pictures, irrespective of who the talented photographer is.
Thank you so very, very much for sharing the ornithological world of hummingbirds.
The University of Michigan shares:
"Hummingbirds belong to the order Apodiformes, meaning, "unfooted birds." There are three families in this order: Trochilidae (hummingbirds), Hemiprocnidae (tree swifts), and Apodidae (swifts). The family Trochilidae belongs to its own Suborder, Trochili."
In Tucson, they are abundant and will buzz welcomely in one's face. It is a beautiful sight.
Now, presence of grandkids forced a move to a semi-rural suburb of Memphis (circa one-mile below the Tennessee border). We have fewer hummingbirds, but for that we have the magnificent great heron with its majestic flight.
Thank you again. Only the ruby-throated hummingbirds visit New Hampshire. I often watch live cams on YouTube that are located in Panama and Guatemala - there are so many amazing tropical hummers! Some with foot long tails, some that look like they're wearing fuzzy little boots, and they come in all the colors one could imagine. But the humble little ruby-throats are HERE, where I can see and hear them, and sometimes even feel the breeze if they zoom by closely.
The story of Hall and Molly rescuing Roberto was a fictionalized version of something that really happened to me. I found the little guy lying in the deck, and he just lay on the palm of my hand, quietly watching me, while I teased away the cobwebs that were restraining him. As soon as he was free, I could feel him begin to vibrate, like a little motor gearing up, and then he was gone without a backward glance. But if I think about it, I can still feel that tiny creature in my hand - he left behind a beautiful memory as a thank you gift.
Herons are wonderful, they always look so proud and regal!
love our hummers--and they love our homemade (dye free) nectar
Yep, we leave out the dye, too. They're attracted by the colorful feeders anyway. Wonderful little creatures, even if they do fight too much.
Oh , Jeannine!
Ii really enjoyed this!
We have hummers that came in April while it was still cold .Unfortunately, the bear has found the feeder and tore it up. We bought another but he went for it too. At least , got them through the Cold.
I'm glad you liked it! Your bears go after hummingbird feeders? Wow, I've had woodpeckers go after ours, but the bears tend to go after regular seed feeders around here. We set up a feeder a few years back and it lasted less than 48 hours before one of the local bruins found it. We caught it on video - batted it down with a casual flick of his paw and then lay down on the lawn like a dog with a bone to enjoy his prize. We never replaced it, but he came back four more times over the next few days in hopes that we would be foolish enough to repeat our mistake. We weren't. 😂
I'm glad you got them through the cold. We're in a cold snap right now (mid-40s today) and we're getting tons of rain. The grass is growing super well, but if it keeps raining like this, it's going to be another expensive hay season.
About the hummer feeders - is there any way you can mount them high, with something like a pulley system to get the feeders up and down?
Thanks , Jeannine!
Had not thought about high feeder . Thanks for the idea.
We have a seed feeder and he has been happy with that until this year. We also have a creek for water,but he must have acquired a sweet tooth.
I do have wonderful memories of hu.mers when I lived in Georgia and the biggest worry there was ants.
Oh well ,I have flowers all around for them now !
Maybe Mr. Bear wanted some dessert?
I use ant cups with my hummingbird feeders. They're little cups with hooks on both the top and bottom, that get filled with water. The ants can't go beyond the mini moat. Works like a charm.
My big hummingbird feeder problem is wasps...
Jeannine: Your photography and ability to identify and nurture individuals among hummingbirds are WONDROUS.
Reading these tales, they are so life affirming and beautiful and evince more truth, beauty and natural justice than comes from the species of "Rational, Mortal Bipeds" (Aristotle's definition of a human) in Washington, DC.
Your friends in rural New Hampshire are a parable for how humanity should live.
Thank you, but right out front I want to clarify that those are NOT my photographs. If you look at the captions below each photo, you'll see the names of the talented individuals who donated their efforts to Unsplash for free, noncommercial use - they rock! I am strictly an amateur when it comes to photography, taking the sorts of pictures that used to go into family albums, back before the digital revolution made such things redundant.
And I am ashamed to admit that I am not truly able to tell one ruby-throated hummer from another... I can identify who is a male, female, or juvenile (their feather coloring gives them away), and that's about it. They are too small and quick for me to see identifying details. This is micro-FICTION after all, though Roberto and Roberta are based on their real-life counterparts.
But, yes, I love them. And yes, I would much rather hang out with a charm of hummingbirds than a gaggle of politicians any day!
Jeannine: No matter, these are experiences you LIVE and share through the photos that best ignite your own memory.
You enrich us with the beauty that you SAW AND REPORT, and the photographer has wonderful gifts with the macro-lense.
You report being an "amateur" photographer.
As you will appreciate, the root word in "amateur" is "amare": To love.
So you give time you LOVE in photography.
And I love your memories as you reflect them and the pictures, irrespective of who the talented photographer is.
Thank you so very, very much for sharing the ornithological world of hummingbirds.
The University of Michigan shares:
"Hummingbirds belong to the order Apodiformes, meaning, "unfooted birds." There are three families in this order: Trochilidae (hummingbirds), Hemiprocnidae (tree swifts), and Apodidae (swifts). The family Trochilidae belongs to its own Suborder, Trochili."
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Trochilidae/#:~:text=Hummingbirds%20belong%20to%20the%20order,to%20its%20own%20Suborder%2C%20Trochili.
In Tucson, they are abundant and will buzz welcomely in one's face. It is a beautiful sight.
Now, presence of grandkids forced a move to a semi-rural suburb of Memphis (circa one-mile below the Tennessee border). We have fewer hummingbirds, but for that we have the magnificent great heron with its majestic flight.
Thank you again. Only the ruby-throated hummingbirds visit New Hampshire. I often watch live cams on YouTube that are located in Panama and Guatemala - there are so many amazing tropical hummers! Some with foot long tails, some that look like they're wearing fuzzy little boots, and they come in all the colors one could imagine. But the humble little ruby-throats are HERE, where I can see and hear them, and sometimes even feel the breeze if they zoom by closely.
The story of Hall and Molly rescuing Roberto was a fictionalized version of something that really happened to me. I found the little guy lying in the deck, and he just lay on the palm of my hand, quietly watching me, while I teased away the cobwebs that were restraining him. As soon as he was free, I could feel him begin to vibrate, like a little motor gearing up, and then he was gone without a backward glance. But if I think about it, I can still feel that tiny creature in my hand - he left behind a beautiful memory as a thank you gift.
Herons are wonderful, they always look so proud and regal!