Hummingbird at Trumpet Vine

With our two game cams out if commission for a long while, we ended up buying a new one.  Today, we got to try it out.  :)

(...and Jeff was able to fix the problem with one if the old cams...so, we are back to having two of them.)

It was wonderful to get a clear video of our hummingbird visitor.  :)

Little Lady

I don't know if I have just not been watching, or what, but I haven't seen hummingbirds here for quite a while.  So, imagine my surprise when I saw one right outside my window several weeks ago (when the Penstemon digitalis was finishing up).

I encountered this little lady again, yesterday, while walking past the trumpet vine (that I inherited from a previous owner--it has only begun to bloom over the
past two years.

 Coming around the corner, I must have startled her...she took off ahead of me--probably the only reason I noticed.  Luckily, I had my digital

camera with me, and I zoomed in to snap some pics when I saw her alight on a branch of an elm tree.

I am glad to be seeing this little lady visiting...
and I hope she brings her mate and their friends--or their rivals...
I know how territorial they can be.

His Favorite Perch?

I spotted the hummingbird atop the dead elm tree again today. I'm assuming it gives him a great vantage point--as it does for other birds that use it.  That is just one more good reason to keep snags on one's property--who would've thought a hummingbird would make use of one.

Now I just have to invest in a telephoto lens...

Poor Vision, Great Eyes

For having such poor vision all my life, I've got some pretty good eyes!  As so often happens, I spot a bird or two perched atop the dead elm at the edge of our property.  Usually I have to zoom in and take a picture to upload on the computer before I know what it is.  Today, I spotted a tiny bird on the uppermost branch.  I figured I'd be learning a new bird, once I saw it up close--it never occurred to me that it would be a hummingbird.  I'm shocked that I even noticed it at that distance.

First of the Season

I saw my first hummingbird of the season today. :)

No picture, but it was a beautiful moment. Took me a second to realize what I was looking at, but then he came right into focus with his ruby throat, he stopped in mid-air for a moment, then flew off toward the second acre.

He must've been pretty close, because he looked much bigger than I remember them being.