Small Green Jewel: Hummingbird at the Feeder

The hummingbirds have been more active in our backyard as of late, and on this day, I decided to spend a little time sitting in a chair not far from the feeder, where I could watch and perhaps photograph them. Soon the big red monarda blooms will open, and THEN it'll be a real hummingbird-fest, every day, all day long!

There are at least two hummingbirds that are regularly visiting us these days. This is the female; her throat is white. She is inclined to take long, languorous drinks. There is a male with a ruby throat who also comes by, but he never stays long. Just a quick drink and then ZIP, he's on his way!

A few weeks ago, something started draining and occasionally knocking over the feeder at nights, so it's my habit now, as dusk falls, to bring the feeder up onto the deck. It could be deer draining it, but I'm pretty sure at least that one time, it was a bear, my CSI expertise based upon the huge, black pile of bear scat we discovered in the yard the next morning as evidence.

When I went into the yard on this evening to move the feeder, there were two little birds sitting on it, and I felt like I would be a great big meanie to move it away from them. After all, at the rate they were going, I might need to fill it again in the morning. So I made the administrative decision to leave it out overnight. Happily, it made it through the night without being drained or knocked over!

I have rented a bunch of places, but I have lived mostly here now, in this house I bought in 2004. Soon, I will have lived here longer even than I lived at home with my parents, growing up. I always dreamed of having hummingbirds of our own and now we do. So let's chalk this one up as a success, shall we?

It is my habit to include a song with each image, and this is one that I always think of when I see hummingbirds, those beautiful, little, green jewels of our yard: Elton John, with Tiny Dancer.