The Triumphant Return of the Lady Greensleeves!

I saw my first hummingbird arrive at our feeder in central PA early on the morning of April 29. The tiny green birds usually leave us in late September and return on the twenty-something of April. Yes, I know. I have been watching and keeping track, as all lovers do. 

You may learn more about the hummingbirds' amazing long-distance journeys during migration here. And here's a bit more info about the birds, for those who may be interested. It's fascinating, really.

We adore these little birds, and we consider them the crown jewels of our yard. This is a ruby throat hummingbird, and a female. I call her the Lady Greensleeves. For the past few weeks, we have had at least two females and one small male visiting our feeders.

We've had a rainy spring, and I don't know if that's why, but the hummingbirds have not been here much during daylight hours. They show up, as they did this day, around dusk, and feed extensively, and even fight over the feeder and chase each other.

I did hang two feeders. One (this one) hangs from the clothes line over the deck. In the background you may see our woods. We've got a bit more than an acre, most of it wooded. And now it's all turned green from all that rain. The second feeder hangs from a shepherd's hook in Gremlin's Meadow.

Conditions were not ideal for this photo shoot, but hey, I did what I could. It was drizzling. It was dusk. I had our glass deck door windows between me and the bird. So I used my monopod and hoped for the best; got a few decent shots.

Our hummingbirds left us last year on the day that my parents walked hand-in-hand into Heaven. So I don't know what more to tell you about all of this except to say that I cried a tiny bit when the little birds returned. To every thing there is a season. One thing I DO know for sure: the hummingbirds are making me smile again. Welcome back, dear ones; we love you so!

My soundtrack song is Olivia Newton-John, with Greensleeves.

Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
For I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company

P.S. To my parents: I love you and I miss you so, and I hope there are hummingbirds in Heaven!