Even a Hummingbird Needs to Rest

This little female hummingbird
spends a very busy day going
from feeder to flowers constantly
looking for nectar.
Her feathers usually look
so sleek and almost scale-like.












Today, she just sat herself down on a nearby post for a little rest.

She seemed to enjoy fluffing herself out.

Maybe she was cooling off after a busy morning.

After she was rested, off she went again in search of more nectar.

Titmouse Tales - Flying Lessons

Recently we have been visited by more and more Tufted Titmouse. I think there must have been lots of babies hatched this Spring.

One evening an over-hanging branch near our house was literally bouncing up and down with them and their conversations with each other were quite loud. It appeared the parents were teaching the babies how to fly to one of the larger feeders in our yard. They would fly in one at a time--sometimes not quite being able to land--and then come back to try again. After they had successfully made the flight from the tree branch, it appeared they were doing the same thing from an old lilac bush in our backyard.

I had bought a couple of feeders for photo opps on our kitchen deck. It was fun to watch these guys first land, and then check out the little fake birds sitting on the outstretched hand holding bird seed.



Do you mind if I join you?

I guess these guys are okay!













I've never seen her before!

She even lets me sit on her head.

And, best of all, she has peanuts!

To make things more intersting,

I placed the new feeders in with some of my flowers.

The Titmouse started flying in and out with ease.

And once again, before taking that first bite,

they needed to check out who they would be eating with.

HOWEVER, there was a lot of noise coming from the deck railing.
It sounded kind of like "Trivit, Trivit, Trivit!"
And, kept getting louder and louder!!!

This little guy apparently had not practiced his "touch and goes"
and for the life of him could not fly down and land like everyone else.

He got madder and MADDER and louder and LOUDER!

"Maybe I'll try it one more time!"

"HERE I COME!"

You Can't Really See Me--Can You?

Last night at about twilight, I heard a lot of commotion at one of our bird feeding stations. What I saw as I looked out a window was four "little muggers," as my husband calls them. Two of them were sitting and swaying on the platform feeder, another was hanging on the long feeder, and the forth was stretched between the pole and the platform feeder. Of course, by the time I got my camera, I missed "the picture."

"We just stopped by to see if the birds left anything for us."

"Hey, are you looking at me lady?"

"I think I need to go check out what's up there."

" Oh, oh, she's still there!"

"Maybe, if I hide behind this flower she won't see me."

"Hurry up, there's another one of us trying to get up here."
"I can't--I'm pretending to be a flower."

"I think the birds missed some seeds here."

"Just like I thought--Lots of good stuff left."

"Hey, you're going to get us in big trouble if you sit in her flowers."

"Oh dear, I think I have a problem."

"Do I really have to go, lady?"

P.S. Last December I had another post about a visit by some baby racoons that you may enjoy called Bird Feeder Bandits.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker - Feeding Time

For a couple of weeks, I have watched this red-bellied woodpecker fly back up into the trees after being at our feeder. Then I noticed that another woodpecker was chasing him all over. At first I wondered why is that female chasing the male; but then I noticed, the one doing the chasing didn't have any red at all on its head. I finally realized that it must be a young woodpecker following its dad.

This morning they were a bit more out in the open so I could see what was actually happening. However, since it was still fairly early in the morning, the light was terrible. I had to use a really high ISO reading to even get enough light in the camera to shoot a picture--so these are definitely not the best.

Apparently this patient father is still "spoon feeding" this rather large baby bird. The father would go to the feeder and then fly back close to the youngster. Then after cracking open the seeds, he would place them in the young bird's beak, almost turning himself up-side-down to do so.

What a loving father!

Lakeside Rose Gardens - Fort Wayne, IN

We stopped by the Rose Gardens on Sunday. I was a little disappointed that there were not many fresh blooms. I guess it has been too dry lately.