Turf Wars

I've had a hummingbird perched on the hook above the nectar feeder all day. He keeps trying to scare all the other hummingbirds away and it's been quite entertaining to watch. He even had to defend his perch when a Goldfinch decided it looked like a good place to sit.

And now the goldfinches are trying to land on the hummingbird feeder and the hummingbirds keep chasing them away like, "You've got your own feeder, ya knuckleheads!"

Noisy Guests

Scrub Jays sure like to announce their arrival.

I'm here! I'm here! Everyone look at me!

The one who visits our yard on a regular basis always grabs a sunflower seed from the feeder, brings it down to the brick, and proceeds to crack it open with his beak. He's quite fun to watch. I want to get some video of him and his eating process, but by the time I turn on my camera, he's already moved on.

 I'll get you some day, Big Blue!

Rainbow Times Two

Yesterday it rained on and off all morning. The birds love the rain. When the ground is wet and raindrops cling to the windows, that's when I see the most birds at my feeders.

At one point, the sun popped its face through the dark clouds and I thought, "There's probably a rainbow somewhere."

There was.

But I suppose there's always a rainbow somewhere. At any given moment there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands of colorful beams stretching across the sky.

Yes, that's our resident hummingbird (to the left of the decorative bird) keeping watch!

And then there was a double rainbow that lasted for over an hour.

What a beautiful day!

Spidey Senses

Huh.

So, this is something new...

I caught the Goldfinches clinging to the wall today.

One tried it and then a couple of his friends came over to see what all the fuss was about...

They hung on for dear life for a few seconds and then flew over to the feeder to resume business as usual.

Again, I have to ask: WHO NEEDS TV???

Weed Eater

This sparrow (a Savannah Sparrow?) foraged around in the lawn for a little while today.

And then I watched him try to eat a dandelion. No, not the yellow flower, the thing that you used to blow into the wind when you were a kid. (I realize that wasn't the best sentence for a writer to use, but I don't know what those "things" are called!!! I bet you know what I meant though!)

Make a wish!

Winged Mermaids?

Hummingbird feathers in sunlight remind me of a mermaid's scales...

...shimmery and sequiny, like catching a glimpse of something magical.

Some don't even land on the feeder perch, they prefer to eat on the fly. Then suddenly they zoom away, much like how a mermaid would swim off with one big thrust of her magnificent tail.

They almost always move faster than I can get my camera to focus (hummingbirds, that is, not mermaids!) and when I do capture a clear shot, it's like a special gift.

How wonderful it is to be able to look out my window and see something so extraordinary!

My Two Cents

I came across this quarter and was delighted to see a cormorant and a spoonbill on the back!

Everglades, Florida, 2014