Your Daily Dose of Hummingbirds, Volume 2

I know I haven't posted as much lately.  I think it's kind of a weird, hold-my-breath time.  Nick is coming to visit.  In a week and a day, he will be here for several days with two of his college friends. For several days.  Not long enough....but it could never be long enough.  There is a weird guilt thing going on in my head where I want him to want to stay longer, come to see me more often, but the truth of it is, I moved away from where he lives...happily, and successfully, even without his mama...go figure. He is currently 417 miles away from me...by road, of course.  If you fly a crow there, it's only 318 miles.  It's a ways, by car or by crow. Anyway, I will see him soon.  For long enough.  I guess. Don't worry, my poutiness will not detract from my happiness.

I was thinking, by crow it's 318 miles.  My experience is that crows do often seem to take the shortest route.  If it were as the hummingbird flies, it would be something like 1700 miles, certainly.  Or maybe when they migrate, they fly straight.  Here in my yard, they fly EVERYWHERE, everyminute, in loops and boops and zigs and zags and circles and pentagons, and pendulum dances for pretty girl hummingbirds (look it up, it's a thing they do). No wonder they need to drink from the everlasting nectar font every 7 seconds.  Because the rest of the time they are flying about 127 miles per hour around and about, chasing away intruders from their territory, BEING the intruder in the territory, or the sneaky thirdy birdy, the one who sneaks in for a sip while two are off duking it out with their little beaky swords and teeny tiny birdy fists.  I think they are hilarious.  And brilliant. Not to mention gorgeous little tidbits of creation.

They truly are so fast.  My attempts to take pictures are sometimes vague and confusing.

there are at least three and maybe four hummingbirds in this shot....flying at 127 mph (I made up that number)

Other times, they are downright cute.

I love when you can see their teeny tiny feet.  Did you know that hummingbirds can't walk or hop?

a girl

and her boy (he had just danced his dance for her)

hungry bird...with feet

rain doesn't bother them in the least

the males red throat usually doesn't look red...he can puff it out so it catches the light (and he has spider webs on his head)

looks like a teeny airplane

my favorite series...watching for intruders

possible intruder spotted

death glare right before the strike!

happy Mr. Hummingbird at our Whispering Pines camp

I think 43 hummingbirds have teased me outside the window while I typed this so far.  So you can be sure there will be more pictures coming.

When I haven't been transfixed watching these tiny miraculous tidbits perform outside my window, I have been continuing to enjoy the joys (hmm...that's where that word comes from) of my Spring of Springs.  

I am enjoying everchanging cycle of wildflowers.

I didn't realize that white trilliums all turn shades of pink as they age

this is a bog plant...that's all I know

beautiful forget-me-nots

I love the love stories that happen in the Spring.

Mrs. and Mr. Red-breasted Merganser

Ferdinand the bull (I really don't know his name) gazing fondly at his lady love

Lady Love

boy bluebird on the sauna, watching over

girl bluebird in the tree...who is keeping an eye on the nest box

while Mr. and Mrs. Tree Swallow lay claim to the other nest box

Just a few more Spring visitors to share:

perfectly yellow goldfinch

pretty mama pheasant continues to visit, with her beau

a rare visitor, probably blown north by strong south winds

bubbly bobolinks in the fields

and Mr. Oriole, enjoying some jelly in the rain (I like jelly in the rain, don't you?)

Enjoy your Spring visitors, everyone!