Hum Bar
You know what’s great about living in the second story of an apartment building surrounded by trees? Every time I look out my window I see birds and squirrels. It’s like we live in a tree house.
We have a chipmunk living in the tree right outside our dining room and it has been a great source of entertainment for both Bug and I and the cats as you can imagine. I’ve yet to properly photograph Chip but I will one of these days because he is a barrel of laughs.
I recently installed a hummingbird feeder on our patio and those hummingbirds have been downright aggressive about it. They buzz in and out like beetles whether I’m near or not. Sometimes I think they are getting annoyed with me for standing in their way, the way they twirp and tweet right in my ear.
So I decided to take advantage of the situation and photograph them. I took about eleventy zillion photos so I decided to rip them into an animated gif so this post wasn’t too terribly long or boring.
Here’s a close up if that was too hard to see. Isn’t he (she?) pretty? So far I think there are four hummers who frequent this feeder. It’s been quite amusing to watch them swerve and bob to get in and out of my enclosed patio and then around each other. It’s a pretty popular spot.
As is the other side of the window.
I need to make an animated gif of these two loons one of these days.
15 Comments
Jen
At our old house the backyard had rose of sharon bushes that were very popular with the hummingbirds. This is how I found out that hummingbirds are not shy and quite territorial. Do your hummingbirds fight with each other? We had two groups of hummingbirds that constantly fought with each other. Very entertaining :)
I think squirrels are my favorite. We have a squirrel feeding in the backyard that looks like an outdoor chair and the squirrels sit in it while they enjoy the corn we put out for them, it’s hysterical.
Your cats look very, very entertained :)
Natalie
Where did you get that hummingbird feeder??? I looked all summer for one that wasn’t obnoxiously RED.
SAJ
At the Magnolia Bird Farm. :) (http://www.magnoliabirdfarms.com)
Sarah
How wonderful to have hummingbirds RIGHT THERE. I know it’s more common over in the US, but the only time I’ve ever seen a hummingbird was one little flitty one in the Galapagos Islands. I don’t think I’d get much work done if they were outside the window!
beyond
lovely hummingbirds.
how about teaching us how to make an animated gif?
Victoria
She :) The males get the showier red throat/neck feathers and the females get the pretty back but less showy plain throat/neck.
Melissa K. in Nebraska
These photos are wonderful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hummingbird alight on something and wings not spread.
Amanda
I miss those guys…just too bloody cold here now (earlier than normal too!). I have a feeder just outside the window I usually sit by…love watching them in the summer. :)
Cathy
Super cool!!!
Dena
Love “hummers”! Tip – you can make “hummer water” by just boiling 4 parts water to one part sugar till it’s disolved. you don’t have to color it red even, especially now that they know where your feeder is. Lots cheaper than buying actual hummer food.
Another Elizabeth
Beautiful hummingbird photos, and your cats are adorable! More posts on the cats, please (because I can’t find enough cat material on the internets). I’m impressed that you know how to do animated gifs!
I love how tidy everything is in your apartment — you’ve made such a lovely home for yourself and your Bug. I love the photos where we can see your coffee cans full of pencils, etc. Of course, the blue wall of paintings is my absolute favorite!
I remember from before you moved in that you were going to create a big craft closet. Did you ever do that? If so, a post on that, please!
gingermog
Hummingbirds are beautiful, as are your photographs capturing their movement, sadly we don’t have them in the wild in the UK. I wear an native American humming bird silver necklace I bought on Victoria island by a clever man living on the island who made them, in Native American culture, a hummingbird symbolizes timless joy and the nectar of life. It’s a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible and will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances. Sending you much love :)
p.s. Do your cats, make a chittering noise when they watch birds? Like they are talking to themselves about the audacity of the bird for being in their back garden.
Uncle George
Like Dena said, best is not to use the red dyed stuff and make your own. 4-1 ratio. I have been feeding them at my place for over two years. Same species up here in Humboldt, Anna’s. The immature and female birds look alike, so it’s hard to tell which is which.
Do you have several birds that swoop in and fight for the feeder? Hummers are very territorial. I’ve almost been hit by fighting birds competing for the feeder.
Your photos are excellent, B. Say hi to Bug from Uncle George for me.
Heather
We have the exact same humming bird feeder! I love watching the humming birds and am jealous of all of your great shots.
Kuky
Birds are so fun to watch. We have one of those stick on the window bird feeders. I love that I can put my face right up to them practically. That is if they don’t see me. But alas they usually do.