Monday, July 30, 2018

On Hummingbird Watch

WAFFLES:  Hello, Little Hummer Girl! Those are some nice feathers you've got. I bet they're really tasty. What are you doing for lunch?


LITTLE GIRL HUMMER:  Sorry, Waffles. I've already got my eye on a handsome Hummer. 

WAFFLES:  But I'm handsome. And I can hum too.

LITTLE GIRL HUMMER: I don't think you can keep up with me, Waffles. My wings beat 70 times a second and I can fly almost 50 mph. 

WAFFLES:  But what about lunch? 


LITTLE GIRL HUMMER:  Given how you're eyeing my feathers, I have a feeling your idea of lunch and mine are two very different things. 



WAFFLES:  Hey Boss, I'm pretty sure the Little Girl Hummer thinks I want to eat her.


KATIE:  Well, do you? 

WAFFLES:  Well yeah, kinda. 

KATIE:  Sounds like she's a pretty smart hummer.


About Today's Photos & Our Hummers
One of our favorite parts of the summer is sharing our garden and trees with the hummingbirds.

We've read that they will often hang out in one spot until they're ready to head south for the winter and can even get to know the humans that keep their feeders full.

This year, Glogirly has made friends with one very special hummingbird. She calls her Little Girl. We know she's female by her coloring. The girls are a little plain compared to their brightly colored boyfriends. For weeks now, Glogirly has been watching a couple of male suitors put the moves on Little Girl.


They'll swoop by her at record speeds, making almost a clucking noise. They shoot up straight into the sky, hover at about 50' in the air, then dive straight down within inches of her. All to try and impress her. But she's picky and isn't easily impressed.

The dating game has recently become complicated. The Rufous hummingbirds have arrived. They come on the scene about 6 weeks after Little Girl and her suitors showed up. They're brilliant copper color palette sparkles when the sun hits it just right. The Rufous is beautiful but also a bully. He'll chase the other hummers away from the feeders, even when he's not feeding himself. He'll even stand guard, right on top of the feeder.

But even when the Rufous is throwing his weight around the feeders, Little Girl has found safety with Glogirly. When Glogirly is out in the garden, Little Girl will follow her around, sometimes even hovering just inches from her face. If Glogirly is trimming the petunias, Little Girl is poking her head into every bloom. If she's cutting back the catmint, Little Girl is right there, sipping nectar from the tiny purple catmint flowers. 

Usually, the hummers zoom in for a quick poke in the flowers or the feeder, then dart off to a spot in the trees. Not Little Girl. She hangs out with Glogirly for a long time, before heading back to her perch or nest. 

It's going to be hard to say goodbye when it comes time for Little Girl to head south. But we're so happy she's made our garden her home. 



21 comments:

  1. Little Girl isn't picky, she's selective. :) Hummingbirds are so cool.

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  2. How cool that Glogirly has a hummingbird galpal!

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  3. What great pictures. Guess Waffles will have to settle for a different kind of lunch!

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  4. Great pictures! That hummer has Waffles all figured out.

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  5. I saw ONE Hummingbird when we visited the USA I was SOOO thrilled, they are amazing.

    Lucky you at such a natural gift.

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  6. I've never heard of hummingbirds actually bonding with humans - that is so cool! You live in a magical place!

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  7. We've been watching the hummers here. We have one...we guess we would call him Little Boy because he is a boy and he will come to our window and say good morning every day. It's so much fun to see him.

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  8. So wonderful that you see males and females. We only have female(s) come to our feeders for several years now. Little Girl sounds like a very special one

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  9. that is so cool that Little Girl and Glogirly are friends

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  10. Truly, these are wonderful photos, and the fact that Little Girl follows you in the garden is fascinating! I was at a garage sale this weekend, and a hummingbird was flitting around the flowers there: so cool!

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  11. Those rufous are pugnacious little birds. You captured that so in the photo. He looks ready to poke someone with his beak

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  12. We love our hummer's too. Mum has been buzzed by them when she is outside near the feeders. She had to get them all refilled this AM as they have been eating lots.

    Enjoy Little Girl, nice to have a special bird.

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  13. Thanks for the wonderful share. Waffles, you are licking your chops for a little hummerbird lunch. Some really beautiful pictures you shared with us. The hummingbirds are really fast, you may have problems catching her. Have a great day.
    World of Animals

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  14. That is so precious. What an awesome miracle in your own yard! We have some hummers that hang around our honeysuckle but I never seem to have my camera handy when I see them. I just sit quietly and watch how marvelous they are. Hemingway and Steinbeck are also rather mesmerized and don't seem interested in chasing them. They just sit and watch with me. Beautiful pictures!!!

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  15. It's so cool that Glogirly has a hummingbird friend like that! IT's important to have girlfriends in the neighborhood, and it sounds like both of them do now.

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  16. oh my your photos are EXQUISITE! It is so hard to catch hummingbirds like that, these are incredible and Waffles looks precious!

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  17. Little Girl is one smart hummer! That has to be awesome, having her follow you around. Shame on the Rufus bullybird!

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  18. Mommy had a special hummingbird friend for several years (Mommy is pretty sure it was the same one every year) it actually came up on the porch and clicked at Mommy in the swing. We haven't seen it this year.

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  19. You're so lucky to have so many hummingbirds! I generally see one per year in our yard.

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  20. I love watching the hummingbirds here...they are just amazing!

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