A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Birds and Butterflies

LOL! Tee hee!!
The first time BF was with me when I was hanging a hummingbird feeder, he asiked how long till they come. I told him "a few days maybe." With the feeder still in my hand on the way to its hook a hummer flew around me for a look. Made me look dumb that little bird did! LOL! "Or today" I said.

The white IS the eye. It is actually yellow. The light conditions at the time I took the picture made the eye look white. Here is a really CREEPY picture I took the same day of a Grackle that REALLY shows the whites of its eyes, TK (don't shoot 'til you see it!)

SPOOKY GRACKLE

That is weird looking, your right. I sure am enjoying all the birds and butterflies in my garden this year. I'm not to sure about the bees though. Never new Hollyhocks were so prone to them.

I like the bees too. When it gets so hot that the birds go dormant, we birders switch over to butterfly and insect photography until the birds become active again.

For the 1st time in 38 years of living here, we have a humming bird coming to our house. I've had sightings before but that was it. But this little girl keeps coming back day after day and it's so much fun watching her. My neighbor has a feeder, but she doesn't go to it. She likes the honey suckle and the blue flowers on my coleus. I'm just so excited! Does anyone know, it she would be nesting at this time of year? Sure would be neat if there would be more coming along later!!!! Sue

The Ruby-Throateds are done nesting for the year. They start to nest in Mid to Late May and start coming back to the feeders by the first of July. From the first of July until they migrate are the best times to see them. As far as I know they lay only one batch of eggs a year. I've personally seen only ONE hummingbird nest in 18 years of birding.

Caught this beauty sleeping this morning...

That's beautiful , Rosie!

Here's a different one I found today. As Thorny would say, "It's a lifer for me!"

OMG - that picture is AMAZING Rosie!!!

mel - yours looks so velvety soft!

My best guess is an anglewing, question mark butterfly.???????/ Anyone else know??

Mel, that is a beauty...looks like velour. Do you know what kind it is?

Great shot Mel!

Yup, for sure it's the question mark butterfly!

Lovely Queen visitor...

WOW that's great! I'vw never seen one of those. Are they huge?

Gailo, the Queen is about the same size as the Monarch. I was so shocked to see her, especially on that particular plant. I have very few red blooming plants and that one red salvia had crept into that bed, thanks to the birds I guess, and that was the plant the Queen chose.

How pretty!!

Rosie - gorgeous! Love the framework around the picture!

TYVM I framed that with a little, free imaging program, Irfanview.

I use it for a lot of editing, etc. on my digital pictures and graphics.

This year I planted northern sea oats and have been fighting the heat and drought to keep it alive. This morning I was rewarded by having a little shorebird rest on the bulkhead next to the sea oats. I hope they establish themselves so I won't have to do so much for them. After all they usually live on beaches right?

I found out the bird is a spotted sandpiper. I think Tropical Depression Ernesto brought it here. I have seen it for 3 days now. It walks up and down that board on the bulkhead and eats bugs.

My daughter caught this shot of an eagle the other day!

That's AWESOME, mel!!!

I miss seeing them around - we saw them often when we lived in Alaska -
they are so majestic, aren't they???

There have been articles in our local paper that they have returned to the other side of our county - along the Hudson River towns. I'd love to be able to see one up close again. They had some wonderful shots in the paper - guess the time has to be just right here.

Do you see them often there?

There are so many more here now!!!! I just love to watch them soar and perch! They are an amazing creature, for sure!