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28 Mar, 2008
Hehehe looks like the humming birds wearing a Hat of Leafs lol:)
On photo - Something's Not Right
28 Mar, 2008
I say we all hop on a plane and visit Di's garden to see all these lovely plants and wildlife! (tho maybe not use Heathrow's new terminal...ha ha)
On photo - Something's Not Right
28 Mar, 2008
What a beautiful picture - we all grow so many plants in Britain that humming birds love and yet are deprived of the birds - it must be magic to see.
On photo - Something's Not Right
28 Mar, 2008
It is like magic watching the hummingbirds Buzzbee. I wish you could have the experience. I didn't know, before GOY, that no hummers were in the UK. Is that true for all of Europe, and Asia too?
On photo - Something's Not Right
29 Mar, 2008
Another fantastic shot, Diohio. The hummers are great fun to watch and very territorial too.
On photo - Something's Not Right
29 Mar, 2008
Yes they are territorial and try like heck to guard a favorite feeder or flower. But imaging 40-50 doing that in one back yard ! It is like Grand Central Station back there and not unusual for one or two to be constantly zippying past your ear or face. I'm just glad they have excellent navigation ! They'll often body-slam each other. And in the spring after the females start arriving, the males will do their pendulum courting ritual. That's a riot !
On photo - Something's Not Right
3 Apr, 2008
Always dropping the tidbit...ok I'll bite...what's the pendulum ritual?
On photo - Something's Not Right
3 Apr, 2008
Just started getting these birds as regulars last year; before that it was only one now and again. Last year there were about half a dozen at a time at the feeders, so I hope they return again this spring! I haven't seen this flight pattern yet buy I have watched them chase each other out of the area and was surprized at how vocal these little guys are. Up until then I thought it was really just the wing noise that would announce their presence. They are quite bold for their wee size aren't they? My presence on the porch doesn't keep them from visiting the feeders as it does for a lot of the larger birds.
On photo - Something's Not Right
3 Apr, 2008
Grammazoo, just keep your feeders out, clean and fresh, and they should return every year. They must eat every few minutes during the day to keep their little bodies going, or else they'll die. So they need a reliable source of food where they nest. And yes, they are quite noisy and very bold for their tiny size. Durinig the summer my yard sounds like it's full of little squeaky dog toys ! And something I've been wanting to try......after you have your regulars for the summer, take in all of the nectar feeders and sit holding a cup of nectar or a feeder. I've seen pics of many people that get them to eat from their hand ! They're not shy at all.
Lori, the "Pendulum Dance" is part of a male's courting ritual. Just imatine a huge "U" in the air......that's the flight pattern of the male. He'll go back and forth like a pendulum, usually right in front of a female that's sitting, watching from a tree branch. They're real show-offs ! I got lucky last summer and managed to video part of the dance.
On photo - Something's Not Right
This perennial native is in the mint family. Although my book says that it likes dry sunny open fields, I find large patches of it here in the deep woods behind my house. I have started a few colonies of it in my yard, in the shade, and it's doing very well, as any "mint' would. Also called Horsemint or Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot attracts many insects, including bees, butterflies and beetles. It has been used in folk medicine as a "mint tea" to treat many respiratory and digestive ailments. This mint's oil is an essential flavoring ingredient in Earl Grey tea.
At least 8 years ago I bought several different monardas so I'm not sure which this one is. It may be "Cambridge Scarlet" Some of my monardas have had setbacks over the past 2 years and I'm not sure why. Probably the drought we've had the past 2 summers. I just can't water everything anymore.
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Aude
Maple
13 Mar, 2008
Love the scent of Bergamot
On photo - Wild Bergamot close