Dancing in the rain...

It is just no wonder rainy days make me happy.

Check out this little hummingbird doing his Gene Kelly impersonation of dancing in the rain.

It is times like these that I just can't help but run for the camera...

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

While I truly love the Fall, one of the saddest parts is that I will miss these beloved hummingbirds as they head out on their long long journey south for the winter. I always miss them.

This little female, (pictured above), was perched on a heart-shaped wrought-iron plant hanger. It is positioned just past the front porch, but still beneath the overhang of the roof, so it is always shaded.

This seems to be a favorite place 

for the usually frenzied fliers to rest those crazy wings of theirs, which flap a feverish 50 to 200 beats per second.

I love to watch them, whether they are flying, hovering, or just sitting and looking around. They don't generally perch for long, because the more aggressive males will generally chase the females. Often times, they simply take her place. No worries. There are lots of shrubs and trees that offer perfect little twigs on which little hummers like to perch.

A few weeks ago I was sitting on the couch talking on the phone when a hummingbird flew right up to the window, and looked right at me, hovering close to the glass. There used to be a hummingbird feeder in the back of the house, until one of the pesky squirrels I've been plagued with this year, knocked it down, shattering the glass on the rocks below. I hadn't replaced it.

But after this encounter, I took the hint and installed a new feeder there. Before long, it became a regular stop for several hummers.

Hummingbirds are said to be smart, with remarkable memories about their food sources, remembering every flower and ever feeder they have visited. I believe they return every year, so some of them are like old friends. They know at this location, there is always clean, fresh nectar for them.

I plan to enjoy them for as long as I can, while they are still here.

Brutal heat and extreme drought affects the Ozarks

So this is extreme drought, eh! Make it stop.

                                  This is my backyard, where lush green is transitioning into brown.                                             All growth has stopped as the trees struggle to survive.

Extreme drought is what they call the transition from a beautiful green landscape to one that is dying before my eyes. The redbuds that line the backyard in the spring seem to be the first ones to lose their leaves in these hot, dry conditions North-central Arkansas has experienced since mid-spring. I believe where I live, there has been just a half inch of rain since April. Rain has occurred in areas all around us, but we are at a little higher elevation. It must be drier up here. We also must be closer to the sun because the temperatures have also been higher here than elsewhere around us.

It isn't just the redbuds, but other trees are losing leaves as well. Some of them are visible in the distance. What is normally a palette of lush, green colors is being replaced by the dead look of drab brown.

Bushes and plants aren't faring much better. Pots of marigolds, zinnias, petunias, and newly-planted trees continue to wither despite daily watering. The joy I once felt from just sitting on the front porch overlooking all the growing things in the yard has been replaced by the need to stay indoors where it's cool.

The string of triple-digit temperatures combined with weeks and weeks of no rainfall is not just hard on us humans.

It is also hard on the flora and fauna.

Tufted Titmouse

This poor little bird is trying to cool off by keeping its mouth open.

We keep several bird baths full at all times in both the front and back yards, refreshing throughout the day, just for our feathered friends.

This guy is sitting on a pot of marigolds which doesn't look too great either. It has been very difficult to try to keep  flowers alive in this brutal heat, even though they are out of the full sun. Even the pots in the shade of the front porch or along the north side of the house are drying out.

A White-tail deer forages for food

I followed this deer recently. She was foraging in our front yard, getting dangerously close to a young Bradford Pear tree and a pair of lilac bushes. That is not acceptable, even though she thinks she can help herself to anything that grows. We don't always agree.

Moments before, she was right next to the front porch munching on my flowers. By the time I got the camera, she had ambled this other garden area.

It seems that all animal behavior is altered by the excessive heat and arid conditions. Squirrels are more frenzied than normal in their desire to eat as much bird food as they can grab. In the past two days they have destroyed two bird feeders. One feeder which they had been unable to pilfer for the past eight years, has finally been squirrelized. They dragged it up to the roof of the house where they promptly ignored the squirrel baffle and feasted on its contents. Then, they proceeded to throw it to the ground. Needless to say, we went bird feeder shopping. Same story, another day.

Ruby-throated hummingbird

The hummingbirds have continued their zeal for the sugar water we make for them when needed.

There don't seem to be as many hummingbirds as in past years, but the ones that are here remain hungry. This little guy perches atop what is left of a red geranium. I thought about trimming it,  but this little hummer has taken to sitting on that tiny stem, so I decided to leave things as they are for now.

At the moment this picture was taken, his mouth was closed. Often times, they too open their mouths to cool off. It is like panting, and helps to expel the warm air from their bodies. Birds will also fluff their feathers, allowing heat to dissipate. Poor little things have no means of sweating to keep them cool.

I see by the radar, that rain is in the area, even though it is a hit-or-miss proposition. I'm always hopeful!

Dear Hummingbirds

You are almost invisible as you make your way to the feeder.

Dear Hummingbirds,

It has been a joy to watch you again this summer as you and all your friends scurried from the Mock Orange, Magnolia, or nearest Oak tree, to the feeders and then back again.

Early in the season, you had the whole feeder to yourself.

Once again you brought joy to our lives as my husband and I watched you and your family and friends, frenzied behavior and all. How we wish we had half of your energy. It was an honor to make food for you, although for little fellas, you sure do have an appetite. With the price of sugar these days, it was a struggle some weeks, but we were glad to do it. I'm thankful we were able, especially during those horribly hot summer days when there wasn't a flower to be found. 

I hope you have a safe and pleasant journey to Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica or where ever your winter home is located. We look forward to March when we will see you all again. Bring back the whole family. And take good care of yourselves. We will miss you!   

 

As ever, Carol & John

Hummingbirds

I never knew hummingbirds were so territorial or that watching them might be hazardous. The latter might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I believe it is just a matter of time before I get smacked in the side of the head from one or more of them as I sit on the front porch enjoying the show.

I used to think that such activities were peaceful and quiet, but hummingbirds are neither. I admit it is the kind of 'noise' I relish however. These tiny birds that aren't much bigger than some insects with a much louder buzz, are amazing little critters. Rarely do they sit still, although I have seen that at times. They either sit on the perch of the feeder or on a shrub next to the porch as they wait their turn to imbibe. Sometimes they chase one another to an awaiting tree branch where they become invisible behind an oak leaf.

I make my own food for them; I must be a great cook. They love that colorless sugar water. I swear I've even seen one or two smacking their lips (beaks). With two feeders on the front porch, it is nearly impossible to count how many birds are buzzing around at one time. They swarm the feeders and are very picky about which spot they occupy. They are pretty picky about who they dine with as well. The males are pretty mean to the females and especially to the other males. I haven't been watching long enough to know if their behavior changes as the season progresses. That may be a nice activity for the future. I think I could get into hummingbird behavioral studies. Perhaps I can apply for a government grant. It seems like everybody else gets them. It would be nice to be paid to sit on the front porch, birdwatching. ;-)