Thanks Rita. I wish we had more hummers in this area. My Florida bird book says that the Rufous Hummingbird of the Pacific NW has been increasingly seen in the SE U.S. especially in coastal areas since the 1930's and most commonly reported here in Florida in the northern part of the state during winter. I'd love to see a Rufous ... they are more colorful than the Ruby-throated.

Hummingbirds are so fast it's hard for me to get pic's. I had a thousand or more blurs before finally getting decent enough shots to keep.

Lin

Wonderful pics! What is the white flower that's in the first pic?

Thanks for sharing!

Marilyn: That is Pentas lanceolata ... it's highly attractive to Butterflies and Skippers and I've seen Hummingbirds around them a few times as well. I have them in pink, red and white. They come in both standard and dwarf varieties with the standard growing to 3 feet and the dwarf about 1 1/2 - 2 feet tall.

Star Flower (Pentas lanceolata)

http://garden.org/plants/searc...

I put out more suet in the suet feeder this morning to make sure the birds had food because we are expecting some snow. Poor birds out there. It should be spring. Instead we get winter weather.

The weather is getting weirder and weirder every year. We've had a very mild winter this year with a few cold snaps here and there. It's warmed up to the low 80's days and low to mid 60's at night lately but here comes another cold front to Florida ... it's supposed to drop to 39º tomorrow night. I don't remember ever having temp's that low this late in March. *** sigh *** I guess I will have to dig out the old blankets and cover plants once again.

I can't believe I have been missing this thread again!!

Beautiful birds, wonderful photos.

J, I really like the photo of the bird flying in the sunset/sunrise?

Lin, I posted lots more photos on my bird thread. http://cubits.org/bluegardens/...

Oh ... heading over to cubits to view them right now!

Lin

I've grown Pentas before, but I'm wondering what do they like? How much water, fert. (time released and/or liquid), etc....

I'd like to get some and grow them really well this year.

Thanks!

Did you notice if the BF's preferred one or more colors over the others?

Margaret,

I'll have to look on Cubits for your pics!

Marilyn: I've never fertilized the Pentas and they get watered twice a week when our irrigation system is activated. All colors seem to attract Butterflies but I'd say they really prefer the red best!

Marilyn, lease do look at my bird photos, and I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks Lin and Margaret!

I like red ones the best also.

From yesterday morning.

Mourning Dove


Great Blue Heron

Lin, great shot of the heron in flight!

Lin, you sure do have so many lovely birds. And geez, I can't get pictures of birds or butterflies and you do so well. Great shots!

Thanks ladies! My pictures look a lot clearer on ATP ... must be Dave's wizardry with the site because they sure look a lot better on here than when I view them on my laptop!!

Today I cleaned out all my birdhouses so that the birds can pick whichever one they want when they look this spring. Chicadees and House Wrens usually nest in them.

I was out and about the garden doing spring cleanup so carefully looking at things and tulip bulbs are comming up all over the place. I have never had so many tulips as I am going to have this year. So excited about that and can't wait for blooms.

I did see flocks are flocks of blackbirds that come thru every spring.

Oh, I can't wait to see pictures of all those tulips ... it must be a gorgeous sight! I wish we could grow tulips and crocus down here but I guess this climate is just not what they like.

They need more chill than you have down there.

Yeah ... guess I shouldn't complain since I don't much like chill.