Between the noises made by their wings and the chirpy noises, I hear them even more than I see them. And you were probably standing between her and the flowers...she's busy and it's inconvenient for her to have to navigate around you. Unless you're wearing a reddish color...then she might be wondering if you WERE a flower!

They can be quite noisy little things but I love hearing them in the garden. Sometimes when they fly by so fast it sounds like they are putting on the brakes as they pass by! They are a constant chatter in the garden during the summer but soon I will be missing them as they start to move south.

We had some unusually cool weather come through last week and I think some of them might have moved on. I have feeders in two areas of the garden and they are only feeding from one. Wondering if one group was controlling the other feeders that they are no longer feeding from?

That's how I know to put up my feeders.. I usually hear them way before I see them! Had a little girl checking out my butterfly bushes last night, but couldn't get a clear shot of her and she didn't want me to get to any closer.

They are usually here in early August but this time I was waiting and searching the skies for their arrival; and finally just this week, saw two of them and heard them in the oak tree.

Thursday I got one shot of a female Rufous at the Hosta blooms.


Sunday I had a female Rufous on the Black Night Buddleia, I shot the photos thought the window so not that sharp. It was wonderful to see them this late in the season.

So beautiful!!

Excellent photo's Margaret, I know that is not easy to do.

Thank you Linda.

You are

pretty!!!

Thank you!

Great shots Margaret

Ditto what they said Margaret!

I love seeing close ups of hummers we don't get here.

Thank you Ann.

Thank YOU Margaret.

flaflwrgrl said:Thank YOU Margaret.

I held a hummingbird in my hands this morning.

I was out to take cuttings off a potted salvia to see if I can root them. It’s right out by the shepherd’s hook that holds a bird feeder on one hook & hummer feeder on the other. I heard a hummer chirping real close & it wasn’t it’s usual chattering chirp. It was definitely a panicked chirp. Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp. In between, I would hear the humm sound of it’s wings. I kept looking all around to spy it. Not on the red salvia, not on the blue salvia, not on the hummer feeder, where is it????? I checked again thinking I was going crazy b/c I know what I was hearing was close. Looked everywhere in the sky. Chirp, chirp, chirp, frantic sounding & then hummmmm, hummmmm, hummmmm. I checked to make sure there were no spider webs from the hummer feeder to the shepherd’s hook or to the ground as several times I have removed cobwebs attached to such. Still hearing the desperate chirp followed by the hummmm. Okay, Ann, calm down, stand real still & just listen closely. Ah! Down in the liriope which is still blooming but I have never seen hummers sip from liriope???? So I look down & there I spy a hummer in the grass next to the liriope. The grass is deep, needs cutting. I wondered if it was getting bugs & didn’t want to disturb it if it was, but it wasn’t getting bugs. The little thing is chirping & then hummmmmm, beating it’s wings trying to lift upward but it’s not working, over & over again. Well, I can’t tell why it can’t lift off unless it’s just that the grass is so thick & tall & wet with the morning dew. I put my cupped hands down beneath it & scooped it up, raised it to my waist & wondered how I was going to check this hummer out without hurting it or scaring it to death. It was a female ruby throated hummer. It was the softest thing I’ve ever had in my hands. I had not begun to check it over yet but raised it higher to get a better look at it’s topside first & at that moment it just left my hands & flew straight forward away from me like the little hovercrafts they are. It was one of those moments you’ll never forget. It was so moving.

Oh Ann - WOW

Ann, how thrilling to hold a hummingbird in your hands, that will be a cherished memory, something that you will never forget.

Super cool, Ann !