Hummingbirds in My Backyard

A few weeks ago I purchased a hummingbird feeder at our local nursery. As much as I tried to plant flowers that would attract these facinating birds, I just never got any to visit. But within a few hours of placing the feeder where we could watch from the kitchen windows, we saw one! What an absolute delight to see!

Hummingbirds get their name from the sound their wings make when they fly because they are flapping so fast (about 80x per second!). They have a unique ability to fly in any direction -  right, left, up down, backwards and upside down too.

Hummingbirds are attacted to food by sight, and though red flowers are huge attractors, these birds will go to any colored flower, so long as they are rich in nectar. My feeder is red and yellow, but the nectar is clear. 

If you haven't done so already, I highly recommending attracting hummingbirds either with a feeder or plants. Perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylillies, lupines and annuals like cleome, impatiens and petunias are a good place to start!

Birds Braving the Winter

It's still really cold here and another storm is on it's way. I haven't seen too many birds this winter - it might be that it's just too cold. However, there are some that have been braving the cold.

The male and female cardinal come to visit nearly every day. Sometimes they eat, other times, they just sit perched on the bird feeder. I can hear their distinct chirps before I see them.

This little fellow is so cute. He hangs out on the tree nearly upside down until he figures it's safe enough to fly over to the bird feeder. I think it's a Nuthatch?

The red-bellied Woodpecker is also a frequent visitor, scaring away any other birds who might be feeding.

 Mrs. Cardinal takes her spot on the feeder.

And of course, the squirrel watches the feeders from above, waiting for one of them to mysteriously fall from the tree and dump the seed all over the lawn...which will never happen!