She's late!!! Got me wondering...

[Kittyzee]

I am finally getting over my "duck" reflex--that is ducking my head and wanting to run when I hear that loud buzzzzz--from years of being afraid of bumblebees.    When I was a kid they would chase me.  Obviously, I was near a nest, or had a flowered shirt on (one tried to land on my flower!) and it freaked me out.  The hummies sound a lot like a large bee.  So I have tried to condition myself not to shrink down when I hear one fly near me. I'm doing very good with it, and not afraid of bumbles either...they are just in search of all the garden flowers that I have so graciously provided...  

Thanks for the lesson of hummingbird 101, I've learned a lot about them from you.  I don't see them nest around here, but I have my feeders up and am ready and waiting for them to hit them full force!

[miguynmkoi]

I have video!  Great except the audio....of my neighbor's M&B team...curses!

Hope you enjoy!

http://youtu.be/A6mzLXgHgu4

[tweetybaby2005]

Awesome pictures as always, Annette!     Love those fluffy butts!     So your hummies are around your yard year round?  I'm jeolous!  We finally saw 1 hummingbird back but there were 2 golden orioles fighting over the feeders!  They chase my poor hummingbird away!   

LuAnn - I was once stung by a bee so every time I see one, I freak out.  We now have a big bumble bee flying around the chicken coop and boy was I scared.  I just don't know if I will ever be able to not freak out, duck, swat my hand around and run away when I hear one buzzing by.

I was just talking to DH the other day that we need to start hanging out some feeders around the farm house so we can attrack some hummies over there.

Kuan

[Kittyzee]

Wonderful video--amazing that with the flap of it's wings, you can't see them they flap them so fast!

Kuan, my sympathies with the bee sting--I've not been stung by a bumblebee but when they look like they are after you with their fuzzy yellow and blackness, it totally freaks me out! I've been stung by many other bees, but they don't look as fearsome as the bumble! It has taken me a long time to overcome the "duck" instinct!!

[miguynmkoi]

I try not to freak out when bees or wasps buzz around me when I work in my garden....over the years I've definitely calmed myself.  I try to tell myself they are after the flowers, not me!

We have too many of the big black carpenter bees and way too many wasp with nests here.

Last year about this time a colony of bees moved into my backyard to try and set up a home between an old folded up spa cover.  Yeah DH already told me way back when to throw the stupid cover away but I had better things to do (or not to do).  Now trying to force the bees to go away was not easy for a scaredy-cat (sp).  I discovered the quasi hive when I was removing tall weedy grass when I heard major buzzing.  I hit the spa cover and the bees came out to attack me.  Luckily I wore my gardening clothes.  Old long pants and oversized long sleeved shirt buttoned up.  I also wear a big floppy hat and gardening gloves.  One thing I forgot to wear....socks!  My ankles were exposed above my old sneakers.  Yep, stung at least 2 times with the stinger implanted in my one ankle!  No fun.  Thank goodness I'm not allergic (found that out when I was a young thing!).

Found out I can run like the wind when I have to! 

[miguynmkoi]

Plant flowering plants that attract hummies.  Way better than feeders in my opinion.  But feeders do let you focus on them closer to the house.

[Kittyzee]

I have flowering plants everywhere for them.  We have such scorching hot humid summers, I put feeders in the shade with my own home-made sugar water without the red dye.  They use them, but still sip from the flowers.  I put one in the front and one in the back to keep them from fussing with each other at the feeders. 

I know about running like the wind when it's necessary too! We have those carpenter bees around the barn trying to make nests -- they love to dive bomb me when I mow out there.  Luckily it's only for a short time in the early spring. 

[miguynmkoi]

I never see more than one Hummie at my feeder.  Lots in the garden on the flowers.  Looked up YouTube for a few videos on Hummies that were really interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAj4uvuITe0  Unbelievable!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYgbIKXUwc  Big Feeder

So many Videos, so little time!

[tweetybaby2005]

We will be planting the same flowers we have here at the farm house. I don't think I can live without my yellow and orange trumpet flowers. DH has planted tons of wild flowers so with a bit of extra efforts, we hope the hummies will show up on their accord! 

Kuan

[Indiana Karen]

Great pictures and video. Thanks for sharing with us.

[miguynmkoi]

Patience Kuan....they will come!

Glad you enjoyed the videos, Karen.

Babies are still fed by Mummie.  They are trying out the feeder and hovering in one spot before zipping off. 

[emm]

Glad you posted these photos!

emm

[Indiana Karen]

I watched this show the other night on tv.  Thought of you.

They are amazing!

http://m.video.pbs.org/video/1380512531/

[miguynmkoi]

Thank you Karen!  My DH was also watching this program too! I only got to see a bit of it.  I'll try to check it out online.  DH is now a walking encyclopedia on anything hummies which he learned watching the PBS special. 

He now imparts learned facts when we are in the garden and a hummie zips by or dines at the "buffet"  . The hummies are still nesting in the orange trees and juniper trees around our garden.  Love it!

Thanks again Karen! 

[Mikey]

I find the chirp of the black phoebe to be cheery and uplifting.

[miguynmkoi]

Me too!  We also call these cuties, the brush cut birds...they look like they have the same do as my dad when he was in the army...