Eureka!

Yes... I must apologize for having been gone for too long.

I have plenty of excuses for not having posted before now.


My latest excuse is that I was in the hospital for a week with meningitis and pneumonia

I got to come home this past Thursday.


How did I get meningitis?

I'll spare you all the details and just give you the nuts and bolts.

Remember I had told you about having surgery for a brain tumor? That's been almost five years ago. Well, the incision site has developed a "leak". Yes... I am leaking CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) and it's running out my left nostril.


So...


This opens up an area of the body that is supposed to be a "closed system". Nothing in... and nothing out. However, in my case I have plenty running out which also gives opportunity for much more to run in.


Anyway... I hope that we can come up with a solution to repair the leak and return the open system back to a closed system.


This is something that really needs to happen.



This morning while I was drinking my coffee I had quite a surprise drop by my bird feeder.

I couldn't believe my eyes and was afraid that I was imagining what I was seeing.

I moved very slowly in my chair in preparation to slip back into the house so that I could grab my binoculars and camera, but the visitor saw the movement and flitted away.





Thankfully the shy little bird came back and I was able to make a positive ID on it.


It's a Painted Bunting!!!!!





How I have been hoping to see one of these birds. I have only heard about them and seen them in photographs. Their numbers are in decline and they are listed as a "near threatened" species.

Today I saw one for the very first time!

And I've reported my sightings to the ebird project. This project is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society.





As an added bonus this male Painted Bunting has a mate. While she isn't colored in any way like her mate, her green coloring is quite pretty in and of itself.





I wish that I had better photographs of these birds, but they were at the feeder that is farthest from my vantage point and I do not have a telephoto lens for my camera.



So these closely cropped images will have to suffice for now. Perhaps, they will become more comfortable with my backyard and I'll be able to get a better picture of them both.

later...

The Snakes in My Backyard...

Linda in Norman (Oklahoma) sent me an e-mail quite some time ago that said something to the effect that I needed a new post to put above the (ugly) bug post.

I've accumulated a few pictures and I had thought about posting the bird pictures, or the pictures of the deer that come up to my yard every day.

But I got busy per usual and didn't get it done.

I promise that I will post some of those photographs, however tonight's post was prompted by me finding a shed snake skin in my backyard this evening. I don't know what kind of snake it was but never the less...

It was ~more~ evidence that I do seem to have quite a bit of "Snake Traffic" come through my yard.


A while back I found this little Prairie Ring-Neck snake while I was working in the yard.



I don't believe that I had seen one since I was a kid. The markings fascinated me then as it still does today.

What a striking contrast of color this little snake has.





A bright orange belly with a matching ring around its neck. These colors are brilliant when set against the black of the rest of the body.

Mom says, "The only good snake is a dead snake." Of course, she has already found two rattlesnakes this year at her house. And I agree... rattlesnakes are not welcome.

Even so, I beg to differ with her about all snakes being bad. There are good snakes. This snake in particular catches and eats slugs (among other things). I'll have to remember to tell Mom that because she is inundated with slugs in her flower beds.

I remember catching my first Prairie Ring-Neck snake. It was about this size. I was so excited that I wanted to show it to Mom. She was gone from the house at the time, so I rummaged around to find something to put my prize snake in.

For some reason, I couldn't find anything but a paper lunch sack...

and into that sack I put my snake. I then left the snake in the house and went back outside.

When Mom got home I told her that I wanted to show her something really neat. I was very proud of my catch.

I retrieved the paper sack and opened it only to find that it was empty.

I couldn't believe my eyes...

as my short little insignificant life passed before them.

Well...

When Mom found out what it was that I had LOST IN THE HOUSE she had a ~conniption fit~. She said, "I am NOT sleeping in THIS house until you FIND THAT SNAKE!!!"


I've since seen another little Prairie Ring-Neck snake in my yard. He was a little bigger. I wonder if I caught him if Mom would like to have it live in her flower bed to eat her slugs.

NOT!

I'm sure that many of you have wondered how I ever lived to be as old as I am.





Parker and I spent quite a bit of time trying to get this photo of the snake's tongue sticking out. But Parker showed some remarkable patience and was able to capture one

Please ignore my dirty fingers.

I didn't take the time to go into the house to wash my hands before we took the pictures of the snake.


So the other evening after I got home I drug out the water hose. I needed to water some of my plants and flowers.

While I was watering this guy come flying around the corner straight at me. This snake was on a mission of some sort.

I sprayed him with my water hose to stop his advance which took some doing.

But I did get him to stop and at least turned the other direction. I think I made him mad too.



I kept looking at this guy and I couldn't readily identify him. He was only about two feet long and quite slender in appearance, however the markings on his head is what really caught my eye. The pattern that starts at the eye and comes down to the mouth is quite interesting.

So I grabbed my camera real quick to take a picture in hopes that I could later identify what kind of snake it was.



It took quite a bit of time to browse through a bunch of photographs, and Googled pages. But I finally got a positive ID on the snake.

It is a Checkered Garter snake. The picture associated with the link is a pretty good picture. Much better than my hastily taken shot. You can click on it to make it bigger.

I failed to tell you guys that "something" ransacked my fish pond a few weeks ago.

All of my pretty fish are gone. Vanished. Disappeared.

Most likely eaten.

From the mess that was made it is likely that it was a raccoon that "fished" them out and ate them. The lily pads were all torn up.

I did see a raccoon early Monday morning run from behind my neighbor's garage.

But it is also possible that it was this fellow, the Checkered Garter snake, that could have made a quick meal of them as well.


I don't believe in feeding wildlife, but I will have to get some more fish.

Hopefully they'll last a while longer than the last batch?

*sigh*


later...

The Giant Red-Headed Centipede...

Early one morning, about a week ago, Parker and Carrie had gone outside to catch the bus. Suddenly the front door flew open and Parker came running in the house out of breath and extremely excited.

No time for dilly-dallying. The bus was on its way. He rifled through the kitchen cabinet and produced a plastic container and quickly ran outside.

Soon, he was back in the house with his prize.


A Giant Red-Headed Centipede.


*YIKES*




When I saw it I was totally dismayed that such a creature could be living in my yard.




Yes, these guys are predators and are venomous. They can be life-threatening to a small child or if you have a bee-sting allergy.





It has been reported that the feet of this centipede can cause lacerations on your skin. I can only imagine. His feet look like talons!



Some may not know how to tell the difference between a millipede and a centipede. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment while millipedes have two pair.




While the Giant Red-Headed Centipede is considered to be a "good" creature to have around because it does hunt and eat large prey, I do not consider anything that is venomous to be welcome at my house. Especially if it is an aggressive creature which this centipede is known for.

Fortunately, this centipede succumbed on his own without any intervention on my part. I think it was ill, injured, or dying when Parker found it because they are known to stay on the ground and are very, very fast. Parker found this centipede on the side of our house and was able to capture it easily. It wasn't long after he had caught it that the centipede started to act strangely and roll over on its back.


Here is a link to a YouTube video of a Giant Red-Headed Centipede eating a young mouse.

And here is a science video of another variety of centipede hunting and capturing a tarantula.




These videos are examples of how strong and aggressive of a hunter they are, so don't watch these videos if you're squeamish.

later...



Species Scolopendra heros - Giant Redheaded Centipede

Giant redheaded centipede

My Goldfish...

I enjoy watching the goldfish that are in our little pond.

So I thought that I would try to take a few pictures of them and share them with you guys.

~ha~

Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of a fish?




This is one of the Black Moors.



It's Parker and Carrie's favorite fish because it has "bug eyes".



Look at this guy's big mouth!

We don't have the plain "gold-colored" goldfish. These have three different colors and are known as calico goldfish.



Can you see the difference in their tails? We have the regular body-type as well as the fan-tailed goldfish.

You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

I hope that all of you are having a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Week-end!

later...

The Texas Brown Tarantula...

In April, Parker found a tarantula in our backyard. It was the "prettiest" and "fluffiest" tarantula that I have ever seen.

Taken by this prize specimen of a spider, Parker and I spent the greater part of a Saturday morning taking pictures and playing with the spider. In fact, I believe that Parker took most of the photographs himself.




Parker carried it to different locations. We put it on rocks, moss, grass... You name it. We had a great time with this gentle giant.



At the time, I had thought that the tarantula's calm demeanor and deliberate activities were due to the chilled air that we were experiencing. However, after doing some reading about the Texas Brown Tarantula I have discovered that it is the most docile of the giant spiders and can make a good pet. It is also known as the Desert Tarantula.

I did not want to keep the spider in captivity. I thought that it was such a peaceful and beautiful specimen that it should live on to produce others like it. It's amazing to think that a tarantula has to live almost ten years before it is sexually mature enough to reproduce. Another unbelievable statistic is that the tarantula can live up to 25 years! I have also read some reports that they can live up to 40 years in captivity. Deciding to have a tarantula for a pet would certainly carry the weight of a long term responsibility.



If you look closely at the above picture you can see the tarantula's four eyes. You can click on the picture to see a larger image.



This spider was very, very large.



It is still amazing how this spider didn't seem to mind our "manipulations".



It allowed us to lift its legs and nearly turn it completely over.





Just so that we could see its fangs! Is that cool or what?!

There are a lot of people who kill these spiders. But they aren't venomous, and tarantulas are really good to have around because they hunt and eat big bugs like grasshoppers.


So... this is another one of our latest and greatest finds in our backyard here in the Texas Hill Country.

BUT...

You ain't seen nothin' yet! Wait 'til I post pictures of our latest backyard discovery!

later...


My daughter has changed one of this tarantula's photographs into an artistic design that has been placed on t-shirts and bags. You can find the items here.

And if you decide to buy something, well, we thank you in advance!!



Texas Brown Tarantula Fact Sheet


The Basics of Having a Pet Tarantula


University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Aphonopelma chalcodes

Week-End Projects...

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, cards, and beautiful flowers. They were greatly appreciated and your encouragement was a blessing to all of us.




At our new house there is a lot of white gravel in spaces that could be used for flower beds. Under these layers of rocks is a heavy duty fabric, also known as weed guard, which helps prevent any botanical being from emerging from the earth. It's a form of "waterless landscaping" that is used quite frequently in these dry parts of Texas. But... as you all know, I prefer plants and flowers to rocks and I find this form of landscaping to be very, very... uhmm ... well... just plain ugly.

In my backyard, next to the deck and the brick walk, was such a strip of rock landscaping. The only green stuff there was monkey grass. I had planned on transforming that space into a cute little flowerbed (probably less the monkey grass), but after I had removed all the rocks and then pulled up the weed guard there was a gruesome discovery. I found that the bottom board of the decking was beginning to show signs of decay due to being constantly wet. I then realized that I wouldn't be able to have a flower bed there because watering my plants would destroy my deck. In fact, I was faced with removing as much dirt as possible so that it would not be touching the wood.

What was I going to do now? I couldn't replace all those rocks because it was obvious that they were causing a problem against the wood as well.

I was very upset and terribly disappointed in the situation. The thought of having ~plain dirt~ next to my deck was inconceivable.

All of my free time, that I use for day dreaming and stuff, was then consumed by trying to figure out how to solve 'the problem'.


What could I do with

~less dirt

~a significant slope to the ground

~low decking

and without using that horrible white gravel?


I finally came up with a fantastic idea! It was possibly an idea that was bigger than me and the kids put together, but once I had hatched the notion I was determined to make it work.

I spent hours on the internet searching for information. I visited lots of how-to sites. It seemed like a formidable task.

However, my idea had now become a dream. And I was determined to make it happen.

So... here is my little "Backyard Dream" that the kids and I did in one week-end. Of course this dream has led to another proposition that is much larger and quite a bit more expensive. (Think several thousand dollars here.)

I'm now dreaming of a rather large waterfall with a Koi pond.

*toothy grin*

But it will have to wait quite a while before it comes to fruition. (Like years!)

I have other week-end projects that I have to tackle.

This Saturday?

I have to figure out how to fix Carrie's naturally curly hair for tonight's prom!







We went to a water landscaping company and was able to purchase some heavy duty rubber pond material that would become the bed of our stream. We attached the long edge of the lining that was next to the deck with a strip of 1x2" cedar with galvanized nails.




The water landscaping store had lots of beautiful fountains. There were so many different styles and types.

ALL of them were EXPENSIVE. Some were in the thousands of dollars!

We went to the 'close-out' section and this little fountain was there. It had originally been 5' tall. Due to an accident, it had fallen and broke in half. The base also has a couple of chips on the side. I was able to negotiate a very good price for this 100+ pound section of the fountain. It had originally retailed for $800. I paid a lot less than that. (Think ~very good deal~ here.)



At the end of the stream is a pond. Water is pumped from the pond, up the stream, and to the base of the fountain. There is a diverter in front of the fountain. Part of the water goes up the inside of the fountain. The main volume of the water comes out in front of the fountain. The water in the front of the fountain provides the volume needed for our running stream. Our pump moves 250 gallons per hour (gph).




Parker really seemed to enjoy constructing the stream. He didn't like the digging part at all though.






The only rocks that we bought were the smooth round 'river rock'. We used those rocks to cover the very bottom of the stream and to hide the flexible pipe that moves the water from the pond to the head of the stream and the fountain. There a few rocks that had been collected over the years, such as the lava rock. The rest of the rocks are native stones that we had in the yard and surrounding areas. Some of the limestone rocks are from Mom and Dad's pasture.

I hope that Mom doesn't miss them.

*laugh*




This is looking up the stream at ground level at the very top edge of the pond.



I left the existing monkey grass. I think that it helps to add a "water's edge" feel to the stream.



I really like this fountain. The birds like it too. The goldfinches enjoy drinking from little bubble of water that it makes on the top. Some of the goldfinches cling to the side of the fountain to drink.

However, the other day I saw an amazing sight. A tiny hummingbird took a bath on the top of my fountain. I had never seen a hummingbird take a bath before! It was wonderful!




I'm going to try to grow some Scotch moss here. We'll see what happens. Hopefully it will fill the entire area in with moss.

In the mean time... I have to have an Impatiens there too!




This is looking downstream. There is an old stump that was being used as part of the landscape here at the very end. You can see one of our cats there. The cats don't like to drink water out of their bowl any more. They prefer drinking the water out of the stream now.





I have two bog plants. One is at the bottom of the stream and the other is a papyrus which is in the pond. I also have water lilies in the pond and nine goldfish. The goldfish consist of three calico, three fantailed calico, and three black moors. These guys will eat up any mosquito larvae that may get hatched in the pond. The water from the stream "falls" about three to four inches into the pond. This falling water makes a most pleasant sound to me. The stream and fountain add a light trickling sound as well.

I love to sit on my back porch. I watch the birds and listen to their calls. Now that I have a stream and pond, it just adds so much more to my "little piece of Texas".

later...

My New Backyard...

I pray that everyone is having a wonderful Easter!

It is cloudy, windy, and quite cool out today, and so I am being a bit lazy. I have been going over some landscape ideas in my head as well.

You know... daydreaming.

Yesterday I put out two hummingbird feeders in hopes of attracting some hummingbirds to my backyard. You may remember that last year I had to wait many, many weeks before I saw my first hummingbird visit my feeder at my home in Oklahoma.

You can only imagine the surprise and excitement that I felt when I saw not one, but TWO Black-Chinned hummingbirds at my feeders by early evening!

This afternoon, I was privy to another amazing sight that I have never before seen. I saw the pendulous acrobatic flight of a male Blacked-chinned hummingbird courting a female.

I will most certainly try to keep an eye out for any hummingbird nests! That would be sooo exciting for me if I found one.

Hopefully I will also see some other hummingbird species come and visit my feeders other than the Black-chinned Hummingbird!


I am really enjoying my new backyard which is now filled with a great variety of birds who are visiting my feeders and birdbath. The birds that I have identified so far are:

The American Goldfinch

The Tufted Titmouse

The Black-crested Tufted Titmouse (Which, by the way, there were a pair inspecting my little bird house today!)

The Inca Dove

The White-winged Dove

The Northern Cardinal (I don't know why they call it the "Northern" Cardinal as it is a very common species here in the Texas Hill Country.

Bewick's Wren (Click on the "bird call" button on this page to hear what the bird sounds like. I must have quite a few of these as this is a common call that I hear in my backyard.)

The Carolina Chickadee

The Loggerhead Shrike

The Mockingbird (This is the Texas state bird.)

The House Finch

The Downy Woodpecker

Overhead, gliding through the skies, is the buzzard. Also known as the Turkey Vulture.

Of course I have a multitude of sparrows which help to empty my feeders on a regular basis. I also have a few grackles that show up. And then there are the dreaded Brown-headed Cowbirds that are "brood parasites". This means that they don't make a nest of their own, but instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. This reproductive habit of the Brown-headed Cowbird is a serious threat to other bird species as it often leads to the death of one or more of the foster parents' brood.

I believe that I have listed all the birds that I have seen in my backyard to date. I am anxiously keeping an eye out for the mysterious Painted Bunting which is usually only fleetingly spotted in the Texas Hill Country.

I'm also considering purchasing some meal worms so that I can hopefully attract some beautiful Eastern Bluebirds. Mom has quite a few at her house, but she lives in a less wooded area of the Hill Country so I don't know if I'll see any here or not. They like open pastures quite a bit. Mom has also has put out quite a few Bluebird houses out on the fence posts as well. If I see one I might put out a house for them.

In the evenings I get about six or more bats that come to my backyard. Since there are 32 different types of bats in Texas, I cannot tell you which kind I have. I would have to probably capture one and look at it up close to be able to identify it. However, since I live fairly close to Longhorn Caverns the chances are that my bat visitors are the Mexican Free-tailed bat which numbers are in the millions in the areas surrounding my home. I have observed their flight in the evenings and have surmised that they are the type of bat that eats insects. So that's what they probably are, the Mexican Free-tailed bat.


My house is near Ink's Lake. Not at the water's edge of course, I can't afford waterfront property! But nonetheless I can see a small part of the lake from my driveway and the water's edge is about 1/2 of a mile from my house. A very nice walk on a beautiful day. My neighborhood also has two "POA's" (point of access) to the lake where I can access the water free of charge.

Large bodies of water attract all sorts of wildlife. There are deer in my neighborhood which means I will need to be selective on the plants I choose for my landscape. So I think the chances of me seeing a large variety of bird species is pretty good. I live almost directly across from Inks Lake State Park albeit it is on the other side of a narrow part of the 800 acre lake. I can see the park's golf course from my driveway. Here is a neat video put out by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife about Inks Lake State Park.

I am very thankful for the house that I have and consider it to be a wonderful blessing.

Hopefully I will capture some photographs of the critters that visit my backyard. If I do I will most certainly share them with you guys.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

later...

Imperial Moth Caterpillar...

Imperial Moth Caterpillar...
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I received a friendly e-mail telling me that "the bug needs to go".

So...

I have replaced it with an "autumnal" creature. The Imperial Moth caterpillar.


Here is a great picture of the moth on Wikipedia.

The moth, Eaclis imperialis, is not very widespread and according to some reports that I have read it may be in decline in a few areas.

We found two of these caterpillars here at my parents' home in Burnet County, Texas.

These caterpillars burrow into the ground or crawl under leaves. I have some dirt and leaves in a mayonnaise jar and I am keeping the caterpillars in there. Early this evening, the first caterpillar shed its skin revealing an auburn colored pupa. I will try to get pictures of the pupa soon, but I want to be careful to not injure it. So I will leave it alone for a few days to allow the shell sufficient time to harden.

It is my hope that we will see adult Imperial Moths this spring. Which is a creature that I have never seen before.

While I was trying to identify our caterpillars I ran across a very interesting and interactive website that I wanted to share with you guys.

It's called What's That Bug?. If you find a bug, or a caterpillar, and you don't know what it is you can search their website for its identity.

But the best thing about this website is that you can send them an e-mail with a photo of your "magnificent finding", and they will post it on their website along with its name.

It's a really cool website and some of the photos that people have taken of insects from all over the world are really, really good.


I suppose I should also include an update about what's going on with me and my family.

For those of you who don't already know, the kids and I have partially relocated to the Texas Hill Country.

The kids are attending public school. Something that they have never done before.

I have started a new job at a veterinary clinic down here as well.

My home in Oklahoma is up for sale and all of our stuff is still up there too. We are currently living with my parents.

So...

Having lived in Oklahoma for almost 30 years (my entire adult life) I now find myself back home in Texas.


Dad is doing some better. At least he can see to walk around the house and the ranch. He still can't read, see the TV, or drive.

The kids and I have been helping around here. The kids do most of the chores after school.

The kids seem to have adjusted really well to a completely different type of school environment. I have been blessed to have found employment that is only 23 miles away. I was afraid that I would have to go to work in Austin and commute 65 miles one way.

But as always...

God has been good to us and He has been faithful.

I'm waiting for that perfect family to come and buy my house so that Sue will have a great neighbor. At least neighbors that won't cause her as much aggravation as I have.

;+ )


I also want to thank all the people who are currently helping me through this transition... Taking care of the house while I am gone, those who have helped do some much needed repairs and painting on the house, yard work, cleaning, and so much more.

What would I do without all of those wonderful Oklahomans?


God Bless You All...


later...

Grant's Rhinocerous Beetle...

Parker found this beetle in the pasture here in Burnet County, Texas.

When you're out in the country your backyard kind of expands a bit.




It's really cool.



And big too!



I looked it up and its Latin name is Dynastis Grantis. I have found other variations of the Latin name as well.

It isn't supposed to be in Texas, but Dad says that he would see one every now and again.

Even when he was a kid.

Dad is 71 years old.




So I guess they've been around in these parts for quite some time.

What I didn't know was that there are a lot of rhinocerous beetles that are kept for pets.


Another thing I didn't know is that there are a lot of different kinds of Rhinocerous beetles.

Here's a cool video about them on YouTube:



This beetle was a great find and is now one of Parker's prized possessions.

;+ )


later...

Another Hummingbird Picture...

I was able to capture this photo of another little hummingbird flying.

You should have seen all the pictures that I took where the hummingbirds had left the frame of the shot.

I did get some other snapshots with a hummingbird within the frame, but I thought that this picture was the best one.


I've been busy lately.


Cleaned out the fridge...

And discovered that the interior was white.


later...

Hurricanes in Oklahoma...

Well, we didn't have an actual hurricane in Oklahoma...

But a tropical storm?

Here?





By "hurricane and tropical storm standards", it would be considered a small one.


Even so, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin certainly did cause some problems for us this Sunday.








And sadly, there were those who did not survive the storm and its flood waters.


Our prayers are with those families as they mourn their loss.


Here at my house I was quite fortunate.

And I have to admit that I slept through the entire event and wasn't aware of what was going on.

At all.

I woke up to quite a surprise this morning.

The high wind had torn off one of my porch lights...

And twisted off a fairly good sized tree limb and countless other smaller limbs and leaves.




And the rain flooded my yard.





But only it was only a few inches deep.

I had other plans for my Sunday, but I ended up picking up the yard instead.



Once again I find myself counting my blessings...

And have been protected from the severe forces of nature.


You guys have a great week.


later...

Reflections...

There are times when we all need to just sit down and count our blessings.

The problems in our lives try to overtake us and keep us preoccupied...

Causing us to miss the important things in life.


And when we try to reflect on the positives it seems that we only look for the "big blesssings".

The things that appear to be of substance...

On the outside that is.

We look at the stuff that could possibly impress our friends...

People at the mall or at work.


We look to money way too often and depend on it for our happiness far too much.


Missing what is truly important.


The loudness of a quiet, hot summer evening...

Cicadas singing in the trees.

We should be thankful that we can hear them.


The cool green leaves of a stout oak that provides us with shade from a dutiful sun.


The joy of water.

It feels so much wetter in August, don't you think?


I'm thankful for my lawn chair...

And my backyard.


It's one of my most favorite places...

And provides me with a respite from the outside world.


It's a place of solitude that provides ample room for soulful reflection.


What a blessing it is to me.


Be still...

Be quiet...

So that you can truly hear.


Find a quiet spot...

Close your eyes...


And listen to the 23rd Psalm like you've never heard it before.





It will bring tears of gratitude to your eyes.



later...

Gone Huntin' II...

Some of you may remember when I put my hummingbird feeder out late this spring. It was in the first week of May.



Every day, I would wait and watch for any sign of a hummingbird. But the only thing visiting my feeder was a butterfly or two...

And a few wasps.



I would pour the old sugar water out and refill it with a freshly made batch of the sweet liquid.

And then wait some more.



Two weeks ago I saw my first hummingbird come to my feeder. My visitors have increased from the lonely one to about five.

This evening I sat down with the camera and was able to capture a few of the little guys.



I had plenty of time to wonder why it took them so long to find my feeder. Then I got to thinking that maybe that it was time for them to start migrating south.

And these guys are just passing through.

If that's the case, I hope that they stay for a while before they move on.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Department says to hang the feeders from April 1st until November 1st which is very encouraging.

Although I can't say that I have ever seen a hummingbird that late in the year.




These are my first attempts at taking pictures of hummingbirds. It was quite a challenge to say the least.

Something that I will need to practice.

All in all I am happy with these snapshots. I just wish that my ruby-throated hummingbird had seen fit to visit me this evening.

Maybe he will come by the next time I get a quiet moment with my camera.

later...