I was planning on doing some birding yesterday, but life got in the way. I started doing yard work, and couldn’t help but notice several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds flitting through my back yard, moving from flower to flower, and to my one nectar feeder. After finishing the yard work, I decided to do something I haven’t done all summer…try to get photos of my visiting hummingbirds.
They’re not going to be around much longer. They’ll start to leave in a week or two, and numbers will dwindle. By September, I’m usually only left with occasionally young birds and females. By mid-September, they’ll largely be gone.
I’m always so excited when the first hummingbird shows up in our yard in early May! I figured I’d better take some time and enjoy them while we can. For now, here’s a male and female (or young) visiting my nectar feeder.
A somewhat scruffy looking male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I probably won’t have males around for too much longer. Mature males are always the first to leave, and will be scarce or absent by the end of the month.
A female (or immature) hummingbird. Pretty soon these will all I’ll have, and then sadly, they’ll trickle away as well, leaving me with a long, 8-month period without my beautiful little hummingbird. 🙁