My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs')

• 11-01-2007 7:33 PM

  calliecritturs Joined on 09-10-2007 Central Florida Posts 10,864 Points 3,330

  My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact I just can't help it -- I GOTTA post. GUESS what I got you guys!!! whoooo hoooo!!!   **Hummingbirds** !!!!!!   I have a hedge between us and the neighbor that is completely and utterly "untended". I'm just not Ms. Suzie-play-in-the-dirt. I have not got a 'green' bone in my body -- there isn't enough motivation in the world to make me want to "garden". UGH.   It's just absolutely not a 'me' thing. I'm not proud of it, but it's me.So we hire a guy to mow ... and the hedge fends for itself. And this year I have a bumper crop of night-blooming jasmine.Normally it's not something I'd want to encourage -- it's a contact allergen for both the dogs AND me -- but this is up on the hedge, I don't touch it, the dogs don't touch it and it's not even gonna drop leaves where I'd walk.   So ... it's just been there (and it smells nice).Monday nite I was a bit late getting home ... just about dusk. And I thot "WOW that's some bumble-bee ... but it doesn't ... look like ... can it be??? for REAL????   YIPPEEE IT IS!!!!! I've got a hummingbird!!!!"   Of course, you know me -- I went over to talk to him and tell him how pleased I was to see him (yes, I did -- tell me I'm crazy but I think animals recognize 'intent').Not afraid of me in the slightest. Stayed close while I was talking to him then when I backed off to give him room, he moved down the hedge -- and suddenly there were TWO!!   By Tuesday nite -- I had EIGHT!!!!!      Tonight (Wednesday) - it was actually raining (misty kinda) ... and there were only 4. How long they'll stay I don't know but gosh I love to see them.Migrating back South for the winter probably -- and in the dusk light they look dark grey/black ... you can't see the colors cos they move so fast.I'm happy anyway - I feel privileged to see them.   For some reason I can't seem to get this to allow me to put a space between paragraphs so I've edited this like four times -- let's see if this works.  This is Cornell's version of what they look like (all I can see is dark green/gray) http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird.html

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• 11-01-2007 7:57 PM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  MissMandy Joined on 08-14-2006 Chesapeake, Virginia Posts 1,841 Points 0	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Oh my gosh!! I'm jealous - I love hummingbirds! I can't imagine seeing four at one time, let alone eight! Wow!    They are some amazing little creatures - and so fascinating to watch! ~Dog is my co-pilot.~
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• 11-01-2007 8:02 PM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  Thalie Joined on 01-01-2007 Louisiana Posts 1,227 Points 245

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact We loooove hummingbirds too. Each spring we anxiously await their arrival (we track their progress and report our first sighting), we planted a whole flowerbed in the back with plants that attract them, we feed them and each fall we are sorry to see them go. From June to mid-October, it is one of our morning and early evening pleasures to just sit on the patio and look at them whizzing by. They can be quite fearless and aggressive for such little treasures. Ours have been gone for about a week already. We'll probably get a few more stragglers but that's it basically it for this season. I had the opportunity to hold one once. It had decided to come in the screened patio and could not get out; I had no choice (before one of the monstresses decided to have a snack) to catch him in a thin towel to be able to release it. I was so worried I would hurt it but all went well . You're so lucky to still see a few even for a couple of days. Nathalie & the Monstresses Flem - GR - DOB 04-24-04 Spip-YL- DOB 05-18-02

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• 11-01-2007 8:09 PM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  swamper Joined on 09-10-2007 AZ Posts 337 Points 0	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Seeing as how you're in central Florida, you only have one species there (ruby-throated).  I love watching hummingbirds...
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• 11-01-2007 10:01 PM

  In reply to swamper

  Bullymom Joined on 03-14-2007 North Carolina Posts 3,529 Points 110	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact I love watching Humming Birds!  They are so pretty!  The ones around my dad's house will actually run into you if you are in their way!  They sound like JUMBO sized bumble bees!  ~*Kimberly*~
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• 11-01-2007 10:46 PM

  In reply to Bullymom

  Cita Joined on 12-13-2006 CT Posts 5,626 Points 850

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Cool! I love hummingbirds! The ones around here are super fearless. I think they're also really smart, too - one of them once pooped on my (wicked) step-mother's nose while she was sitting on her patio! She decided it was mad because the feeder had been sitting empty for a few days - I decided the hummingbird was making a social commentary, lol!

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• 11-01-2007 10:55 PM

  In reply to Cita

  jennie_c_d Joined on 09-10-2007 Southeast Georgia Posts 11,074 Points 265	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Oh, how coool!!! We had some hummingbirds, in the spring, and I wanted to feed them, but I'm nervous to put bird feeders where the dogs could possibly get to them. Emma likes birds. They fly, and they're fun to catch. She can jump *really* high. Eep.
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• 11-01-2007 11:09 PM

  In reply to jennie_c_d

  OEBulldogge Joined on 08-27-2006 Southern Oregon Posts 45 Points 0

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact We have hummingbirds here all summer. One day I went over to my dad's and he has the feeders for them hanging on his front porch. His hair is thinning and he'd just had a bunch of small skin cancers removed from his head and they were red, so those cute little guys would land right on his head and try to get food out of them. It hurt him a little, but he just let them do it while we sat and enjoyed the view and had to laugh some, too. They're beautiful little birds and amazing to boot.

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• 11-01-2007 11:12 PM

  In reply to OEBulldogge

  calliecritturs Joined on 09-10-2007 Central Florida Posts 10,864 Points 3,330	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact I'm just so blown away by their size but such strength ... and how fearless they are.
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• 11-02-2007 12:01 AM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  ladiebug Joined on 08-19-2006 S Florida Posts 758 Points 100

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact When I was taking care of mom 2 years ago, she had a few come to her lilac bush.  She decided they needed "fattening up" for the winter and we had go shopping for feeders.  We got some and mom made the sugar solution for them, but she made it super-sonic!  She dissolved a 5 lb bage of sugar in about 2 gallons of water.  Anyway, she had fights going on at the feeders everyday!  We loved watching them chase each other.  Here's a few pics of mom's hummingbirds (I can't wait to get my landscaping done, I miss them!).   Lone male, I guessed male b/c of the colors.   I think this was a female, dull/gray colors. This was a daily crowd fighting over the feeders. These pictures are small, it's difficult to see, there's 3 birds at the feeders. This fight lasted over 2 hours.  They chased each other non-stop.  I could not believe how loud hummingbirds can be!

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• 11-02-2007 2:10 AM

  In reply to ladiebug

  corvus Joined on 08-02-2006 Australia (NSW) Posts 2,693 Points 80

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Yes, I do believe animals understand intent, even wild ones. Hence, I'm a zoologist and all wild animals inherently hate me, but all domestic animals inherently adore me. I couldn't tell you how many birds have attacked me while ignoring people walking around me, or how many domestic animals have climbed into my lap as if they'd known me for a deal longer than 1 minute.   Hummingbirds are an exception, though. I fell in love with those critters during my stay in America/Mexico. They think they're invincible because they can fly backwards. They make farty trills. They come up to you when you're walking around in the middle of nowhere just to see what you are and if you have any flowers attached to you. There was one that flew into our kitchen just out of curiosity. And they're fiesty. I love small, fiesty animals! Mourning Penny. We were going to be young together forever, but I'm glad we grew up together instead.

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• 11-02-2007 8:37 AM

  In reply to corvus

  Ratsicles Joined on 09-27-2006 Box Springs, GA Posts 1,022 Points 105

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Oh man, hummingbirds are awesome! (and Callie, of course you know I think the reason you suddenly have so many is because you told that nice bird how much you appreciated his visit. ) This summer we had one that frequented the area around my porch for a few weeks- I had to ask him nicely not to come back because of the dogs and the barn cats. After I asked him to leave, I never saw him again. I hated to do it, because I absolutely LOVE hummingbirds...but so would the cats and several of my dogs. I'd love to be able to put up feeders and see them more often, but they probably wouldn't last long around here with all of the predators. You guys are LUCKY!

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• 11-02-2007 9:27 AM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  janobonano Joined on 09-10-2007 northern WI Posts 8,063 Points 1,425	Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact Isn't that exciting? I love seeing hummingbirds. We get them all summer. I had a feeder up in early summer, but it got moldy at the top, and I have yet to find a brush that is long enough to reach, yet narrow enough to fit through the neck.   I hope you get to see them during the day. Their iridescent throat is really pretty.
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• 11-02-2007 9:34 AM

  In reply to janobonano

  mrstjohnson Joined on 07-13-2006 Sterling Heights, MI Posts 3,686 Points 85

  Re: My wee tiny visitors (Callie loves all 'critturs') Reply Contact janobonano: I had a feeder up in early summer, but it got moldy at the top, and I have yet to find a brush that is long enough to reach, yet narrow enough to fit through the neck.   Janice - if you haven't tried already you might want to try a baby bottle brush, the one I have has a pretty long handle and two size brushes one on each end. Hummingbirds are just too cool!  You are so lucky Callie! Lisa - Charlie & Riley's Mommy A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings Thanks for the siggy Candace!!!

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