• Wednesday-What'sUP September 8 - 08:00 am

Thanks to Lindsay White (the first two photos) and Donna MacIntosh} (the bottom three photos), we get a good closeup view of both a female and a male, Ruby-throated hummingbird, today. These tiny little birds are amazing with the way they flit back and forth, hovering over the feeder, before lightly setting down to sip some nectar for their dinner. It won't be long and they'll be heading on their long journey south for the winter. But don't be too hasty in taking your feeder down. The rule of thumb is to wait two weeks after the last one you see feeding. That way if there are some migrating through your area, they can stop in for a quick drink to fuel them along the way.

Those are great picturs!! We have some like that, but they're taken in Minnesota!! They are such interesing birds!!

Indeed Mary; we'll see all different kinds of hummers in our backyard feeders, including Ruby-Throated, in the coming months as they make their way even further south than here.

It looks like they are getting a handle on the fire north of us. 50% contained as of this morning, but it is still very smokey around our place. At least it's not that hot out. As matter of fact, Houston set a record low temperature this morning, if you can believe that....

I love watching Humming birds! These are nice pictures, up close!

Absolutely beautiful photos of some of God's most unique creatures! No wonder they're so small, they burn up all their calories flittin' around like that!;-> Capt., thanks for the update on the Texas fire....hope it's completely contained very soon!

Well remember, the fire north of us is a wee little thing compared to the one near Bastrop which has burned over 33,000 acres and killed at least 2. That fire has 0% containment as of this morning and is burning in a heavily pine forested area.

Thanks for the concerns though; they are greatly appreciated!!

Lovely little creatures. It is a miracle to see something so small, so alive and vibrant.

And they are vicious and so territorial! LOL....you can hear those beaks being used in "sword fights"....click, click, click...as they chase each other out. And they squeak at each other...it's truly amazing to watch these little creatures! They are so beautiful...these are this year's babies.

And all the best w/the wildfires down there...be careful Cap't. I was watching a bit of that on the Weather channel yesterday...that fire just eats up territory...unreal. My neighbor's b/f is one of the Beartown Firefighters...they are presently fighting fires in Idaho.

We had a discussion not too long ago about hummingbirds... everybody knows they run on nectar/sugar water/etc. - but while that provides energy, it doesn't provide anything to build hummingbirds out of! Turns out they consume massive quantities of mosquitoes and other insects to provide the protein for bird building.

Nice Pic's, reminds me of my aunt Judy (Vuolle) St. Andre's home in Lac La Belle, she always had a hummingbird feeder right outside the kitchen window.

Capt just where are you located relative to the fires west of Houston? Looking on a map gives the impression the whole state of Texas is burning. And that is no small place. Have a son in Lake Jackson south of Houston. He drove through Bastrop Monday---------actually around it via detour---sent some pictures of the smoke. Also some pictures of the smoke taken from Lake Travis in Austin.
Big time fire.

Tom,
We are about 14 or so miles south of the Magnolia Fire in the NW spike of Harris County. The big one outside of Bastrop is about 100 miles west of here. I was hoping to attach a map but it didn't show up real well. I'll try a little later.

I don't know if it's me, but I don't think you see too many hummingbirds, anymore.

Hi
I'm not sure if hummingbird aggression is due to viciousness or desperation---they really need the food to survive, with the calories they burn and their metabolism. But yeah, you couldn't call them sweet-tempered.

I got to see one up close in August, when a nature center near Jackson, MI was doing bird banding on them.

Capt., thankfully you're not too close to the fires, but even 14 or 100 miles is too close when things are so dry. We were living in Bakersfield, CA in the mid-'80s when a rash of fires were all around, we could see some in the distance and it was not an easy feeling! Wish you could get the rain we're having here in the Ohio Valley right now....very wet and Autumny cool!