December 29, 2012
Missy was pleased to welcome some Goldfinches as the arrived at the diner in time for breakfast today. We don’t usually see them until the Spring Migration is well underway. They were joined by a solitary House Finch who, along with the cardinals, moved as needed as the White Winged Doves performed their “grass is always greener” rotations of their favorite feeders. And then there was this unwelcome guest, who chased everyone else away for the rest of the day…..
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December 12, 2012
The occasional day when “real birds” become “feeder junkies” are kind of nice, because frequent visits to the feeder provide good observation opportunities. We needed the rain but the hummingbirds would probably rather not have their Firespike and Sleeping Hibiscus nectar diluted by it. Fortunately for the birds, the plants will probably become the preferred nectar sources again tomorrow.
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December 1, 2012
Another Rufous Hummingbird!
This one is probably a female, although it may be a “juvie.” As with so many other birds, the female’s coloring is much less bold than that of the male.
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November 30, 2012
It’s tough to look like a small bird on a windy and cold day because the only way to stay warm is to fluff up one’s feathers.
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November 28, 2012
This hummingbird’s proportions seem different from the others we usually see–the beak is very long compared to the length of the bird and the tail feathers and wing length seem the same. Perhaps it will allow a decent picture to be taken before moving on to parts unknown…
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November 12, 2012
Missy hasn’t seen the Rufous Hummingbird in a couple of days. But she enjoys seeing this Ruby-throated Hummingbird nectar from the Firespike plant and the feeder each afternoon.
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November 6, 2012
No results in yet for the pick of favorite nectar source. Our Ruby-throat hummingbird seems to prefer flowers, this Rufous Hummingbird seems to like the feeder as well. ‘Not the best picture, but it is hard to keep one’s whiskers out of the viewfinder….
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October 23, 2012
Wide, Tall and Small
The Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitonius) has a wide wingspan. It is the Florida State Butterfly and a frequent visitor at Missy’s right now.
Our front yard was scoured for grubs by three Sandhill Cranes. These birds are very tall and not to be provoked–yet they make a whirring sound not unlike the purring of a cat.
Missy’s smallest diner is a hummingbird who has been a regular since the end of last week.
We hope this little visitor might decide to spend the winter with us.
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July 9th Surprise
We usually don’t see Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers until late September so were delighted to capture this photo of an early visitor. Regretfully, our guest didn’t stay around long enough to pose for a better portrait.
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Valentine’s Day Hummer February 14, 2012
This little guy has been around for the past few weeks. He’s discovered the salvias growing near the Sleeping Hibiscus but not the feeder.
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February 5, 2012
This reclusive Baltimore Oriole arrived to nectar on the first blooms of the year on the neighbor’s Golden Trumpet Tree. Missy wishes he had wanted to show off his vibrant colors instead of spending all his time behind a branch.
