They're Here!

Our first hummingbird showed up on May 10th!

It's always such a treat to have them back after 8 l-o-n-g months.
I'm awed that they fly thousands of miles back to the same spot as previous years. They always look for the feeders right where they hung last year, and I hurry to put them up so the little fellows can stock up. I imagine they must be tired after their long trip.

Here in the northeast we only have the ruby-throated hummingbird. The rufous hummingbird has been sighted in the east, as it migrates north, but not by me I'm afraid. The sightings have been mainly along the coast.

I put up two feeders....one on the front porch, and one on the back. You know how the males don't like to share!

I took quite a few photos before I finally caught this little fellow sitting still for a second.

It's hard to get the red throat to show up in a photo. The light caught the red throat just right in this picture at the front feeder.

This is a little lady. She doesn't have the pretty red throat that the male has.

I saw a male displaying behind her (arcing up and down)and she turned her head around and gave him a disdainful look. I guess it takes more than that to impress this gal :)

They sound like a huge bumblebee as they zoom around. They can really startle you as they fly close by when you're pottering around outside.

And guess what came to the feeder today? Yes, a Baltimore Oriole!!

I grabbed my camera and rushed up the stairs because it disappeared up into the big maple out the front. I spotted it sitting on a branch and then it flew to this post on the top of our porch. There were double panes of glass and they weren't very clean, but I clicked off a couple of shots hoping for the best. I was amazed that the picture came out this clear.

We put up an oriole feeder a week ago for the first time ever, in an effort to get some of these beauties to visit. We've had a few in previous years, but we'd like to have more and encourage them to stay.

Later when I came in for a break from working in the garden, I spotted the oriole pecking at an orange slice on the feeder. He was having a grand time with it. I didn't see him drink any of the nectar.

Back outside later in the afternoon I heard a lovely warbling song up in the big cut-leaf maple and looked up to see a female oriole.

It's lovely to know that they're around. I hope we see lots more of them.

We've noticed them nesting over the road in the hedgerow in previous years. They can be seen and heard chasing crows and hawks away from their nest. Feisty things they are.

We've had another very busy week, with still chilly temperatures and some rain on and off.

My hubby finished planting the corn today. Can you hear him breathing a sigh of relief? :)

We're thankful for the help he had from a few kind souls, including his brother, and our very good friend Nancy...who loves to do field work. She finds driving a tractor relaxing :)

I've been plant shopping and have been taking lots of photos of all the beautiful spring blooms in our garden. I'll post more soon. The bleeding heart bushes are out of this world this year!!

And of course, the lawn seems to grow 2 inches as soon as it's cut, and the dandelions are running rampant...threatening to take over the world! Help!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Edit: Blogger's latest quirk is to shut off the comments. Have you noticed? I've seen it happen to a couple of my blog friends, and now, when I looked at this post this morning the comments were turned off. So if you usually get comments and aren't seeing any, check that.

Dear old Blogger...it's a love/hate relationship we have! It's like the friend who drives us crazy, but we love them anyway :)