Hummingbirds are Finally Here!

Others commenting on my blog have told me that dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes. As I read more about them I found out that the nymphs eat the mosquito larva. We have three ponds in our neighborhood, so I'm sure they are well fed this year. We've had so much rain that the mosquitoes are pretty bad which probably accounts for the large number of dragonflies and damselflies this summer. After seeing so many pictures of the dragonflies on other blogs last year, I wanted to get a picture of one too. I don't think I ever did. If you remember, last year we had drought conditions, so that may have been a factor in the decreased numbers. I've had plenty of opportunities to photograph them this year. I'm very happy to share my garden with these beneficial insects.

The hummingbirds have finally arrived and I'm beginning to see them more frequently, in brief moments, as they zip by.

I just happened to be outside with my camera taking Garden Blogger Bloom Day pictures yesterday when this one came by.

Once they get used to seeing me around, I'll raise the window and sit beside it and photograph them up close. I did this last year and loved being so near them.

I can't imagine summer without all of the bumblebee activity.


The catbird and the robin were singing at the same time, right there together, in the top of the tree. They did not make beautiful music together, let me tell you. The catbird makes a sound somewhere between a crying baby and a very loud meowing cat in heat. I think they were trying to out sing each other.

The goldfinches have already started eating the seeds from the sunflowers. It's funny, because I don't recall ever seeing them eating sunflower seeds from the feeder. I have thistle/nyjer feeders and that's the seed they usually eat.

This is one summer critter I can definitely do without.


Another summer pest that is not welcome here at Robin's Nesting Place, is the dreaded Japanese beetle. Everyday I go outside and pick them off the plants. They seem to especially love the roses and the purple sweet potato vine and are destroying them. Last night I was sitting here at the computer when I felt something on my back, I reached down my shirt to see what was scratching me and I felt a Japanese beetle on me. I can handle it fine touching them with my hands, but for some reason the thought of one of them on me freaks me out. Thankfully no one but my husband was in the room, so I came out of that shirt really fast. I hate when that happens!


I'm seeing the bunnies all over the neighborhood when I walk in the evenings. I think they are so cute, in other people's yards! This one, however, was in my yard, still munching on the burning bush. So it is not cute! Well...maybe just a little bit.

Thank you to all of you who mentioned that my RSS feed wasn't working, I'm not sure what happened, but we've been having some computer issues lately. I hope I have corrected the problem, and that it's working for you again. Please let me know if it isn't.