Hummingbirds

Today was a great day for hummingbird photography! They are preparing to fly south for the winter and are very possessive of their feeders! I saw three hummingbirds today, but two of them had staked a claim. One in the front and one in the back.

I walked out on the patio today when I let the dog out and noticed that this hummingbird didn't budge from the branch. Of course I immediately went inside to get the camera! I wanted to see how close I could get before it flew away. I got probably within three feet! It was drizzling rain, but I didn't care!I stood in the rain taking pictures!

This juvenile male staked claim to the feeder by the front porch. Since it was raining I sat on the front porch in my rocker to photograph this one. He had much prettier coloring anyway and the Japanese maple made a beautiful backdrop. Notice his beak?

It's twisted! It doesn't seem to hinder his eating. Once today while he was eating, another hummingbird flew right into him and knocked him to the ground! That was a sight to witness from just a few feet away! I never tire of watching these guys. It makes me sad to think that my time with them is almost over for the year. Each morning I watch for them wondering if the day before was the last. I count it a little blessing when I have just one more day to enjoy their antics.

My husband walked by the sliding glass doors Friday and said, "There is a big bug out there that you might want to see." He knows me well, doesn't he? I immediately walked over and saw this dragonfly lying on its back. I wasn't sure if it was dead or alive, but I assumed it must have hit the glass doors. I slid the door open and stepped back to take the picture. About the time I got the first shot my daughter's, indoor only, cat spotted the bug and the open door and started to bolt. Startled, I screamed! Between my screaming and the cat lunging, we scared the dragonfly. Thankfully it was able to right itself and zip away and thankfully I caught the cat before she escaped!