Our New Friend

We have a few milkweed plants that have attracted Monach butterflies and here is one of our new friends that resulted.

What's Happening in December

We still have hummingbirds in South Texas in December. We also set out seeds for other birds and are delighted to see Titmice visit along with sparrows. We got a glimps of a Cardinal but were unable to photograph it. Hope to get another chance. Are you watching for nature around your home?

Red Bird of Paradise Plant

We are excited that our new Bird of Paradise Plants are growing very well. They are only 6 inches tall and very bushy, which is excellent for their 4 month growth. We expect a profusion of flowers this spring, like the full grown one pictured above. Our gift sets contain 4 mini hummingbird feeders and at least 6 Bird of Paradise Plant seeds as well as at least 6 Yellow Trumpet Flower Plant seeds. We will continue to offer our gift sets through this holliday season and expect to continue to offer the sets in the future.

A BEE PICTURE

We are busy these days. Lets take a little time to see nature around us. We still have flowers and hummingbirds in South Texas. Can hardly wait for the new season, as we have new plants that we expect will produce in the Spring. Have you started your new seedlings?

November 9th Morning

It is always a joy to have our hummer friends still visiting. After the fog cleared the light was just right. I took a few shots than had to get to work.

Pictured here is the female companion to the stunning Ruby Throated Hummingbird. We get quite a few females on our feeders the males have left to vacation in Mexico.

A Clean Feeder

Our mini hummingbird feeders help our friends stay healthy. Their small size assures that our hummingbirds empty it out before it goes bad. Moldy nectar is not healthy. If you have large feeders please remember to change out the nectar often.

COOL AS A CUCUMBER

This little one has nerves of steel. She is not afraid to sit there cool as a cucumber. Even when another hummer wanted to access the feeder or with my camera about 18 inches away. By the way the other hummer was her mother, so they did not fight.

They get so used to the feeder that I was able to sit my mother down with one and have the hummers feed from her hand. This was a thrill for her since she is partially blind and totally deaf.

More Photography Fun

Having a Red Bird of Paradise plant comes in handy when trying to attract butterflies for photography. The best thing to do is to grow the plant in a pot large enough to support it's root system. That way you can move the plant to a convenient location for the best lighting.

Photography Fun

It is a beautiful thing to sit by your hummingbird feeder and wait for the hummingbirds to come feed. Unlike other birds they are very brave to come so close.

Like a Tiny Angel

This little hummingbird appears to glow with the sunlight reflecting off it's body and wings.

Our Friends are Still Visiting

Our hummingbird friends are still visiting our feeders in South Texas. We had a bit of cooler weather arrive a few days ago. The air is very clear because there is very little humidity.

Our GIFT SETS have taken shape. See below.

Preparing GIFT SETS

We had requests for packages to be used as Gift Sets for the holidays. So we have been preparing packages that we hope will satisfy the need. Keeping in mind those that would like to start or add to their butterfly gardens, we put together 4 Mini Hummingbird Feeders, 6 Red Bird of Paradise plant seeds, plus 6 Yellow Trumpet Flower plant seeds. We are pricing the GIFT SET at $12 plus $6 shipping.

A dollar of every set sold in November 2007 will be donated to Modest Needs, a non profit organization, that helps hardworking people suffering a sudden financial set back. Check them out at http://www.modestneeds.org

If you would like a set, send us an email iracavazos@hotmail.com

NOTE TO: little_d, Thanks for letting us know of your success in Gainsville, FL

Texas Butterfly Festival Info

The Texas Butterfly Festival will be held Oct 18-21. There will be seminars and field trips. We will not be able to go to any of the field trips, which run about $30. We plan to attend a seminar by Dale Clark, a butterfly farmer, for about $10 at about 4:30 pm Thursday. We believe a butterfly farmer will know what should be included in our butterfly garden. We look forward to having some fun.

Our Visit to Sleepy Hollow, New York

While in New York City visiting my son we drove to Sleepy Hollow, New York. It was a rainy day but that did not deter us from visiting the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery as it is a beautiful place with wonderful tall trees. We were looking for the fall colors and were not disappointed. We even caught sight of some deer.

We will be attending the Butterfly Festival on the 18th of October and will let you know what we learn about setting up a butterfly garden.

Still in South Texas

We still have hummingbirds in South Texas, though not as many as we had in September. We will not be selling on Ebay in the Fall or Winter but resume in February 2008 in preparation for the Spring Migration of the Hummingbirds.

We will continue to post here. Some of the postings will be remenicing about the 2007 season and some will be information about the Butterfly Festival in October and the Birding Festival in November.

If you have photos or information you would like to share please feel free to let us know. We would love to hear about your Hummingbirds, Butterflies, or Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardens.

Year-Round Hummers in Anaheim, CA

Wow! We got a comment from Anaheim, CA indicating that they have hummingbirds year-round. According to the comment they get a lot around Thanksgiving thru March. That is wonderful to hear. Thanks for reporting Anaheim.

If you have information about hummingbirds in your area, please log your comment on the Survey Help Needed posting, we would love to hear about it.

Hummingbird Feeding by Hand Sept 2007

This video was taken Sept 25, 2007. As you can see the feeder does not drip and it is just the right size to allow for hand feeding when you want and light enough to hang just about anywhere. Here in Texas we are having a lot of hummingbirds access the feeders. Let us know how it is in you state. Just click the comments button and you can post your comment anonymously if you like.

Can't Help Falling in Love

We just can't help falling in love with these magnificent creatures. They are extremely brave, coming so close to us as we set out or resupply the feeders. This photo was taken by Candace and we are grateful for her permission to share it with our guests to the blog.

Candace in Colorado is still seeing visits to her feeders, not as much as she had in the summer, but still setting out feeders for our migrating friends.

Butterfly Festival Oct 18-21

The Texas Butterfly Festival will be held in Mission Texas October 18-21, 2007. See you there.

Upcoming Butterfly Festival

We are so excited that it is almost time for the annual Butterfly Festival in Mission Texas. We love both hummingbirds and butterflies. The annual Birding Festival will be held in November in Harlingen, also in Texas.

The picture above shows one of the butterfly species that is attracted to the Red Bird of Paradise plant. This plant also attracts hummingbirds. We will be providing seeds for this plant on Ebay soon. Let us know if you would like some of these seeds. Your comments would be appreciated.

Still More Red Showing

Our little imature male is getting more of his ruby throat color in. He is getting harassed by the new mature male that showed up a few days ago. There are a lot more hummingbirds than we have had in previous months. These are in a rush to pack on the needed weight in preparation for their migration.

On the Survey Help Needed post you can check the comments to see if there will be a need for you to keep you feeders out and well supplied. We have had reports from Northern Indiana, Northwest Mississippi, North Carolina and Maine. They are still having a lot of hummingbirds access their feeders. If you are South of those states please keep your feeders out and well supplied. Thank you.

Frenetic Activity at Hummingbird Feeder

This AM Sept 18,2007 we had a lot of activity at the feeder. After taking about 100 still shots with my camera I went inside to post the photo you see below this posting. I returned with my movie camera and caught some video. The last minute of this 3 min video shows the new male accessing the feeder. Please continue to maintane your feeders a bit longer for our migrating friends.

Mega Activity This AM

This morning in the space of 30 minutes I was able to shoot about 100 photos. There was major activity at the feeder, and are at it still. We had a new arrival of a mature male, which you see on the photo above.

Please keep your feeders out still. If you live in the northern states your hummers have to fatten up getting ready to migrate. They will be needing a lot of enery for the long trip. If you live a bit to the South, know that migrating hummers will be passing through and will need to refuel. Lets all help our friends on their trip South.

From the Foothills of North Carolina

Deb Miller from Connelly Springs North Carolina still has hummers on her property. She was able to get this lovely one at her feeders. It's so kind of Deb to share this information with us.

We would like to know if there are still hummers in your area. This will help others know if they still need to keep the feeders out, either for those migrating or those still gracing us with their company. Let us know on the Survey Needed posting.

Looking Forward to This!

That little one from the previous posting will be looking like his dad pretty soon. We will be alert to photograph him when that happens.

We see red!

Here we see our lovely little one is starting to show a little red. Can't wait to see him in his full splendor.

Season NOT OVER!

We are glad that the season for hummingbirds is not yet over.

This little one has been feeding regularly. He is a young male that has not yet gotten his ruby throat color in. He shares this feeder with a group of females that usually fight, but one is believed to be his mother. She perches on the feeder perch while he watches from the nearby ficus tree.

Let us know of your favorite hummingbird moment, we would love to hear about it. Click comment below and either identify yourself or indicate anonymous.

SURVEY HELP NEEDED

We need your help. We would like to hear from our guests,

"How late in the year do you see hummingbirds in your area?"

Please click comment below and simply note the latest month of the year you see hummingbirds and the state you reside in. You can do this anonymously. Please help us know where the need for feeders is. Thank you.

No Drip Hummingbird Feeder

The secret to a no drip feeder is a clean feeder, properly dissolved sugar, and filled to the brim before closing and inverting to hang.

How Sweet It Is!

This is one of the 18 different species of Hummingbirds found in Texas. We feel so lucky to have them. Please visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and search for the Hummingbird Roundup welcome page, it is a great source of info on hummingbirds in Texas. Let us know of websites you have found interesting for hummingbirds in your state.

We are looking forward to the Birding Festival that takes place in Harlingen in November.

How sweet it truly is.

By Hand

Candace, from Colorado, has been able to hand feed these lovely jewels. Her success can also be your success. Remember to keep your surroundings peaceful and quiet when attempting to hand feed your hummingbird friends. Also keep in mind that they are getting ready to migrate and your visitors may be just passing through. Do not be disappointed if they do not stay with you long. Your feeder may be a life saver as they need to refuel on their way South.

Battle for the Sweet

As always Candace gets the shot. In this photo we see a lovely hummingbird surprised to see that a honey bee wanted to access the sweet stuff too. What a delight to see! Thanks Candace.

If anyone else has photos they would like to share, email me at iracavazos@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Siblings

Candace, from Colorado, was able to get wonderful shots of two sibling hummingbirds coming to the feeder all wet. They had just gone through a down pour and just looked too cute to resist. During and after a rain hummingbirds are looking for a quick source of energy to raise their body temperature. So glad Candace can provide it for them. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos with us, Candace.

Bird Watcher

This is the cat that had the mockingbird from another post all upset. Please watch that you hang your hummingbird feeders away from predators.

Object of beauty?

What do you consider to be an object of beauty? We focus a lot on hummingbirds on this site but if we look around we find that beauty is all around. Even in the most unlikely places. The eyes of an aerodescent green fly are stunning.

Trust

This beauty trusts Candace so much, it chose to alight on her thumb. What a delight! These fabulous lovely creatures bring joy wherever they go. Don't miss out. If you have not yet set out feeders, it is not too late. Set them out as a refueling station for those hummingbirds that are migrating through your area as they go south. In our area (Texas) migration continues through November. Migration can be exhausting and your feeder may save the day. Thank you.

Broad-tailed

This fabulous picture was taken by Candace Robinson from Colorado. Per Candace, pictured here is a Broad-tailed male, one of several breeds of hummers that show up in Colorado. They usually have two batches of babies, which translates to frenetic feeder activity. They make a very loud, distinctive "whirring" noise due to their tail formation. We appreciate Candace sharing this fabulous picture and we will have others from her later. Stay tuned. Wow!

Perch Suggestion Implemented

Ant Problem

There are a lot of products and gadgets that are used to keep ants out of our hummingbird feeders. I will share one that LMN from MA let us know about. She will be implementing it and maybe we will hear others doing the same. Here it is, CORNMEAL. It seems that if we feed the ants cornmeal they will die because the cornmeal will swell inside them. It seems a good alternative to using poisons. If anyone else has tried it leave us comments we look forward to your suggestions. Thanks for sharing LMN.

In for a close-up

This beautiful titmouse came in for a close-up July 14, 2007. We call him Elvis.

Feathers in the Wind

This Mockingbird's feathers are fluttering in the wind and it was angry because an area cat was close to it's nest. It chased the cat continuously all afternoon.

Scarlet or Bonnie

It has become dificult to know if it is Scarlet of her daughter Bonnie that is accessing the upstairs feeder. Bonnie's colors have come in beautifully.

Someone asked how to tell the difference between a male and female hummingbird. I can only state what applies to the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds that visit our feeders. The male has the distinctive red on the throat area. You can only see this color when he turns in just the right way. At a distance you can tell it is a male because you see what appears to be a white collar that you will not see on the females.

Home Sweet Home

Make your home a haven for all of natures beautiful creatures by planting flowering shrubs that bloom all year long. Initially I thought I was taking a photo of a yellow butterfly. Once I took the photo, I realized this beautiful butterfly has some lovely pink accents. What suprises are fluttering around your garden?

A Bright Outlook

The titmouse family are happily accessing the feeder on a regular basis. This bright faced fellow is particularly friendly, approching even while I sit close to the feeder.

Humming in the Texas Rain

Feeding happyly, Scarlet is surprised by a sudden rain shower. She ends up feeding all wet. This happened the morning of July 2nd.

Face to Face

Scarlet up close and personal.

Sweet Magic

This video is from one of my security cameras. Also check out the web address for neat photos of Hummingbird with babies shared with us by Jerry. http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/ Thanks Jerry. Enjoy!

Bye Papa!

In early spring the male was always present protecting the feeder from hummingbirds that were not part of his family, but just as soon as his babies left the nest, he left. He is no longer around. Now it is just the female who fights off any one accessing the feeder that is not part of her family. She sure is protective. Goodbye papa.

Just Looking

Looking for that special someone? This little guy knows just what to do.

A Chilling Good Idea

Diana Chesley came up with a chillingly good idea to help our friends during the heat of summer. She has a number of feeders, so what she does is fill them 3/4 full and places them in the freezer. Once frozen she takes them out and fills them to capacity before hanging them outside. What a wonderful idea. Guess where my feeders are going to spend the night tonight?

Thanks Diana.

Keeping it COOL

With this oppresive heat, it is essential that we do all we can to keep our hummingbirds hydrated. We turned our sprinklers on and the hummingbirds dived through the mist to cool off. They were just too fast for me to photograph. Though it also helped to cool the feeder. I'll keep trying to photograph these lovely birds cooling in the mist of the sprinkler. If any of you have photos to share post a comment. I will get back to you if you leave your email.

Fency Finch

This beautiful finch was sitting on my sister's fence in San Antonio, Texas.

Open Late

Scarlet is coming in pretty late for a drink. Summer days are long and hot, it helps when the feeder has fresh nectar all the time.