Showing posts with label hummingbird feeder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hummingbird feeder. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Hummingbirds and Photo Fun

I finally had my camera handy when one of our little friends visited the hummingbird feeder.

 The perfect subject for playing around with my photo editing software.

Here's the colored pencil version...

...and the watercolor version.

Coming in for a landing in color...

...and in Antique mode.
It kind of looks like Dorothy landing back in Kansas after being in Oz!

Being shy, with her back to the camera.

She sure doesn't look shy in this psychedelic negative version.

Moving so fast she's literally a blur!

Playing around with hue & saturation...

... is kind of like eating chips. You can't do just one!

Sammy was just a few feet away, chowing down on a peanut...

I think he'd approve of this watercolor version.

I love my old cement garden statue of Mary, but this photo isn't so hot. Clearly my inexpensive point & shoot camera just doesn't cut it for far off subjects...

... but I rather like the chalk version!

Ditto for the flower box - not a very impressive photo on its own.

... but much more appealing in a colored pencil  format...

... or a watercolor format!

 I hope you all have a colorful week!


Donna


Monday, July 30, 2012

By the dawn's early light...

I couldn't get back to sleep after waking up at 5 a.m. so after tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, I decided to get up.

I should get up at this time more often. Dawn and dusk are my favorite times of day (except in the winter, when I'd like dawn to arrive much earlier and dusk to arrive much later).

Actually, these photos were taken a bit later than dawn. It was probably a bit closer to 6:30 when I thought of snapping some photos. As you can see, my poor window box screenfeeder isn't looking as spiffy as it once did. The lavender is now well past its prime.


But that didn't stop Baby and I from enjoying the view.

 I think she's watching for Mr. Hummingbird, who's been spending a lot of time at the feeder lately.

Of course he's never on the feeder when I have my camera handy. Some day I'll be ready when he visits. 
 In  anticipation of the colder weather that will be arriving all too soon, the squirrels are busy building their tree top nests (as evidenced by all the leaves and small branches dropping to the ground on a daily basis).

I hope you all have a beautiful week.

I'm joining Tracie at the beautiful Fishtail Cottage for her Cottage Garden Party this week!

Donna

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Our tiniest visitors...

Of all the creatures who visit the feeders or baths in our yard...

(click any photos to enlarge)

... the ruby-throated hummers are the tiniest visitors.



I never did capture them at the bee balm or crocosmia...


...but a couple of days ago I was able to snap pix of them at the hummingbird feeder by the deck.


I can't believe that they'll only be around for another couple of weeks before heading south.

The summer, although extremely hot, has flown by. I can't believe fall is just around the corner! And although I enjoy the cooler temperatures of autumn, I absolutely dread the freezing temperatures, ice, snow, and darkness of winter... So I'll try to focus on these little guys for the next few weeks and enjoy what is left of our beautiful summer!
Be sure to visit Cindy at My Romantic Home for a list of everyone participating in Show & Tell Friday, and to see Cindy's gorgeous chandelier!
Donna (who would also like to fly south for the winter months)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A new garden sitting area...

...or "What My Family Did This Weekend"... Now if that title doesn't sound like an elementary school composition, I don't know what does!!

(click any photos to enlarge)

Please ignore any broken pickets you see in the photos... We (and by we I mean hubby) have obtained some weathered stockade fence so we (and by we I mean hubby) are in the process of replacing old and broken pickets...


These Adirondack chairs have replaced the old wooden bench that used to sit here (which hasn't been safe to sit on for years!)... I've always loved the look of adirondack chairs, but they're quite expensive!! The good ones are anyhow... (Actually, the not-so-good ones are, too, as I found out once I started looking! I got these two at Target - one was discounted, one was regular price.)


We (hubby) had problems with the first one since some of the pre-drilled holes didn't line up, but by chair #2 things were going much quicker... Hubby said it would sure be nice to be able to buy something high quality and pre-assembled for once, but then we wouldn't have had all that quality time in the blue air (only kidding, the air wasn't blue... well, maybe just a little teeny bit blue once or twice...)


All in all, though, they weren't too bad to assemble. The entire seat and chair backs with the individual slats were already assembled, so it was just attaching those pieces to the frames and arms.


Once the chairs were finished, the first order of business was to hang up a hummingbird feeder...

... Would you like to join me to watch for them? We'll have the best seats in the house!

But while we wait, I'll show you around a little bit... See the little birdbath that hangs between the flowerbox window and the chairs? It's one of my favorites. I got it years and years ago at Wal Mart....

There are three little cherubs that sit around the bath, which is a great size for the finches, chicadees, and sparrows (do wrens use birdbaths? I've never seen a single wren in any of my baths even though I have wrens on a regular basis!)

My windowbox flowers look nice and healthy, but they sure aren't growing very much...

Of course, as you can see from this photo, they only get a few late afternoon hours of filtered sun because the trees block this area (to me, this part of the yard feels a bit like a little secret garden, tucked in behind the crapapple trees and the weeping branches of the birch tree... I just love it!)... The bleeding heart (under the hanging birdbath) that I transplanted from the backyard a few years ago, is thriving in its new location. The flowers are done blooming, but the foliage is still gorgeous!!

See these purple flowers next to the chairs?


Back when the girls were little, one just popped up one summer. I looked through all my gardening books (that was long before I had the internet) and as best I can tell, they are spiderworts.

They've multiplied by themselves over the years and have even spread to a few different parts of the yard now (all in garden areas, too - thank you bumblebees!!)

They are absolutely the most beautiful shade of blue!!!


And if you peek through the trees from the chairs (see them back there?), you'll be able to see the gorgeous rose bush I planted last year.


It is doing SO good and has so many blossoms and buds! I honestly did not know how it would do since it's my very first rose bush!!!


It's called New Dawn, and it has just a blush of pink on the roses. I planted it next to our old corral fence. It's a climber/rambler and I believe it reaches close to 15-20'...


I plan to train it along the fence.. I've seen gorgeous magazine photos of climbing/rambling roses covering old fences and my dream is that someday you'll hardly be able to see the fence through the flowers! ha ha

So thank you for stopping by today!!! Now let's go plunk ourselves in those Adirondack chairs (which are VERY comfy) and watch for our little hummer friend(s)!!!
Donna

Friday, August 29, 2008

All good things must come to an end...


I knew I wouldn't have to wait too long at the hummingbird feeder this past weekend for somebody to show up. Activity at the feeders has been on the rise as these little beauties get ready to migrate...


I've had several females battling it out for the deck feeder over the past few days. The winner of this particular round celebrated by taking a loooong sip of sugar water...


"Ahhhh, that was good!" (Finally coming up for air...)


And now she's flying off (top right of photo) to preen herself or to catch some insects until her next visit to the feeder.

I'm going to make the most of enjoying them for the next few weeks. They'll continue to visit the feeders into September, but those visits will taper off, eventually stopping completely (except for an occasional straggler who stops by while heading south)...

So all good things must come to an end, but thank goodness it's only temporary until next May, when the yard will be humming again!!! So safe journey to you all, my little feathered friends!

Donna (who is still not ready to say goodbye to summer...)