Backyard Wildlife

Macro Monday – Flight of the Monarchs

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

Our new yard has many, many butterfly shrubs, some (most) are purple, others are white. So, you can image my delight towards the end of summer when all the various butterflies began gathering the nectar from the flowers.

I captured these in early October (and yes, I chased them from plant to plant). Sadly, they have all left for the year.

Until next time,

~donna

Farewell to the Hummers

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

Fall is here in the Southern United States. The weather is trying to decide whether it wants to be cool, hot or stormy. It’s typical for this time of year. Frankly, my vote is for the cooler weather. We’ll see what Mother Nature has in store for us.

Sadly, though, Fall and October mean it’s time for the hummingbirds to begin their migration to the tropics. We had a ton of activity at the feeder a few weeks ago, but sadly there hasn’t been any this past week. Oh well, I guess it’s time to pack the feeder away and wait for their arrival next year. Until then, here are a few images from their last visits to the feeder.

“A hummingbird darts lightly through the world, spreading its message of joy and beauty, and teaching us to appreciate the wonder and magic of everyday existence. ” ~unknown

I sure am going to miss these cute, little garden fairies. I hope they make it safely to their destination.

Until next time,

~donna

Hummingbird Wars Are a Real Thing

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

Bear with me while I share some more Hummingbird photos. This is my favorite bird season, and I can’t stop watching and taking photos of these cute garden fairies.

Today’s post is a series of images I took the other night, all within a span of a few minutes. The hummers are constantly at it, fighting over their spot at the feeder. As I’ve mentioned before they are fast, furious and feisty…….trust me when I say the hummingbird wars are real!

Until next time,

~donna

Fast, Furious and Feisty

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 6 Comments

The hummingbirds are becoming more and more active these days. It seems as though they are everywhere zooming around the yard chasing each other. They’re fun to watch yet challenging to photograph.

We have a row of Leyland Cypress trees flanking the hummingbird feeder this year. The hummers love to rest and stretch on the branches before swooping into the feeder for food.

As cute as these little garden fairies are, hummingbirds are territorial creatures, keeping close guard over their spot at the feeder. They are fast, furious and very feisty when it comes to protecting their food source.

I could probably place another feeder in the yard and that might help to ward off some of the fighting. But, quite honestly, I don’t think that will help much. Besides, they’re very entertaining to watch as they chase each other making what sounds like a heckling laugh. I’ve seen three (3) at one time chasing each other but have only been able to shoot these two (2).

August is the month when hummingbirds get even more active as they build their strength and prepare for their migration back to Mexico and Central America. Hopefully, I’ll be able to capture some more shots of their adventures before they leave.

Until next time,

~donna

Sunday Vibes – Jumping into the Deep End of Summer

/ Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

Tomorrow is Memorial Day here in the states. It’s a national holiday which marks a day of remembrance of our fallen soldiers who died while serving in the military.

Memorial Day also marks the official start of summer and I think these cute little birds are definitely feeling the summer vibes. Don’t you?

Until next time, here’s to our fallen and to a summer full of belly flops, flip flops and floaties.

~donna

Sunday Vibes – Humming Along

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

If you’ve followed along with my blog for a while, you know that one of my all-time favorite bird is the hummingbird. They are cute, swift and very challenging to photograph.

Except for the occasional scout, they were a little late showing up to the garden this year. But finally, this past Monday we had an emerald green hummer land on our feeder.

As you might imagine, Hummingbirds get their name from the humming sound their wings make when in flight. They hover at rapid wing-flapping rates, which vary from around 12 beats per second in the largest species to 99 per second in small hummingbirds (source: Wikipedia).

The feathers on a hummingbird don’t come from a specific pigment. Instead, the top layer contains prism-like cells that reflect the light (source: Hummingbird Info). Look how shiny and multicolored this little guy is.

I’m a little rusty when it comes to capturing these cute garden fairies in flight. Normally, they fly at a speed of 25 – 30 miles per hour and when threatened they have a burst speed of 30 – 50 miles per hour (source: Hummingbird 101).

This was a lucky shot of this guy getting ready to leave the feeder.

I hope you enjoyed the fun facts about hummingbirds, today. Rest assured there will be more posts this summer of these beautiful creatures so stay tuned.

Until next time, have a great week and keep humming along.

~donna

Sunday Vibes – Keep Calm and Chirp On

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 6 Comments

Happy Sunday, everyone! I’m still hanging out back with the bird feeders this week. There’s always lots of activity around them which makes for great photography opportunities.

Today, I’m featuring this cute fella which is a Tufted Titmouse. He’s a charming little songbird that belongs to the Chic-a-dee family.

According to Cornell Labs it can be found in the Eastern forests and is also a frequent visitor to bird feeders. An interesting fact about them, is they can’t excavate their own nest cavities. Instead, they are dependent on natural holes left by woodpeckers. I guess you could say this is a great example of “one man’s (um, bird’s) trash is another man’s treasure?!”

Hmmm. It looks like they’re also talented in gathering their food upside down. I really don’t know what this was about, but, hey it seemed to work for him. Who am I to argue?

I hope everyone has a great week!

Until next time, “keep calm and chirp on.”

~donna

Sunday Vibes – Dine and Dash

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

“I asked a bird for advice. It said to just wing it.”

There was a group of finches hanging out at the feeder the other day. They all seemed to be having a good time, except for the middle one.

He was either uncomfortable with the company or was in a hurry to get to another feeder, because he never really settled in to eat, except for just a few bites.

As quickly as he arrived, he was taking off.

Oh well, nothing wrong with a little “dining and dashing.”

Until next time,

~donna

Sunday Vibes – Love is in the Air

/ Donna Robinson Photography / 6 Comments

“A House Finch sings of joy, resilience, and the beauty of community — a reminder to stay hopeful, connect deeply, and express your truth.” – unknown

Until next time,

~donna