Hummingbirds, my favorite “crop” this summer

"the twins"

Today is the 15th…I should be posting photos of my blooming plants for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  But I can’t help myself, so I’m posting about “the Twins” instead.  I’m lovin’ my daily bouquets of sweet peas, and reveling in the nicest summer weather I can recall but nothing…NOTHING, has me as jazzed as the baby hummingbirds in residence right outside our bedroom window.

I was out of town for 3 days speaking at an APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designer) pre-conference workshop in Portland, OR.  More on that later…  I can’t believe how much the little birds grew in my absence.  When you think that it was only a couple of weeks ago that they were the size of jelly beans it’s really pretty remarkable.

These days they squirm and wriggle, and I’m sure if they’re anything like my brother and I were, bicker incessantly!  “He’s touching me!!!!”  I can’t tell if the elastic quality of the spider web-based nest is, in fact, doing it’s job of expanding to accommodate their growth.  They seem more precariously perched on it’s surface than securely nestled down in it’s safety.

“Mom” is constantly coming and going trying to keep up with feeding her young.  I’m sorry I ever doubted her devoted nature as the poor thing is a constant blur of hunting and gathering.  Stopping only to threaten our eyes and physical well-being if we’re relaxing on our Urban Raft.  The fat cat has had his fare share of offensive blustering as well; he doesn’t seem too interested – smart cat.  I must say I have very few pest problems in the garden this season; I’d like to think they’re all going down the young birds’ gullet!

Fly-Day can’t be far off.  I so don’t want to miss it but we fly to Boise this weekend to take our son to a college orientation event.  How ironic is that? – my very own fledgling leaving the nest!

Go here and here to read my hummingbird chronicles.

Tagged as: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, garden pests, hummingbirds