Our Happy Hummers

Well, I'm afraid I might be inundating you all with hummingbird pictures this summer ~ we just can't stop admiring our newest little feeder friends! The female, in particular, seems quite pleased to be admired. "Hazel" loves to perch in the pussy willow branches to preen and pose, while "Harry," a bit shier, prefers the old tomato stake at the far corner of the deck.

I find myself enthralled ...

This looks like the same photo, but if you look closely, you'll see she fell asleep.

(Honestly. How precious?)

Bookworm took this next picture, at our kitchen window.

He also took this picture of Harry, the more elusive male. 

And one more picture of Hazel. I swear she was looking right at me as I snapped my numerous pictures. 

 

"Is this my best side?"

By the way, here is the homemade hummingbird nectar recipe I use for our feeders. It's very quick and simple to make; I keep it stored in the fridge (for up to 3 weeks):

Boil 4 cups fresh water and then stir in 1 cup sugar. (Do NOT use honey!) Boil the sugar-water for five minutes then let the solution cool before filling the feeders.

(Found in Welcoming Wildlife to the Garden: Creating Backyard and Balcony Habitats for Wildlife - a wonderful book, btw.)

Now, just to balance things out, here's a picture of one of our red squirrels, taken by Crackerjack. It was a mild, muggy day and this fella was all tuckered out.

Well, Summer is now knocking at our door here in New England (temps in the 80s for the next several days), and the long Memorial Day weekend stretches before us. We're planning some outdoor fun, some work around the house, and I'm hoping to get some pots of herbs and flowers planted on the deck. Maybe some vegetables too.

But today I'll be baking before it gets too warm ... some delicious goodies for a gathering tonight, and a couple of quick breads just because. :)

I hope you all have a lovely Thursday! See you again very soon.