Sometimes it’s great just to bird in your own backyard.  Like on a gray, drizzly morning when you’re stuck at home waiting for a workman to show up.  This morning I had several Painted Buntings (both males and greenies), a pair of American Goldfinches, a couple of House Finches, and an Eastern Phoebe (an occasional visitor in my yard, although quite common elsewhere).  I heard my first-of-fall American Robins fly overhead.  I heard the little chips of Palm Warblers as they flitted about, and I’m pretty sure I was hearing our Yellow-throated Warbler (“Bow Tie”) too.  Our Mourning Doves were fighting each other at the feeders.  They really love the Wild Birds Unlimited decorative perches!  The doves were really going at it, flapping their wings to knock each other off the perches.

I wished I had my camera.  Yep, silly me, I locked my camera in the room where Goldilocks was waiting while The Strangers did work in her house.  So it was just me and my binoculars….and then the hummingbird flew in!!!!  Regular readers of my blog will know that I landscaped our backyard all in hummingbird plants just to attract my favorite little birdies, who seem to grace my yard with their presence 2-3 times a year for very brief visits (30 seconds or so).  Rich says he loves seeing me jump around excitedly when a hummer shows up!  Today’s was a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird who visited our giant Coral Porterweed bushes.  She seemed to know just which plants to visit, which made me wonder if she’s not a first-time visitor.  I scored when I found her “perch spot”, the place where she goes to sit when she takes a break from nectaring.  When you’re observing hummers, it’s best when you can find their perch spots, as it makes it much easier to relocate them after they zip off.  Most hummers like to go hang out in tall trees, and we really don’t have many of those around in our neighborhood.  Mine found a nice long porterweed branch shaped like a little swing.  The hummer was pretty cute as she sat there.  If only I had my camera with me!!!  Since I didn’t, I’ll share a similar image from one of my trips to Callaway Gardens.  (In this picture, the hummer is nectaring on salvia, not porterweed, but I love how she’s hovering in the air looking at me!)