... Clear the decks!!!

Well I was all set to blip a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth but then I got this shot... And while it is not a technically great shot, I loved it for the unusual angle and the totally blurry wings. It probably defies every rule of a "good" bird photo, but who cares? The action was feverish at the nectar feeders today and I got several other interesting shots that you may want to peek at:

Mrs. Hummer and her very long tongue

Poised for a cocktail

A massive aerial battle about to break out

The heat wave seems to have broken, at least a little - yay. However, it is still hot enough to keep most of the birds quiet so it was slow at the Clothesline Bistro until the sun dipped behind the clouds and the temps dropped a bit. Then, everyone showed up - downies, red-bellied peckers, blue jays, chickadees, a single nuthatch, and a family of titmice who brought their Titmice Kids around for a lesson in feeders. The kids were shy and mostly hid in the cherry tree while mom and dad tried to demonstrate the proper landing-in-the-feeder technique. I think some more lessons will be needed. I also saw the cardinal family darting in and out of the trees, but they didn't come around to the feeders.

And, yes, I have cautiously re-opened the Clothesline Bistro but only when I am home to supervise and without any suet. The suet still hangs from the upstairs window where it is safe from bears.

Thank you for all the comments, stars and hearts for yesterday's skipper. I wish I could do a better job identifying what kind of skipper it is, but the truth is that we have so many types and they all look so similar ... The bigger butterflies are definitely easier. No signs yet of any parsley caterpillars on my parsley plants yet - I am still hopeful though. I planted extra parsley just to attract them because they are so gorgeous - and of course, they eventually turn into black swallowtails so it's a win-win-win. If you are unfamiliar with them, have a look at a blip from almost a year ago HERE.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!