Happy Saturday

The first thing I saw when I went out this morning was this gorgeous young male ruby throated humingbird.  I've never seen a youngster with so many red feathers this early in the year, nor feathers forming such a perfect necklace.  I knew immediately that he would need to be blipped.  Lucky for me, he's got attitude to match his red feathers and he gave me many opportunities to shoot him as he guarded all the feeders.  He was also feeding on the sugar water as well as the garden phlox - getting on extra fat for his big trip.  

I could have did spend most of the day in the garden with my camera as hummers and butterflies zoomed around me.  At one point there were six tiger swallowtails on my buddleia and at least 4 monarchs on other flowers.  The hummers were the stars of the show though - I'd put the number at about 10 right now, which makes this a very happy Saturday indeed.

I've posted four other hummer shots on Flickr, starting HERE

I released 3 monarchs today, one for a friend's brother and two for my friend Lynn and her Mom.  I also saw one of my "garden babies" eclose from his spot on the side of the house.  A perfect male who will, hopefully, find a perfect female to mate with.  

We gave the wasp nest in our walls a third treatment of the powder last night.  I hope this works as the idea of a big nest of angry wasps in our walls in quite unnerving.  

Well, back to my garden...hummers await...

xo
Debbi