Last night we spent a little time trying to save what few plants we have left. While Jim watered the flowers and ground cover around the house, I took to the orchard to tend to the blackberry bushes, grape plants, and fruit trees. I moved from plant to plant with the hose set to a shower spray, pretty much lost in thought as I completed this mindless task. All of a sudden I realized a hummingbird was hovering at the spraying water, catching the mist. What a thrill. As I sprayed, it hovered. Absolutely amazing!
Animals are desperate for moisture and food. I don't even begrudge my greedy little squirrels the feed they scarf down. The bird feed, meant for BIRDS.
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| The Finch's are giving this feeder a workout. Last year they didn't give it the time of day. |
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| This empty suet cage, and another one just like it, was loaded with a new suet cake a day and 1/2 ago. |
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| Loaded and ready to go again. We are buying these things by the case! |
We've seen some relief in the temperatures, but it is still desperately dry here in Missouri. I am amazed at how quickly the water evaporates from the bird bath. All of the birds are giving it a workout. I wish I could get a few pictures of the beautiful red birds dipping their pretty heads into the water. The bath is positioned in a spot where I can't get a good shot without them getting photo shy on me.
How is the weather in your neck of the woods? Are you feeding any wildlife?
16 comments:
Randy fished a blue jay out of the fish pond the other day. I assume it was hunting for a drink. I have birds under my waterfall fighting for a bath all day. I filled Finn's plastic baby pool with a few inches of water for the birds since i don't have a real bird bath (just a bird shower, ha!)
I filled my double suet feeder Monday and my seed feeder yesterday. The seed is gone and the suet is half gone. The hummers haven't been as crazy this year (remember the insane video I posted of them last year?) I buy suet at Tractor Supply. I got the fruit kind but I need to get the no melt, I guess cause it crumbles when I fill the feeder. I keep it in the fridge too. It rained on and off all day Monday in Springfield and it was greener there. Randy has mowed twice since winter. Twice.
I had the same experience with a hummingbird. I put the sprayer on mist and held it for a while but the little guy took off. Their is a humminbird feeder right there but I think he was just looking for water.
I too, have a hard time keeping water in the birdbath. It evaporates terribly.
I didn't think of putting suet in my feeder. I usually only do that in the winter. I do have a cake handy so I'll fill it and see what happens,
Hi Deanna, I'm keeping the gold finch feeder filled with nyger seed. I don't usually put out anything else in the summer because the blasted grackles will gobble it up as fast as they can, especially suet cakes. They are such pests!
It's so dry here that it's getting hard to keep the flowers and plants alive. I'm getting tired of watering and now am looking forward to fall and cooler temps!
I do hope you guys get some rain soon Deanna! I can imagine any critter is looking for food and water and perhaps shelter from the heat with the high temps you guys had been having! Our temps are so "mild" compared to yours, but that's because we are so close to the ocean. Only wildlife I think we feed here are the birds......not much else here.
betty
You guys are a blessing for all those little creatures! That hummingbird must have been quite a sight. :)
Hey Deanna! We need rain bad too here in Alabama. I am keeping the water in the birdbath and feeding my birds and squirrels. They are going through 3 feeders full a day. Mr. Squirrel got mad and torn into my sunflower seed bag on the porch, because I was gone one day and didn't fill their feeders. I think he had friends over too!! lol I also have one Fat Robin who hogs the birdbath. Both my Suet feeder are empty.. That is a most to pick up tomorrow. Take Care and stay cool!!
The deer have been having a feast in my flower garden. Today it was overcast all day it the high temperature was only 68 degrees.
One of life's transcendental moments... with the hummingbird.. :)
Its been hot and dry here too - the grass lawns are all practically brown as they are in winter.
"Little red birds"? Sounds like purple finches ... which are not purple.. :)
I've always wanted to see a hummingbird hang out in the mist! You were blessed! Yes, I'm feeding the birds sunflower seeds and grain mix. The hummingbirds are really going through the sugar water - keeps me busy too. And the waterers.. and bird baths.. oh my. Full time job, eh? But this afternoon/evening we got some rain. I tell ya, it was an emotional experience! Maybe it will hang around just a little while longer. Hope some is sent your way also! -Tammy
It's not too bad here; we get showers and wind enough to stop it getting too hot and dry, but enough nice weather that the showers and wind are welcome.
I loved feeding the birds, but we're not allowed because of the seagulls. They're bad enough without feeders to encourage them. We sometimes take some bread to the pond in the park for the ducks and geese though; we're allowed to do that.
That would have been cool to see...a hummingbird hovering in the water mist. :)
We sell suet cakes by the case, too. We have a few customers who come in every couple of weeks and buy cases of them. We've been selling a lot of bird seed, shelled corn, and deer feed, too. Dad told me last night the deer have gotten back into his garden, even after putting up higher string around the top of the fencing. They have eaten the tops off of his beans and are working on his corn. He's not very happy. (sweet corn must taste better than field corn) You've seen my pictures and video of the wildlife around here. We have a lot of critters looking for food.
It's pretty dry here, too, but we haven't had temps in the 100s like you've had. We've gotten a little rain once in awhile, but nothing that has added much water to the water tables. The creeks and rivers are very dry. (doesn't help that the natural gas drillers are sucking them dry) The lawns are mostly brown and crunchy, full of those little weeds with the tall stems and little white seeds...not sure what they're called. The lawn needs mowed in some spots, but mowing it would just damage the lawn more so will walk thru the little white seeds a bit longer.
We had a light shower go thru about a half hour ago but it didn't even wet the driveway. We're supposed to be getting thunderstorms today, tonight, and tomorrow, so we'll see if we get any rain. Probably will since Boy Scout summer camp starts today and Terri is headed out there soon.
Oops...didn't mean to "post a blog" in your comment section, but it kinda looks like I did. ;) Hope you have a great Sunday!
I understand the work you're putting in to try to save the plants, flowers and birds. Even Charlie, lol. I came home this afternoon to find Charlie laying just outside my sliding door (in the bat poop) trying to stay cool. I tossed out a few peanuts which he ate up, drank some water and left. Then I went out to fill the birdfeeder and birdbath. Supposed to be upper 90's tomorrow and 100 Tuesday. All the poor animals are thirsty and hot all the time.
A lovely word picture of the birds... I hope your drought breaks soon. We were blessed with rain mot of last week.
It's 8:10 PM here right now which means it's 7:10 PM out there. Your weather thermometer reads 100 degrees. :(
The birds have making a run at our hopper too. They've taken to keeping a look out on the wires behind our house to keep an eye out for when I head to the feeder.
It's awful, the lack of rain is seriously ridiculous! I can't imagine the poor animals...
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