Hummingbirds and Books

I'm not feeling very inspired with writing ideas today.  I've written about hummingbirds quite a few times on the blog before and I just couldn't come up with anything new.  Maybe I used all my creativity writing the cinquains in my last post.  

But I'm still taking hummingbird photos and I've got to do something with them! So finally I did have an idea.  Instead of writing about them myself, I'll share where you can read about hummingbirds.  

I love to read and I love birds.... so of course I read a lot of books about birds.  

The two books on the left both have very interesting chapters about hummingbirds and the one on the right is completely focused on hummingbirds.  Here's a peek inside:

I'm not going to say more than that, except that I enjoyed them and you will, too, if you like to read about birds.  While I have all three of these on my own bookshelf, I want to put in a plug for your local library!  Even if they don't have a particular book you are looking for, they may be able to get it for you if you ask.  (If you live in PA they can get any book in the state library system thru "Access PA").  If you are looking for more suggestions for books go my post titled "From My Bookshelf" by clicking here.

Now, on with the hummingbird photos!

Hummingbird on Coleus flower

A bit of flower stuck to its bill.

Every year I plant scarlet runner beans on our garden fence for the hummingbirds.

Can you find the hummingbird in this photo?  Look in the next photo for a hint!

Hummingbirds don't often perch (except on feeders) to eat, but this one and the next one did.

Even if humans didn't plant special flowers for them or put up sugar-water feeders, the ruby-throats would be fine.  There are natural sources of food for them... such as the jewelweed flowers in the next photo.

One of the hardest things to capture in photos of male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds is their red gorgets.  The next two are the best photos I've taken showing that.  Guess I'll have to keep trying!

Summer Cinquains

We had a heat wave back in 2013 and I did a post called "Heat Wave Haiku".  It's been an even longer hot spell this summer (in my memory, not necessarily a meteorological fact) so I'm writing more poetry; since it's "Too hot for words" to quote from my first haiku in that old blogpost.  

This time, it's cinquains instead of haikus.  Don't know what a cinquain is?  I didn't either until I did a bit of research about types of poetry.  These are supposed to be so simple that children can write them.  Click here for "How to Write a Cinquain Poem".  I'm not really a poet, but I had fun with these.  I did not always completely follow the rules, but that's okay, right?  Artistic license and such?  

Now, on with Summer Cinquains:

Summer
Hot, humid
Sizzling, steaming, unremitting
Drains dogs and me
August

Hanging out under the ceiling fan.

Pups
Fun, four-legged
Playing, panting, resting
Sorry you are furry
Dogs

Turtle
Small, solitary
Daring, surprising, darling
Needs a new home
Snapper

Hawk
Young, hungry
Screeching, hunting, failing
Lucky for the rabbit
Red-tail

Insect
Primal, bizarre
Zooming, buzzing, sitting
Hope you are rare*
Dragonfly

Bird
Snowy, showy
Pursuing, stabbing, swallowing
Thanks for stopping by
Great Egret

Helicopter
Fanciful, fantastic
Incoming, speeding, sitting
Love your landing gear
Ruby-throat

Moth
Furry, tawny
Feeding, frolicking, flower-loving
Glad you like my garden
Clearwing

Nest
Hidden, ramshackle
Holding, protecting, swaying
Hope your eggs hatch
Cardinal

Flower
Scarlet, spectacular
Climbing, shading, blooming
Watering was worth it
Passionvine

These photos were all taken this week, so even in a heat wave there are things to enjoy and be thankful for... although the dogs and I are ready for cooler weather!

*In my last post, I had a dragonfly photo that my brother has since identified as a common male Eastern Amberwing.  He commented that I should "Keep looking" -- hence the "Hope you are rare" about this dragonfly! Update: Not rare (see comment below) but a pretty female Blue Dasher.

Shhhh... (we're going into the Swamp)

Yes, we are going into the swamp.  Don't worry, we are going in a kayak.  We are looking for dragonflies, but we will probably get distracted.  That is the way of swamps.

Please read this in a whisper (even if you are reading it 'in your head'). That is how you should talk in a swamp, so you can listen for things like the sounds the cattails make when the wind stirs them.

It is mid-morning, so it's not too hot yet.  Dragonflies should be still, waiting for the day to warm up before they fly.  So, we'll need to search for them.  Keep your eye out for them on possible perches!

Meanwhile, the king of the swamp will keep his eye on us, and stay at the far end of the swamp.  Do you see him there... way in the distance?

 He's watching.  But let's try not to get distracted by birds.  We are looking for dragonflies.

None here.

Or here.  Though it is a fascinating miniature 'world' on a fallen log.  I wonder how many kinds of plants a botanist could identify in that small area of the swamp?

We startle two Wood Ducks, who then use their feet to paddle as fast as they can for cover.  Look at the wake they left behind!

Snapping pictures from a kayak can be challenging, and I almost deleted the next one.  Then on close inspection of it, I saw the ducks had not quite disappeared into the safety of the cattails.  Can you pick them out?

We've been very slowly floating along, only paddling once and awhile.  Now,  I'll push our kayak into some vegetation to anchor the boat for awhile.  Maybe some dragonflies will come flying by.  Instead I hear the high-pitched buzzes of Cedar Waxwings.  Where are they?

There are three Waxwings in this photo!

As they get used to our presence, they land on perches closer and closer.

They fly out and back, in a manner called 'hawking' as they catch and eat flying insects.  One eventually feels comfortable enough to preen on a limb near the kayak.

There must be tiny insects flying about, but I still haven't seen a single dragonfly!  There are other things to look at though.  I enjoy unique-looking reflections...

...and spend a good bit of time trying to get a focused photo of the tiny Bladderwort flowers.  They are only about 2" tall.

I spend more time taking a panoramic photo of the swamp, looking in the direction of our house.

I like to look at this clump of driftwood (can it be called driftwood in a swamp?) from our house, now we can see it up close from the kayak.

I keep looking for dragonflies, really I do! But there were none on that picturesque spot either.

As we float by one of the Wood Duck boxes, I wonder if there was a nest in it this year.  

I'll find out next winter when I can walk on the ice to check inside.  Now it's time to head back toward the dock.

I don't use the dock anymore (I don't think I need to explain why!), but it's still where I put the boat in and out of the water. 

But wait!  Something goes zooming by and lands on a muddy pile of 'stuff'.  

Finally, a dragonfly!  It's a pretty one, too.... red or would you say it's orange?  I don't know much about dragonflies except that I think they are neat.  My brother said he would come to visit if I found a rare one.  Well, brother??? 

I'd say, "to be continued" but that will remain to be seen!