...and I can't actually show you but I can tell! See this birdbath fountain below? Yes, I know it's a crummy photo but iPhones aren't great at at zooming in. Notice where the chickadee is - that's the bubbler that brings the water up through the fountain. A lot of birds prefer to drink right from the bubbler but they bathe in one of the bowls below it.
Today I was sitting on the back porch frittering the afternoon away when I glanced up and happened to notice what I thought was a really large bumblebee in the bubbler. At second glance I was astonished to see it was a female Broad-tailed hummingbird. Taking a bath. In the bubbler. Whooee! How clever of her - just her size, too. I was too awestruck to remember to grab my iPhone, and when I did I was seconds too late. Bath over. Here she is a few minutes later getting all sticky again at the Black and blue salvia. Another bad I-photo.
I get hummers daily at this time of year and I'd never seen one even get close to a water source, much less take a bubbler bath. I guess they get plenty of liquid to drink from the flower nectar but their little bodies must get sticky from it too. I wonder if they would like the mister? I think I'll set it up and find out.
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8 comments:
How exciting! We get hummers most days but only the ruby throats.
City, that makes I.D. easy, right? I think the only hummer that nests from the Mississippi and East is the ruby throat. We get mostly broad-tailed and Rufous with a few occasional Anna's. This really was an exciting event for me and I've been watching birds for ages. It's nice to be surprised!
Yes, only the ruby-throated hummers here, but they are fun to watch.
Carol, I swear if I didn't have Black and Blue Salvia I'd never see a hummer! They ignore everything else in favor of it. What do they come to in your garden?
She's a beauty to be sure, how romantic to sit and watch her at your birdbath!
Hugs, Lynnie
How fun! I just love the hummingbirds. We only get Ruby-throated here in New England. I've had the Hummers here take baths in the sprinklers. So cute!
Lynnie, I guess you could say the hummers are romantics at heart since they sure put the love in my own heart!
Deanne, I didn't think about the sprinklers. We can't water during daytime hours here so my sprinklers are on while I sleep!
That is exciting. I haven't seen a hummingbird for a few years now.
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