Seeing Red

For the first time, we are actively maintaining a hummingbird feeder in our backyard. E helps me make up the sugar water and we clean and refill it about twice a week. We started seeing a bird feeding there in early May (?) and we've seen one almost every day since.

Some mornings when Baby m will not sleep, I've seen a bird feeding there at 5:45am. And at the end of the day, when you can barely see a thing, there it is again. I've wondered all summer whether it was the same bird or many, and yesterday my question was answered (partly). I saw TWO hummingbirds at the feeder at one time! I got out the bird book and found that one was a male (very ruby throated), but my daily visitor is definitely a female (white throated). I've tried to get her picture, but she's very fast and I'm very slow.

I don't know when she will decide that the days are too short, and the weather is too cold, to stay in our neighborhood any longer. I'll hate to see her go. She is my tiny little buddy and I'll miss her. I hope we can coax her back next year.