About Hummers

I've been checking out the hummingbird site (see sidebar). The "Photos and Videos" link at the top is fun. Today I watched a video from last January of Phoebe actually laying her eggs. It was taken at 6:44 AM. Still rather dark. But you can see her clearly enough. I find it so amazing that this takes place in a nest about the size of a golf ball. When the chicks begin to grow, two of them are really crowded in the tiny nest.

Singing Bear asked me about the fact that there is the sound of running water in the background today. I can't imagine why, but it is there. Wasn't there yesterday. The nest is located in California, so will be blacked out depending on your time zone, early in the morning.

I hope many of you enjoy watching this as much as I do.

Hummer's Nest

I am posting another hummingbird nest webcam on my sidebar. This is Phoebe, an Allen's hummingbird. She is non-migratory, and lives in Orange County, CA, where she builds her nests in a rose bush.

Nesting season out there is from October through May or early June, and she lays four or five clutches per season, so we should be able to watch this happen over and over if we start each fall. This year I guess we will see only one. The web site will tell you lots of facts about hummers.

Memorial Day

I remember well the days of the Second World War. I was very young, and did not fully realize all that it meant. I remember the rationing and the black out curtains on our windows, the war bonds and savings stamps. I remember my brother in his uniform and his friends in theirs. I remember the newsreels shown before the Saturday matinee, and everyone standing up in the theater, singing the National Anthem as loudly and enthusiastically as we could, hands over hearts. To a child my age it was all very exciting. I remember the V-mail letters we sent off, and the strange censored ones we received in return.


But I also remember the little flag we hung in the front window. Thankfully, our little flag always held a blue star in the center.




But as the war stretched on, we saw more and more of those little flags with gold stars.






And then came Vietnam, and Korea, and the Gulf, and Iraq, and Afghanistan ......
Will it ever end?

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadow Shot Sunday again! Lots of fun shadows to be found on Tracy's blog, Hey Harriet. Go on over and take a look.


Today I have an assortment of shadows, taken over the past week or so.
There was a shady road that I traveled.


And along the way I saw an inviting shady lane.




And finally there is my hanging basket of petunias. On the other side of the pole is a hummingbird feeder.

Eaglets

For those who have been watching the eaglets (see sidebar), all three have been sitting on branches above and around the nest, and last night one made his maiden flight. All three are flapping wings this morning, trying hard.

Oilpocalypse

This is just beyond words.

Please visit Miss Moll at Wandering and Pondering to watch a video she has posted. It is from ABC News. Divers going UNDER WATER, into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What does it look like under there? How can anything survive this? How can BP dare to continue trying to wriggle out from accepting total responsibility for this horrific mess?