What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. - Chief Seattle
This is the place to continue your journey with me to help you realize how every aspect of nature is an integral part of your life.
New Nectar
Until this week the coleus has not blossomed, but as soon as it did, the bees and the hummingbirds were soon there extracting the pollen.
We have been fortunate this season, the bee balm, the butterfly bush and the coleus all have attracted beautiful birds, bees and butterflies.
Early Fall-1
Here we are, Labor Day plus two days and the leaves already are changing colors. While I look forward to photographing the fall season, I am not enthusiastic about what comes next.
Priming the Tongue
While hummingbirds have proportionately long beaks, it is their tongue that is used to extract nectar from the flowers or gain access to the sugar water in the feeder.
Took a bit of time to time this right, but certainly worth the wait to actually see its tongue extended.
Checking the Plant Selection
It has become apparent that colder weather will be arriving soon. The hummingbird feeding activity has increased both in terms of how many visit the feeder each day and how many trips to the feeder they make each day.
They will be departing soon for warmer weather and need to store fuel for the long journey which can entail up to 500 miles in one day.
Fortunately, we have a variety of plants that supply them with fresh nectar as well as feeders with sugar water so they visit us daily.
In Between Catches
This cormorant had just landed on the lake and began swimming and circling in its search for a meal. Within a few minutes, and after a couple of deep dives, it came up with its catch.
Stay tuned; it's catch will be shown in the next post.