Fall Migration of Hummingbirds

The first arrivals of fall migrants appeared September 26th this year.  Days later, there were scores of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds competing for sugar water at our feeders.  It seems though they used most of their energy fighting with each other- such territorial little things they are.  

My family and I have all enjoyed watching their show of speed and acrobatic skills.  They've been our morning and evening entertainment on the back porch.  

Our little friends have moved on now.  There'll be a straggler or two passing through for a couple of weeks so I'll leave the feeders up for now.  I wish them a safe journey to their wintering grounds and look forward to their spring return.

Super Excited About My New Camera Lens!

Hi Everyone!  It's been weeks since I've posted on my blog.  My internet service has been horrible latetly!  I get a connection for one to two minutes then lose it.  I've never had worse internet connections than this one.  I'm planning to check into more options next week.  

Now for my good news- I now have a new camera lens, hooray!  I received my Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary lens a couple days ago.  The Canon 100-400 mm was on my wish list for a while, but the Sigma was more affordable and I think it will serve my purpose.  

I tried the new lens out today while there were so many hummingbirds present at the feeders. I've been waiting for the crowd to show up because autumn is approaching.  They suddenly appeared yesterday morning- at least a dozen of them, ready to devour the sugar water.  I accommodated them by refilling the feeders and even adding a couple more.  

The Sigma lens is pretty heavy (4.3 lbs) so I had some difficulty shooting with it hand-held, but even so, the photos aren't too bad considering the speedy subjects.  A Manfrotto 393 support bracket is on its way to me so I'm anxious to see how well the lens does when mounted on a tripod.  

Hopefully my internet connection will improve soon and I'll be able to post more often.  It seems to take forever to upload photos.  I become really annoyed while trying to pay some of my bills online, ugh!!!  

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts.  I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and a great week!  

On the Move

There's no doubt that fall migration of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds has begun.  For about a week, their numbers have gradually increased in our area, the southern part of Mississippi.  Normally, many migrants hang around through the end of October, while a few stragglers remain until about the first week of November. However, it's been predicted that we may experience an early fall this year, so if the outdoor temperatures become chilly and stay that way a few days, our little migrants may took off sooner than anticipated.  

In any case, I'll be moving on before they do.  My hubby and I have purchased a few acres of land just outside our home town- we made it official yesterday.  While the little hummingbirds are super busy filling their tummies and adding extra weight for migration across the waters of the gulf coast in a few weeks, we'll be busy packing tons of boxes for our move, about 40 miles from here.

Part of me feels sad because I've come to love all the beautiful birds that visit daily. I've even named a few of them.  It took a little while for my feathered friends to feel comfortable in my presence. Often they're just a few feet away from me while I sit on our front porch. 

Another part of me feels happy because my hubby and I have searched a couple of years for a few acres in the country, not far from our home town, and we finally found what we were looking for. We have plans to improve the property and make it our retirement home.  I'm looking forward to this new endeavor...it will definitely be an adventure within itself.

The past few days there have been so many hummingbirds at our feeders that it's been nearly impossible to take a head count.  I know there are at least a couple dozen, no doubt.  I don't want to take away part of their energy source (the sugar water) all at once, so I'll have to gradually decrease it in the weeks to come.  Our plans are to be completely moved by the first Monday of October.  That means I'll be super busy during the next few weeks (actually the next few months), but I'm going to savor the moments here- on my front porch, observing the splendid variety of beautiful birds around me.

Thank you for visiting...

Wishing everyone a Happy Saturday!!!