Hummingbirds and others

[Wilma]

My pretty pink pinwheel has been replaced by a hummingbird feeder and the hummers have found it.  This particular spot is less than four feet from my kitchen window, which puts the hummers where I can really see them.  Besides the ruby throated, one of them is a blackchinned.  I have counted three hummers at the same time.  They fly so fast that trying to count them is like trying to count a hundred baby chicks.

I filled the bird bath this morning and as usual let it run over to fill the pan for the short legged creatures.  This created mud.  The mud attracted a pair of robins.  They have been very busy carrying mud and grass somewhere to the southeast.  I have yet to locate where the nest is being built.

[Judy Harder]

For the past oh 5 or 6 years I notice that we have robin's who come back to our area and build a nest and raise their young.
Most of the time the big maple has a family..........but this year a mother is sitting on a nest just under the corner eave and on top of the down spout. I had noticed one of them flying into that area so I got nosy and investigated and lo and behold........LOL always wanted to use that phrase.........Lo and Behold........anyhooo.........there is a messy nest, with over flowing grass and hay and just above my ability to see is the nest I can see MAMA sitting on the nest. I took my camera out hoping I could get a good picture of it. Wouldn't you know I am to short to hold my camera up high enough plus click the button on top..............But, mama holds her head as if she is posing and I moved to another place and she turned that way. I am sure she was just looking to see if I meant harm.......but it tickled me to think she liked having her picture taken. Mr Robin keeps me company through the day and neither one of them get excited when I step outside. My critters, I mean God's critters are keeping me amused.
Oh, today I have a half grown squirrel playing in the trees here........just like a kitten would play if he was learning how to climb trees and that Life is good.  Ok enough I will go out and see if I have (FYI) the first squirrel has company..........maybe my winter squirrel has brought its kids to play.

[Warph]

Amazing Hummingbirds of Canada

From British Columbia the summer home of a variety of tropical hummingbirds, this close and
slow look at amazing hummingbirds. Soundtrack is 'The Orient' by Alex Yiannaras www.elixirion.com

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The baby hummingbirds hatched today! Here's a quick glimpse of the the baby hummers.
The mother was very protective, she shoo me away!

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Published on May 8, 2012

A beautiful documentary which follows mama and two baby Allen's hummingbirds from birth to fledging the nest. Shot in Los Angeles, California. High Definition. Original Music by Sheri Watson from her album "Shuniya." Stills shot with Nikon D80. Motion film and stills shot with Canon Powershot SD780is Digital Elf. PLEASE NOTE: Hummingbirds are federally protected wildlife. Do not attempt to rescue or interfere with a hummingbird without first contacting your local Hummingbird Rescue for information. All filming of this video was done only after being in contact with licensed Hummingbird Rescue experts for guidance.

[Wilma]

We don't have a butterfly thread so I am going to put this here.  I found a caterpillar this evening that I can't identify.  It was about two inches long, black all over with short black spikes and a line of red dots along it's back.  I can't find anything close enough to it to identify it.  I would think it is a swallowtail but I couldn't find a picture of a swallowtail larva that matched it.  Does anyone know what kind of a butterfly it will become?  I should have taken a picture of it before returning it to the spot where I found it, but, as usual, I didn't think of it until it was too late.

[Bullwinkle]

      I have seen them before, but never thought to find out what they turned into. Time to get out the entomology books out.

[Diane Amberg]

 It sounds a little like an early stage Gypsy Moth, but before it has shed several times. They are dark, very spiney and have two rows of red dots  down the back and some blue dots at the head end.  It's probably not, but I can't think of anything else.

[Bullwinkle]

      And it could be a blackspikeasaurus reddoticus that turns into a flying monkey. That guess is as good as any that lack actual knowledge. 

[Bullwinkle]

      On another note. I think you are on the right track , Wilma, with it being a swallowtail of some kind. After many searches, the closest I found to what I remember seeing is the Pipevine or perhaps the Black swallowtail, but like you found, they don't look quite the same, although very similar. Hundreds of pages to look at. Might have to talk to some lepidoptra friends.

[Warph]

lepidotra friends?

[Bullwinkle]

      OOps. But really, I meant the hooka smoking caterpillar in Wonderland.