Peetree again!

Note: Make sure you put your cursor over some of the pics for a better look- they zoom!

In case you haven't guessed, I decided to re-post these pics, with a little added tweak- hope you like it. (hover over images)

Hi everyone, here is my new friend Peetree! He's so cute- now if i could only get him to eat out of my hand, which is my next project- wish me luck. Enjoy!

I can't believe I got this shot! Photo by Tessa Neill

Cute Little Guy: He just sat there- Like I really need another pet! Photo by Tessa Neill

The colors are really that bright- Just stunning! Photo by Tessa Neill

Isn't he adorable? Photo by Tessa Neill

Picture perfect! Photo by Tessa Neill

Hungry boy! Photo by Tessa Neill

Fluffing himself. Photo by Tessa Neill

I'm about ready to just camp out so I can get some really good shots- wish I had a better camera!

Did You Know?

Hummingbirds are unique birds found only in the Western Hemisphere.

They can fly forwards, backwards,up, down, sideways and even upside down briefly, at speeds up to 25-30 miles an hour...but they can't walk.

They take up to 250 breaths a minute.

Hummingbirds can go into a state of torpora state of suspended physical powers and activities or dormancy, as of a hibernating animal

They consume half their weight in sugar a day.

They eat small insects for protein.

Hummingbirds don't flap their wings, they rotate them. When hummingbirds fly, they move their wings in an oval pattern, except when they are hovering. When they are hovering they will move their wings in a figure-eight motion.

Hummingbirds are missing a few parts that other birds and mammals have. These include a bladder, a gall bladder, a penis in the males, and a right ovary in the females.

Click for Hummingbird Anatomy

Because Anna's hummingbirds stick around in winter here in OR, it is important to take good care of them.

Ways you can help your hummingbirds in winter

1. Make sure you continue feeding them throughout the winter! Even upping calorie intake a little by making the sugar water slightly stronger (white regular sugar only). Contact your local expert for advice on this.
2. Put out some banana peels, or apples, to attract small insects- close to their feeder.
3. Clean feeders weekly- watch out for that mold.
4. Make sure their feeder has an umbrella to keep the rain from diluting it.
5. Secure the feeders from harsh winter winds.
6. Keep feeders near a source of cover- those damn hawks!
7. Feeders should have a light above them that will keep them from freezing. Check out this blog for directions.

And for heavens sake, make sure your neighbors are not around when you talk to them!

Happy Gardening!

Tessa

My new friend 'Peetree'

So, while wondering around in the garden I spotted a hummingbird- the same hummingbird that has been hanging around since we bought the Hummzinger. He has been making a strange noise and chasing off other hummingbirds that come around too.

I discovered the other day that he sits in my camellia in the same spot everyday...not far from the feeder, of course, so I grabbed my camera to try and get some shots. To my surprise, he just sat there waiting for his photo to be taken! He's so tiny and cute! I decided that he should be named 'Peetree'. I just love these photos and can hardly believe I managed to get them. I hope you enjoy them too!

If you want hummingbirds in your yard, I recommend getting the Hummzinger- it is the only one that I have found that stops yellow jackets from getting to the good stuff by inserting these stoppers- the yellow jackets can't reach the food, but the birds can. When the yellow jackets can't get to it they go elsewhere.

~~~~I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT THIS SHOT~~~~

The photo's were very big so I had to resize them- do they look a little blurry to you? They are the most clear and detailed photos I have ever taken of these birds-

Happy Gardening!
Tessa

Beautiful Portland, OR fall- A tribute!

Fall- my favorite time of year! Some of you may know that I plan on moving out of Portland- heading to the higher elevations in Redmond or Prineville. I wanted to put together a fall tribute to Portland as kind of a farewell- even though I may not be moving for a couple years! I love Portland in the fall (rain aside) and this year we have had some pretty nice weather in September, Oct. and now Nov. It wasn't hard to find beautiful color every time you turned around. I suspect more pictures will come in the following days! Okay, enough of my ramblings- on with with the beauty