Hummingbirds and bees

[WjColdWater]

First hummingbird showed up here on Tuesday. We set the feeders out on Monday so glad to see them back. We use our American Plums in bloom to estimate their arrival. Our neighbor is a bee keeper and our plums are the first flowering shrubs to attract them. I took a few pics on my plot walk while extracting invasive shrubs from the forb plot. Soon the plums will be finished and early forb blooms will feed the bees. Our plots bloom from now until October with various species blooming. Bumble bees also visit by the thousands to feed on blooms. The hummingbirds also are attracted the he flowering forbs for summer food. The males are the first to arrive now and the first to bail in the fall.
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Neighbors honey bees loading up.
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Plenty of food for pollinators.

Bumblebees sharing the habitat. Our neighbor shares a few jars of honey to pay for her trespassing bees. I always tell her the rent needs to go up.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

What is Bumblebee honey like?
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

It is so nice to see your success with your native plot.

 

[WjColdWater]

What is Bumblebee honey like?
Frank

Frank, I’m not a bee expert but, I think the bumblebees are ground nesters. Our neighbor has several standard honey bee hives that she harvests honey from. Her honey is lighter in color and thinner than store purchased. Also a field next to us has red clover for commercial hay that her bees forage on. In three weeks when the foxglove beard tongue is in bloom it will be a muti-species bee party here. Bumble bees look intimidating but will not sting you unless you disturb their ground nest. When I walk the plot slowly the bumblebees just move to the next plant. No aggression at all.

 

[WjColdWater]

It is so nice to see your success with your native plot.

Thanks! It’s a labor of love.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks.I have noticed that I get Bumblebees in my birdhouses sometimes.
I am a meanie and get rid of them. The birds need the homes first.
The honey sounds yummy.
Stay safe.
Frank

 

[pvstoy]

I've seen bumblebees hunker down on a plant they are feeding on for the night quite often in my yard.

 

[allanb]

Very cool WJ. Here in western wa, we have Annas year round. Rufous move in about mid March. Annas have one brood, and then decamp (for higher ground, go north?) about mid May. Returning for the winter about October, as the rufous are heading south.
I've heard of Annas spending the winter as far north, as north end of Vancouver Island

 

[WjColdWater]

Very cool WJ. Here in western wa, we have Annas year round. Rufous move in about mid March. Annas have one brood, and then decamp (for higher ground, go north?) about mid May. Returning for the winter about October, as the rufous are heading south.
I've heard of Annas spending the winter as far north, as north end of Vancouver Island

Thanks! Here we only see Ruby throated. Here being close to the Mississippi River we get migratory birds of many species though out the seasons. We enjoy the sightings!

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

One nest on the back patio, one near the front door, two eggs each. I don’t think our hummers migrate, they seem to hang around here in Ventura County. No idea which type but they are VERY territorial, it’s fun to watch the aerial dogfights around the feeder.

 

[WjColdWater]

One nest on the back patio, one near the front door, two eggs each. I don’t think our hummers migrate, they seem to hang around here in Ventura County. No idea which type but they are VERY territorial, it’s fun to watch the aerial dogfights around the feeder.

Any chance for a nest pic? I’ve never seen one.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

This is a hummer I caught on a walk back before the SAH order.
We have a lot of them that hang around all year.
During the winter there are enough flowering plants to feed them.
Fun to watch.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Wayne, here’s a link to a photo from one of my Flickr contacts.

https://flic.kr/p/26SvLvM

I found an old Anna’s nest laying in the yard. It’s all cobwebs and moss.

 

[ski3pin]

Here's a hummer nest we spotted in a backcountry canyon in Death Valley National Park in March 2018 -

 

[WjColdWater]

Wayne, here’s a link to a photo from one of my Flickr contacts.

https://flic.kr/p/26SvLvM

I found an old Anna’s nest laying in the yard. It’s all cobwebs and moss.

3FB5B66F-1269-420A-929F-5C922610B6C6.jpeg

Sage, thanks for the hands on pic. Didn’t know what materials they used and spiderwebs for a binding agent!

 

[WjColdWater]

Here's a hummer nest we spotted in a backcountry canyon in Death Valley National Park in March 2018 -

Sweet pic! Thanks for sharing.

 

[WjColdWater]

While we are on a bird roll three species in our yard.
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Robin in the front spruce.
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Slate Colored Junco’s in the side yard spruce.

Eastern Bluebird’s in a nest box in the back yard. Surrounded by new life.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for everyone's posts of the birds.
Frank

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

While on the bird subject,has anyone checked out the Condor nest at Big Sur?
The egg hatched last Saturday early morning.
The chick is now moving around the nest more.
Pretty cool nest cam.

http://ventanaws.org/condor_cam

Frank

 

[WjColdWater]

While on the bird subject,has anyone checked out the Condor nest at Big Sur?
The egg hatched last Saturday early morning.
The chick is now moving around the nest more.
Pretty cool nest cam.

http://ventanaws.org/condor_cam

Frank

That is a cool nest location. Ugly birds but, glad they are still on the planet.