Can a Bee in flight balance on the beak of a hummingbird? You, betcha!
Can a hummer skewer a Bee in mid-air? Yes, indeedy!
At first I was worried the Bees would sting the hummers, but when I looked at the photos I realized I should be worrying about the Bees.
It’s good to know this feeder is guaranteed “Bee and Wasp proof” as you can read on the label,
but it is unfortunate Bees and Wasps cannot read.
You do see this hummer stabbing another in the back of the head from behind, which unfortunately, proves I have been wholely unsuccessful in teaching the hummers any manners.
But this is okay. I am accustomed to this.
I am a mother.
Cheers to you from The Holler birds & bees~
That last photo is a stunner!
Awww, thank you! The Rufous are such beautiful hummingbirds~
I have always thought of birds and bees as separate, in some way. You have given the phrase “the birds and the bees” a whole new poetic dimension, in my mind..
Oh good, I cannot wait to see the poetic result! <3 <3
your captions were a lot of fun to read, and the photographs are stunning!
You are a good and loyal friend Ranu. Thank you~ <3
Beautifully captivating!
Hugs to you Wendell~
Nice set of hummer and bee photos. I’m surprised they will get along long enough for that many to feed at the trough together. We don’t put out feeders. Our hummers have all kinds of flowers the eat from. They are often quarreling over favorite flowers and bushes and chase the finches and sparrows around as well. We have lots of bees, wasps and beetles going for the same blooming plants, but the hummers are too busy quarreling amongst themselves and with other birds for the bees to be a bother.
They are quarrlesome aren’t they, but then, not quite as much as humans, unfortunately…. 😉
Beautiful pictures. I have only one or two Hummingbirds, but I always feel joy when I see them. Beautiful birds.
Yes there is something indefineably magical about them even when dealing with them in large, and occasionally quarrelsome, numbers!
Amazing shots Cindy! The captures of the birds and the bees is so creative.
They set it all up. I just took the pics! 😉
You are way too modest!
<3
Absolutely Happy Post! Thank you Cindy!
Awwww, your comment makes me happy! Thank you~ <3
Wow amazing!!! thanks
Thank you more for the kind appreciation~
so amazing!
<3
Bees can be so selfish, they swarm anything and everything they want, which cute as they may be is still annoying at times 😛
Beautiful photos..!
It is, very much so. I find myself getting annoyed at them, which is illogical. We need them and they are under seige, so I curb my annoyance. They do seem to know not to mess with me though which is good! 😉
You show em who’s boss! heh!!
I do!!! They are swarming soon too!
How fun. Well maybe not if you’re the one getting skewered. How many species of hummers do you get? We only have one — the ruby-throated hummingbird.
We have the rubies, the anna’s, the black chinned, rufous and occasional allen’s. All have migrated now except for one rufous, tons of annas and black chinned. They will stay all winter, and continue to nest. There are over 30 of them who stay year round.
You are one lucky woman. <3 Thanks for sharing all the beauty that has been gifted to you.
Thank you much more for appreciating it! <3
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Just magic, Cindy, – a bee on a beak of a hummingbird – who’d’ve thought it 🙂
Certainly not me. I was shocked by all the mid-air skewering. I was honestly worried about the hummingbirds.
I thought of you when I saw this (I hope you can open it) > https://www.facebook.com/BobAnderson23/videos/2675341286076/?fref=nf
WOW!! I heard of a man who cannot leave his home in the LA area because he feeds hundreds of hummers daily. This guy may have him beat! Backyard feeders have brought stressed and decreasing numbers of hummers back up in numbers to the point where they now visit Alaska! But this would be way too much for me. Two feeders max is my rule.
I found this post very entertaining, Cindy. Liked the “bee and wasp free” proclamation, the overload of hummingbirds and bees, the perfect clarity in the photos, and all the antics between the birds and the bees. It looks like these are mostly Anna’s h-birds, but that last photo looks like it might be a juvenile Rufous? Very fun! 😀
Yes, your identification spot on. The anna’s, some black chinned, and this juvenile rufous will over winter here. The others have already migrated.
This is great, Cindy; we only have the Anna’s overwinter here in No. Calif., and most people don’t have any h-b in the winter. 😀
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Stunning photos by Cindy – right click on them and open in new tab to enlarge (or click on them to enlarge and remember to use the back button to return and see the next one 😃 )
Wow, I haven’t even done this! I will do it now. Thank you so much for the idea and for your very kind thoughtfulness!
Welcome Cindy 👍😃
Qué suerte tener estos vecinos tan simpáticos. Es bueno que estos alimentadores especiales mantengan a raya a las avispas.
Tenemos la suerte , los colibríes son los mejores vecinos! <3
Humming Birds have always fascinated me. They’re so tiny and they just keep flapping!!
They certainly do flap continuously don’t they! The roadrunner refuses to give up trying to eat them, although I don’t think he as yet been successful! They are just too fast.
Let’s hope it stays that way!! “beepbeep”
Whew. So many in one place! What an event. We had a green one two days ago, so maybe they are on the way. Great pictures
Sounds like an Anna. When you have one, more are sure to come!
My hummingbird feeder can serve 4 at a time, but one female chases everyone else away. So we never see more than one at a time.
Yes, I have seen this at The Holler which had me in the ridiculous position of trying to chase off a hummingbird. Don’t ever try this. It is just humiliating….. 😉
I thought about your hummingbird shots and how in awe I was at how many were swarming in one place- because 2 weeks ago I was sitting at my kitchen table and lo and behold there are swarming jays near my bay window- I went to get my camera to see what their fuss was about and there 10 feet from my patio was a rat snake 😨😳 so I know I told you I wasn’t fond of birds but I have since changed my perspective as they warned me of my not-welcome reptile slithering his way to my sanctuary 😉
Great shots as always hope you’re well 😎❤️
Jays will coordinate their attack on a snake. They will pick them up in the air and bash them repeatedly, even rattlesnakes. I saw this in our yard when I was a kid. Roadrunners will kill rattlesnakes, and so will raptors. Birds are your allies in keeping rodents, snakes and bug populations under control.
Well for once the birds are on my side 😎❤️
Cindy Knoke, how come our resident hummingbirds are selfish and aggressive ? They don’t want to share.
It is in the nature of the birdies. They can be highly territorial and aggressive. That said, there is wide variety in the personalities of individual hummers, just like there is in humans. Some are never aggressive, and most will cooperate, while a few will be bullies. Mostly at The Holler we get cooperation, with some bullies. There was one time when one bird dominated a 32 ounce feeder just for herself. She couldn’t eat, she was so busy defending. Doesn’t seem adaptive does it?
That’s very interesting. I don’t actually know anything about the real habits and behaviours of humming birds
Cindy, this photo of the hummingbirds with the bees might be my favorite EVER. Not just of yours either. Of any photos. It’s absolutely stunning!!!!!
Awwwww, that is so encouraging and motivating! Thank you.
Just the truth!
I’m so stunned, Cindy! The birds and the bees, Wow! You captured all of them in the first photo. 🙂 Hummingbirds are beautiful, it’s hard to believe they can be aggreessive. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Looks can be deceiving can’t they? They aren’t just pretty little birds at all. They are fascinating creatures with outsize personalities. Now I am watching the roadrunner hunker down below the hummers to look small before he pounces. He never gives up!
🙂 How fun to watch them… 🙂
Just……WOW!!!!
Ahhhh, thank you!
Welcome, Cindy 🙂
Lovely photos! I’m a huge fan of hummers…
😀
Beautiful photos Cindy you are so lucky to have all those birds in your garden. Although I have a big garden and get lots of lovely butterflies not so many birds and not very brightly coloured either which has always surprised me somewhat but you photos make up for my lack of birds 🙂
A bee on a beak! Amazing!
It makes me wonder what all is going on when I’m not looking! 😉
Aw! Just loved it! 💖
So glad and happy Friday!
My pleasure! You too have a great week ahead 🙂
Bee on a beak. What a menu item. 😀
It does sound sort of intriguing…….laughing!
Wow Cindy, so amazing post 😀
Glad you enjoyed Irene & cheers~
Yikes. I wouldn’t want to be poked with that. Quite the weapon! 🙂
It is pretty lethal isn’t it, when you consider the beak is actually longer than the bird!
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
It has been a few weeks since I have shared one of Cindy Knokes spectacular photography shows.. this in not one to miss.
Awwww, honored by your thoughtful kindness.
One of my favorite birds…they are so fascinating. Beautiful pictures Cindy. 🙂
One can simply never tire of watching the hummingbird antics, or at least, I can’t! 😉
Wow! so beautiful 🙂
They are gorgeous aren’t they!
I’m running out of superlatives to describe your posts. This is SO cool! Hummingbirds are fascinating, so energetic and competitive. Did they eat the bees? Do they also kill wasps and hornets?
They definitely don’t eat the bees. They can’t eat any thing with any sort of exo-skeleten, although their diet is about 70% bugs (mostly gnats and fruit flies) and 30% nectar. I don’t know if they kill wasps or hornets. There are wasps mixed in with the bees on these wasp/bee proof feeders, but I have yet to see a hummer go after one. If I do, I will tell you, because now I am interested!
Stunning captures. Thank you. What a delicious opportunity to see these birds and bees this close up and in action. <3 <3 <3
I really thought the bees would sting the hummingbirds, until I looked at the action with the zoom. My son had told me, don’t worry about the hummingbirds, they can assess risk and they are feeding amongst the bees. He seems to be right, although I have read that bees will sting hummers and it will kill them, I have never seen it happen.
I’m tickled to have seen such a close up and it’s heartwarming to know neither birds nor bees fought it out. 😀
This is just amazing, Cindy. I only get one hummer at a time at my feeder and plants. The pictures are wonderful!
Awwwww, so glad you enjoyed!
Stunning!
Thank you kindly & cheers!
Oh what beautiful close-ups Cindy! Hummers are so quick and, since I don’t get an opportunity to get up real close to them in our yard (unless they fly past my face), they can be just a blur! The last couple of photos at the bottom, in fact, give us a view that we don’t ordinarily get, as they show off the plethora of colors and patterns on their feathers! I didn’t realize they could have such a mottled look! Thank you for this rare glimpse! ~Lynn
There is even more variety in plumage in mid summer, when the Rufous and Allens are mixed in with the Anna’s and Black Chins. The Rufous and Allens have migrated. Now it is just the latter two and one late hatched Rufous who I think will be the only one of his kind to winter over. I get really excited when a new variety shows up, or when I travel and see different types. They are all so beautiful! Cheer to you Lynn and hope all is well with you.
Thank you Cindy for the well wish and this information! You are quite the hummingbird connoisseur! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend! 🙂
Amazing pictures, Cindy. Looks like the bees don’t stand a chance among these feisty hummers. 🐝
They don’t disperse though. They are still here in big swarms!
Just amazing photographs, Really rich in colour and almost third dimensional in quality 🙂
Awwww, I am honored, really. Thank you~
What an incredible series of shots! That bee on the beak picture is amazing…maybe you should enter it in a contest somewhere! Our hummingbirds won’t come that close to each other. They’re so territorial that a dominant one will chase off another even if he himself doesn’t want to drink. Talk about a lack of manners. LOL! Where did you get your bee/wasp proof feeder? I think the one we have now might be okay but our last one…ugh…I’d find dead wasps inside of it.
They are wasps and bees all over this bee and wasp proof feeder! Laughing. I bought it online and it is made in Texas. I will google to see if there really is a workable bee proof feeder.
At least they aren’t getting inside and drowning…LOL!
Amazing and beautiful photos Cindy!
Ahhhh, honored. Thank you!
Beautiful captures, Cindy…. different moods, so well expressed through the pictures… 🙂
They do have moods and personalities. Some shy and some are bullies…..
Excellent work, so fascinating… 🙂
Glad you share my fascination with these speedy little guys!
Terrific captures–our hummers have been buzzing about my flowers. Sightings have been especially increasing over the last few weeks.
Isn’t that interesting. Possibly their migration patterns are changing!
Great shots of the hummies encoutered a bee!
So pleased you enjoyed and Happy Friday my friend!
Interesting species that’s for sure!
I sure do love your hummingbird photos! FANTASTIC! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Hugz Lisa and Bear
Amazing images, Cindy. I think in hummingbirds as a lonely occurence, so fantastic to see so many of them and with bees ☺
Today the hummingbirds are looking a little daunted by the hordes of bees and the roadrunner who keeps stalking them!
Birds and Bees. Well – – – at least WordPress didn’t keep you from posting it. Good thing too; or else we would not know about such things. Once again Cindy, great photos of things most of us will never see. Take care – – – and keep those bottles full for the birds and the bees (and the wasps). I will do my best to keep all the bottles in my house empty.
Wally
Sort of a ying and yang approach! I like it. My husband said the exact same thing about the title, laughing…..great minds think alike! Be well Wally & Happy Friday!
Wow. who knew? And I am amazed at the hummers feeding at one time – my ruby throated hummers will only allow one at a time – it’s a dive bomb war – they must wait their turn.
Where was this taken? What a treat!
What a wonderful air show you presented today, Cindy! I’m happy the Hummers are skilled fliers so there are no collisions with bees. Love the two close-ups!
Your world is always teeming with life! Great photos and so many hummers. The bee balance is uncanny too. Love it all! ~Dor
What great photos! Amazing that you are able to capture such marvelous photos.
The photo of the bee on the hummingbird’s bill is simply amazing. And your post as a whole is a good reminder to me to get my supplies ready and my feeders hung. It’s time for the great migration — maybe sooner, maybe later, but they’re coming. There’s a hummingbird festival down he coast in October. I’ve never been, but perhaps this year I’ll make it. The area around Rockport and the central Texas coast generally can be awash in hummers in a good year.
Aww….fascinating! (>‿♥)
Lovely photos – I can’t imagine that they stay still long enough to photograph. I could watch them for hours.
Fabulous shots as always.
Happy Labor Day weekend HW!😘
Okay, amazing,fantastic, incredible, beautiful and great photographs.
Wonderful photos, Cindy. Sorry about the poor bees though!
More fantastic shots! What beautiful birds. 🙂
What terrific photos, especially those last close-ups. We hung a feeder this summer, and we’re having so much fun greeting the “couple” we see each morning. They are amazing creatures.
Wow, I never thought a bee would try to land on the beak of a hummingbird mid-flight. How amazingly foolish.
Amazing shots, Cindy. Hummingbirds are so fascinating to watch, particularly their competitiveness. 🙂
That’s quite a capture, Cindy, in more ways than one — both by the hummingbird and by you!
Ha,ha – love the first photo, it seems it cannot be real but there it is. Beautiful and incredible shot…and teaches us a lot about the birds and the bees. Very much enjoyed the smiles and sights this post produced today, wish you a great weekend Cindy!
You have a great weekend too Randall and thanks much for dropping by!
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Awesome shots, again. 🙂 So interesting about these ‘hummers’ and bees. Watching them from your ‘holler’ must be fascinating.
So amazing photos.
Love your posts about the Hummers…. always! Got a kick out of the fact that bees and wasps can’t read. Who knew? 😀
Looks like the bees and hummers are sharing fine – though it may be the last meal for some of the bees. I tried a hummingbird feeder once and got nothing but wasps. Bees I wouldn’t mind since they are useful and need all the help we can give them these days, but since it was wasps we took it down. We get all different kinds of bees in our lavender though. Birds too.
It’s always good to learn about the birds and the bees!! 🙂
Laughing……and there is always more to learn!
Wow, you definitely take the most incredible photos! What a phenom capture! Beautiful. 🙂 <3
Visa versa to you Linda x 2 and happy weekend!
Wow, outstanding photos. Hilarious commentary. Kudos.
Awwwww, mil grazi!
Nice shots! I especially love the colors and detail of the hummer in the last photo…
Thank you. I have a lot of the close macros of hummers because I love looking at the details too. So glad you enjoyed and cheers to you!
Wow these are wonderful Cindy! It looks like they are floating in air and that one bee looks like it’s fighting with them! LOL <3
The bees do go after them, but ususally they coexist!
These shots, with the bees and wasps, show just how small the hummers are. Marvellous photos of a very fast moving subject Cindy.
So please you enjoyed them Pauline and cheers my friends!
Is the last photo the Rufous? I SO miss hummingbirds. There are none, here in Hawaii. And hardly any bees, either. Now That one is a huge Problem.
That is a problem, I agree! And yes, good identification, the last one is a rufous!
Cindy, these birds are so sweet! Well, their manners could be improved :)… I don’t know if a bee could sting them… They are too fast I guess. What a joy watching them!
Hummingbirds can and do die from bee stings, but I haven’t seen this happen here.
Oh… My Grandmother’s turkeys and a rooster got stung a few times, but lived. A hummingbird is just a few times bigger than a bee… Poor things.
Hummers are such amazing little creatures. I’ve caught them belly-bumping! Mine seem to be weary of stinging insects but yours go after them. Did that one with the bee in its beak eat it? I understand that the over-wintering hummers will eat insects when no nectar is left.
Yes they eat insects, tiny ones like fruit flies and gnats, but nothing with an exo-skeleton like a bee. Their diet is around 70% bugs and 30% nectar.
Stunning shots and Love them.
Awwww, so glad! <3
Twoje zdjęcia są wspaniałe
Dziękuję za odwiedziny
Pozdrawiam
Dziekuje za zyczliwosc przyjacielu!
You made my day Cindy – I was concerned too about the wasps and as you show, the birds mingle well! <3
Yes, they co-exist for the most part.
They seem to coexist as there were wasps is the mix as well, but I would keep on eye on things as stings can kill hummers and visa versa. If it gets too intense, I spray with a hose to remove the bees, and move the feeders.
Absolutely beautiful as always. I will use one of them in the next newsletter. I hope you saw your photos in the September newsletter that went out this week! Thanks again for your generosity.
Thank you more for the newsletter, the important messages you are spreading, and for your kindness!
🙂
Amazing photos. Do humming birds actually eat bees?
No never. They cannot digest the exoskeletons. 70% of their diet is made up of tiny bugs like fruit flies and gnats they catch in mid-air. 30% of their diet is nectar.
Some astounding photos – I always enjoy your holler hummingbirds!
I am so glad because I like to share the enjoyment! Thanks you and cheers!
I think I am in love with the little hummers!
That definitely makes two of us!! <3
What great shots! Feeding birds can be a fascinating experience.
You get to know them up close and personal!
Isn’t it just fantastic when you enlarge a shot and find something completely new!
I love when this happens!
The hummingbirds are gorgeous, but the bottle you use for their feeder is so cute as well. It adds such a pretty flair to the photos.
Wonderful to hear from you Halim and hope you are well! The red on the bottle attracts the hummers, and the bees and wasps! 😉
Thanks for sprinkling a little beauty and joy into my day.
You deserve lots of this everyday my friend!
Thanks Cindy!
You deserve lots of beauty and joy! <3
Thanks for the chuckles. My hummers have abandoned me [even their special hummer bath]. I don’t blame them. It’s simply too hot.
Incredible captures!
Wow! The bee…amazing…what a photograph.
Wunderschöne Bilder, liebe Cindy…
Cindy, recently I moved in to the new place with street name Hummingbird Way. I suspect it is somehow related to these lovely birds. Hope another day to watch them as you do. Lovely pictures as usual.
Wow! Great shots!
So pleased you enjoyed & cheers to you!
OK, I confess, I was sort of expecting photos about something else and was sort of relieved with these beautiful ones! 🙂
I feel much the same as you when encountering such topics. It just may have something to do with our age! 😉 😉
Hey I have nominated u for the sunshine blogger award:) my recent post have all the details in it…u can check them out if u want to participate in it:)
Have a nice day!
How thoughtful and kind of you! Most appreciated too! Thank you~ <3
I am glad u are up for it:) I’ll wait for your post 😀
Such beautiful, interesting-to-watch little birds!
They put on the daily hummingbird show! I don’t like to miss it~ 😉
You always seem to capture these critters perfectly!
I think the little buzzers kinda like me, after all I am the source of the best nectar! 😉 😉
😊👍🏼
Loved the pics, Cindy. Have had a hummer visiting the flower beds for the last week now. He/she seems to like something out there. Hugs, Cuz
I knew you would get one! It must have been sent for you because it is out of season in your area! You could hang a feeder but he/she needs to be moving on to warmer climes.
These are great photos! 🙂 I have been trying all summer to get some photos of birds in midflight. I will have to wait for the snowbirds to arrive in the coming months. 🙂
It is such fun isn’t it? Just the process of waiting, watching, being out in nature, and then magic happens, and you see the the wild ones are already watching you! This was a big surprise for me when I noticed each time I got the telephoto on a wild one, there were intently looking at me! Can’t wait for your snowbirds. I know you are having fun. So am I. Good for us! 🙂
Cindy, it is an exciting adventure as birds watch me choose my location and angle to wait patiently for them to pose for my camera.:-)
Yes, it takes patience, planning and is so rewarding!
Hi Cindy. The moment I saw this photo, I thought of you. https://mythsofthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/hummingbird-horse.jpg
Oh my God!!! Hilarious! Thank you for sending it to me!
😀
Beautiful Pictures with Birds 😃
Awwww, so glad you enjoyed!
Well, I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever showed me the birds and the bees, Cindy. lol 😉 What extraordinary pics. I have to say, like you I thought for sure the pics would escalate to injured hummingbirds. I can see now that they are quite capable of taking care of themselves. Even against pesky bees!! lol Great pics Cindy, sharing them now.
This is probably about as risque’ as my blog will get considering I alreday did the “Critter Cam Catches Bare Bathing,” post! 😉 😉
Cindy, I thought hummingbirds might fight but I never expected them to poke each other! In a way, I am proud of their ability to stab bees or wasps! Wow! You caught a lot of action, Cindy.
“I am a mother.” 😀 Thanks for making me smile Cindy.
Fantastic photos (as always).
hehehe! couldn’t resist and glad you smiled! <3
woww such great shots! and captions too hah
Very pleased you enjoyed & cheers to you~
I do love hummingbirds! 🙂
That makes two of us!!
What absolutely stunning pictures!
Awwww, you are very kind~
For your pleasure: https://www.facebook.com/Hummingbird.Playground.Fountain/videos/793854674057103/?fref=nf
Amazing Fae! I am in Canada now and I miss my hummers, and you Fae! <3 <3
Have a great time in Canada, World Traveler! We will leave next Saturday. I’ll be back with stories and recipes! 🙂
Terrific shot!!!!! I guess you took the photos at an extremely fast shutter speed!!! Breathbreaking!
Awwww, thanks so much and very pleased you enjoyed them!
I think my hummer finally got the message earlier this week when the overnight temp got down t 43deg. Haven’t seen it since ! They’ll be back next year though. The Monarch butterflies are passing through on their annual migration now. Enjoy the mountains, Cuz. Wish I could be there ! 🙂 Hugs.
I wish you were here too! Would love to hike with you!
Reblogged this on Oyia Brown and commented:
Absolutely brilliant – thank you.
YAY!!!! IT’s my favorite type f bird again 🙂
Mine too my friend! <3
Yes! good stuff 🙂