This Red Shouldered Hawk has been sparring in Holler skies recently with the Red Tailed Hawks.
“California Sister” butterflies are understandably at home in The Holler.
“Firecracker Skimmer” dragonflies float lazily by.
Passion flowers are passionately,
prolific.
Pickerelweed flowers,
reach for the sky. (Thank you Eliza Waters for identifying this plant!)
Bottle brush thrive while spiders spin.
Cheers to you from all who seek the sky~
Birdies are ballet masters.
Forget the plie’, birdies are en pointe,
and excel at the grand battement!
They extend their limbs,
with precise acumen.
Even the goosies get into the game!
Cheers to you from Oz’s high stepping hoofers~
Prima Ballerinas in order of appearance: Australian Wood Duck, Masked Lapwing, Cape Barren Goose
The Holler is quite buggy so it is most helpful for this little guy to catch both the spider and the spider’s catch all in the same web!
Rock Wrens are diligent feathered bug catchers.
They are always hunting and eating.
Rock Wrens are year round residents at The Holler and they are the only species in their genus, Salpinctes.
Rock Wrens are glorious songbirds whose music fills our days. Click to hear their vocalizations:
Cheers to you from The Holler’s hungry, musical and industrious wrens~
Of flying fairies.
It’s a bit tricky to take a photo and feed a hummer at the same time!
Most of The Holler Hummers are packing on calories now to prepare for migration.
Black Chinned Hummingbirds, like the one pictured above, travel to western Mexico or the Gulf.
Rufous Hummingbirds (above) have one of the largest migratory bird journeys in the world, flying up to 3,900 miles each year. Rufous populations are in decline due to habitat destruction and they are now designated a threatened species.
Some Anna’s hummingbirds stay year round at The Holler.
Responsibly maintained backyard bird feeders have helped vulnerable hummingbird species thrive.
They have brought dwindling population numbers up and expanded the territory of many species.
During migration, hummingbird hearts can beat over 1200 times per minute, their wings can flap 80 times per second, and they often fly alone.
Cheers to you from The Holler’s magical flying fairies~
Teach me,
that just because,
we cannot see something,
doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Cheers to you from unseen beauty everywhere~
Hovering in mid flight,
reaching speeds of 60 mph,
with a tongue that is longer than their body,
the only bird in the world that can fly backwards and upside down,
weighing about a tenth of an ounce,
and battling for turf and territory daily with their lethal spear beaks,
hummers are flying,
works of art,
with attitudes!
Cheers to you from The Holler Hummers~
I thought it might be time to post some more Holler Hummers.
Hummingbirds in your backyard,
make everyday brighter.
They accompany me on my gardening rounds,
and buzz the camera when I am taking their photos.
If the feeder’s empty,
they swarm my office window until I get up and fill them!
They are quite persuasive,
for such wee tiny critters, weighing only .11 ounces!
Cheers to you from The Holler’s ever entertaining colibris~
