Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Tree

Welcome to my virtual holiday open house! Here's my theory about decorating the tree: there's always room for one more ornament!
Butterflies, snowmen, chickens.
Lots of angels big and small.

Wind chimes and roosters.

My Blogger ID.

You say you want a hippopotamus for Christmas? I've got one here on the tree!

Always a star at the top, and at least one bird somewhere on the tree. Merry Christmas to you!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Three Wise Men Santas

These Santas keep watch over our holiday each year.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Tour Part 1 - Nutcrackers

Welcome to my home for Christmas! I'll post a virtual tour this week to share our holidays with everyone. First, meet my extended nutcracker family.
There's always room for more, too, and I add at least 1 new one each year.

This year's newbie is the one on the left on the mantle - the peppermint soldier.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Hummingbird Banding in Pearl

This is the hummingbird trap. Volunteers stand about 10 feet back. The trap door is held up with fishing line, and then let the door down when a bird enters. Then they reach in and gently grab the bird and put it in a net bag so the bird can wait its turn for meeting bander Fred Hound.


The bag needs to be drawn tight at the top, or these birds will wiggle out. We saw one make an escape that way.
After Fred bands, weighs and measures the birds, he treats them to dinner. He said first-year birds rarely take a drink when offered, but older birds always slurp up free food - and it was true! This is a mature black-chinned hummingbird.

At the home where the banding took place, there were not only a lot of feeders, but a lot of plants popular with hummingbirds. This is an agastache with a black-chinned hummingbird at it. The banding takes place every year and we'll be there again!