It's Fattening Up Time!

We had a great time at the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, followed by the Southwest Wings Birding Festival in Sierra Vista, AZ. It's always great to see old friends and repeat customers. Plus we had some quality sight-seeing in-between shows. And lucky for us, we have a wonderful neighbor who took care of our hummers and orioles while we were away. Most of the orioles have already departed, but the hummers are fattening up for their journey south and the feeder activity is positively crazy!

Until we need to gear up for our holiday-shopping shows in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri, we'll take care of personal business and enjoy our hummers until they leave. Hopefully the bander will get back while we still have a ton of hummers!!!

Hummingbird fact for today: Most ruby-throated hummingbirds winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama. Since hummingbirds lead solitary lives and neither live nor migrate in flocks, an individual bird may spend the winter anywhere in this range where the habitat is favorable, but probably returns to the same location each winter.

Rain or Increased Population?

We're not sure if it is the cooler, rainy weather or if baby hummers have now fledged, but the activity has been like this for hours. And there are 4 more feeders that are not in the BirdCam's field of view. This is so much fun! And nearly a full-time job keeping up with making nectar and filling feeders.

We've been busy with wholesale orders. New shipments have gone out to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center in Texas, the Owl House in Michigan, and Beech Branch Gallery in Tennessee. If you're in the area, stop in and say howdy!

Getting ready for the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, AZ, and Southwest Wings in Sierra Vista, AZ. We always see a lot of old friends in Sedona, and we're looking forward to our first visit in Sierra Vista. Not to mention that we're more than ready for a road trip!

Hummingbird fact for today: Basically, it is illegal in the United States to hold a hummingbird, a hummingbird nest, a hummingbird baby, or any part of a hummingbird, nest, or egg, in any type of captivity in any way, shape, or form. This means that unless you have a valid permit, it is illegal to trap, band, hold, harass, or control any hummingbird or any part of the hummingbird, nest, or egg.

Ruby-throated Season Coming to a Close

Now that we're into September, the ruby-throated migration is in full swing. Males head for their southern territory first, leaving females and juveniles better access to feeding resources in the breeding territories. All the hummers try to double their body weight in preparation for the long journey back to the semi-tropics. Then the females will head home. Last to leave will be the ones born this summer. Amazingly, the birds fly individually. Adult hummers do not show the new birds where to go - they just follow their instincts. Leaving feeders up will NOT delay the migration. In fact, leaving feeders up will provide much needed energy for the migrating birds that are passing through from further north. Most of the ruby-throats will be completely out of Missouri by mid-October. but there's a chance to spot a straggler or two even later.

Here at the Lake of the Ozarks, there is a least one male still hanging around. Feeder activity has definitely slowed down though. Surprisingly. we still are seeing Baltimore orioles, although we haven't noticed any orchard orioles for a few days. The orioles usually depart earlier than the hummingbirds.

We had another fantastic summer of hummers. There must have been 50-70 hanging around at the height of the season. They are such fun to watch! Keeping up with the feeders is a daily chore, but a chore with wonderful rewards.

We want to thank the Board Members and all of the very special volunteers who work so hard to make the Sedona Hummingbird Festival THE premier hummingbird festival in the US. For us, it's a time to reconnect with friends who share our passion. We love seeing the fabulous and creative hummingbird art by our fellow vendors, and of course we always come home with more to add to our collection. It doesn't hurt that the festival is always a successful show for us. This year we again put out some Ozarklake feeders, and the Arizona hummers loved them as much as our Missouri hummers do! Thanks to Laura Osteen for these amazing pictures.

We're been homebodies since the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona. But later this month we will head out to Council Bluffs, IA, for the International Master Gardener Conference. Right after that we will head to the Wings and Wildflowers Festival in Leesburg, FL. And since we have grandkids living in St. Petersburg, we'll be hanging around in sunny Florida for a few days before returning to Missouri and awaiting the arrival of Old Man Winter,

Hummingbird fact for today: Cats, both domestic and feral, are probably the most common predator of hummingbirds. Cats should be indoor pets! 

It's Time for the Sedona Hummingbird Festival

We kind of hated to leave home because there are so many hummingbirds and they are such fun, but off we go to Sedona, AZ. This is THE PREMIER hummingbird festival and one that every hummer-lover should attend at least one. While we're at the Festival, our Etsy shop is "on vacation".

As noted above, we have TONS of hummers buzzing around constantly now. The newly-hatched ones have left the nest and the Moms have brought them all to the feeders. It's been so darn hot that they must think they are at home in the tropical habitat. This video was taken on a rainy day and they were feeding like crazy.

Thank goodness for our neighbor Steve who will keep the feeders full while we are gone. He also keeps the jelly feeders filled for the orioles. We have a bumper crop of those this year, too. Not sure exactly how many Orchard and Baltimore males and females we have in the area, but they too had a bumper crop of babies!

Another shipment of Ozarklake feeders went out to the Birding and Nature Center in South Padre Island, TX, as well as to Alley Gallery in Marion, IA. We're excited to be a part of the re-invention of downtown Marion, IA, This is good news for sure!

Hummingbird fact for today: Some hummingbirds are so small, they have been known to be caught by dragonflies and praying mantis, trapped in spider’s webs, snatched by frogs and stuck on thistles.

Wonderful Anniversary, Birthday, Sales Trip

We headed west. Stayed in Colorado Springs for a couple of days. Rode the cog railway to the almost-top of Pike's Peak. Snow and wind gusts kept us from reaching the top. Went to the Garden of the Gods. Visited the Air Force Academy. Then we headed off to Wyoming. Found a dinosaur center before we headed to Yellowstone.

Spent two days going through Yellowstone. What am amazing place! So much varied geology and ecology. Saw bears and bison and elk oh my! And pronghorn and geysers and so much more! Discovered a bear and wolf rehab/discovery center in West Yellowstone.

After "vending" at the Western Field Ornithologists Conference in Billings, we headed down to Devil's Tower before we got serious about getting home. While traveling we celebrated Terrie's birthday and our 14th wedding anniversary. Terrific time!

The owner of The Front Range Birding Company of Littleton, CO, saw our feeders at the WFO Conference and took some home to put in his store! Stop by and see them if you are in the Littleton area.

While we were away, our neighbor kept up with the hummingbird and oriole feeders for us. He obviously did a good job, because we still have lots of hummers and orioles hanging around. Now we can look forward to the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, AZ.

Hummingbird fact for today: Some hummingbirds are so small, they have been known to be caught by dragonflies and praying mantis, trapped in spider’s webs, snatched by frogs and stuck on thistles.

Hummers, Bees, and Essential Oil of Marigold

What a fantastic country we live in! After exhibiting at the High Desert Arts Festival in Eagle Nest, NM, we headed to the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, AZ, by way of Colorado and Utah! We visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and all points in between! Fabulous scenery! Fabulous people!

Thanks to helpful neighbors, we returned home to find our hummers and orioles fat and sassy. Feeder activity really picks up this time of year as the Ruby-throated hummers begin to fatten up in preparation for the long migration south. Unfortunately, bees are also finding the feeders. We tried numerous remedies to try to keep the bees away, and at long last have found one that works. Soak a cotton pad (similar to a cotton ball only flat, available in the beauty needs section of your favorite store) with Essential Oil of Marigold and place close to the nectar opening.

With our bottle feeders, I punch a hole in the pad and slip it over the feeding tube, positioning it just behind the red tip. With the tube feeders, I place it between the tube and the copper coil that the tube sets in. Be sure to NOT put the oil anyplace that the hummers might get it on their wings or their feet. Hummers have no sense of smell, but the overwhelming concentrated marigold scent tells the bees to stay away. You can order Essential Oil of Marigold from http://www.scentit.com/. The scent fades away, so keep it fresh to keep sending the message to those pesky bees. Bee traps also help keep down the population. I use the traps that you bait with juice, sugar, and raw meat. Bees go in and can't get out. This is a video I took today at the back of the studio.

People ask us if the birds use our feeders. Well, DUH!!! The near window has one bottle feeder, the glass door has 7 of our Onesie's, and the far window has one bottle feeder and two Onesie's. Watch the fighting over positioning and listen to the chatter as they fuss at one another. What fun!

Next weekend we will be at Art in Bayfront Park in Duluth, MN. This will be our first time in that part of the country and we're excited about going!

Hummingbird fact for today: The hummingbird is more than just beautiful. Its physical capabilities put the toughest human being to shame.