Speed demon

September 21, 2006


Hummingbird and lantana
While I was taking a few pictures of the garden this evening, the hummingbird I’ve been stalking all spring and summer flew down to the lantana right in front of me, no more than five feet away. I snapped a few photos as he buzzed from flower to flower, but he was so fast I thought all I’d caught were blurs of motion. I was thrilled to find that I’d gotten at least one image that is recognizably a hummingbird.
He exhibited a varied appetite. After lots of sips at the lantana, he sampled the Mexican bush sage, kidneywood, flame acanthus, Mexican shrub daisy, even the ‘Carefree Beauty’ rose. A gourmand.
More and more every day, the garden is glowing in bright fall colors.

Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) backed by orange lantana

First spider lily

More lantana

0 responses to “Speed demon”

  1. r sorrell says:

    Great picture! I haven’t see any hummingbirds in my garden this year. I’ll have to re-think my plants. Even if I can entice them into the yard, however, I doubt that I’ll be able to get a picture.
    Thanks. Getting that shot involved being at the right place at the right time, with camera in hand. Aside from those plants I mentioned, my hummer also loves the Turk’s cap and salvia guaranitica in my back garden. —Pam

  2. That’s a remarkable photo, Pam. You caught the piscine flexibility of the body, and we can almost see that little heart beating. RSorrell, the hummingbirds come for the Salvia guaranitica in my yard, too, and they love the annual Cypress vine, which reseeds in odd places. The hummers can find it wherever I let the seedlings grow.
    These photos are convincing me that I don’t have enough ORANGE flowers, Pam – this is just perfect for the cusp of autumn.
    Annie

  3. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of my red spider lilies yet. The last time I had a good show of them was in 2003, I think. Most years just the leaves come up. What’s your secret? Extra water? Special bulb food?
    Nothing— most years they just come up. This year, sadly, I have only the one I took a picture of. No sign of the others. Perhaps the drought affected them. —Pam

  4. Laura says:

    Gosh that sage is gorgeous! I grew one like it (or maybe the same?) – the leaves and flowers are fuzzy almost like velvet. I *collect* salvias each year, but so few are available because they’re just annuals here, and oftentimes they don’t bloom for me – I guess because the hot season just isn’t long enough for their liking. I love them though.
    I got a kick out of what you consider *Autumn* colors! Here it’s all asters and goldenrods and red and blue berries.