I won't begin to try to technically explain why his lovely gorget, the feathers under his beak, look dark. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the shimmering red I saw as he approached the feeder near this twig. It has to do with how the light interacts with his feathers. If the light and angle is one way you see dark, or black feathers, if it's another way, these prism like feathers refract the light and you see amazing iridescent, shimmering red.
This chap seems to be the last Ruby Throat left of our seasonal residents. I haven't seen any females today, I hope they are still around, but I think they have begun their long flights south. I'll keep the feeders out for the travelers flying from northern New England in hopes that they will find them on their journey south. I love these birds and it makes me so sad to see them leave.
We were very lucky last night as the remnants of 4 day old Hurricane Ida ripped through on a northward track. We had a tornado warning, a loud thunderstorm and torrential rain. Thankfully the tornado didn't materialize, but we were a bit nervous. So many others in states south of us suffered from catastrophic flooding.
Honestly it just seems like everything is upside down, politically, health and weather-wise. My heart goes out to many tonight.
For the Record,
This day came in wet after heavy rain all night. It was cooler, but still very humid.
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
Gorgeous, beats our sparrows and starlings at the feeder... Though starlings can look pretty stunning in the right light.
Glad you're all OK, the reports first from New Orleans and now from NY and New Jersey etc are awful. Will these extreme weather events all over (even here in good old temperate UK) make the powers that be act differently...?
Glad you're all OK, the reports first from New Orleans and now from NY and New Jersey etc are awful. Will these extreme weather events all over (even here in good old temperate UK) make the powers that be act differently...?