End Of Season Hummingbirds

 I just can't believe how fast this summer has gone!!

Tomorrow is the end of my Summer Sketching Series for 2011. 

In a way, it feels like I have just begun

In reality however, tomorrow I will have sketched and posted my drawings here everyday for 92 consecutive days. I hope some of you artists got inspired to try a little sketching or a least gleaned an itsy-bitsy tidbit of information here and there. Hopefully, some of you readers were more entertained than annoyed by this year's daily doodles and dissertations.

Happy Hungry Hummingbirds

Ever since the storm cleared, we've had hoards of hummers here. We put all the shepherd's hooks and hanging flowers back up this morning.

Lots of males have showed up here the last couple of days. I believe some of them are travelers because we weren't seeing that many males here the past week or so before.

They sure have caused a commotion here and a there's a down right, non-stop feeding frenzy going on outside my window right now as I write this.

Super Birds Weather The Storm

It looks like our little hummingbirds made it through Hurricane Irene with no casualties.

They really are such incredible little creatures. They never cease to amaze me!!

See more about how we all weathered the storm here.

Hummingbird Attitudes

My little buddies are mad at me.

We had to disrupt their environment temporarily

while Irene makes her appearance. 

See what I've done to prepare for Irene here.

Hummingbird Visiting Flowers

Hummingbird Sitting On Nest

Pencil Sketch

With Watercolor Wash Added

See more about this technique here.

Hurricanes and Hummingbirds

With Hurricane Irene scheduled to pass through here on Saturday, my thoughts and concerns turn to my little hummingbird buddies. If it does hit us, I hope my large hummer population will weather the storm well. Here's a sketch of one of my little jewels with and without the watercolor wash.

Wordless Wednesday

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Lucky Sunday's Child . . . 

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright."  ~ Henry David Thoreau

"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful.  Everything is simply happy" ~ Author Unknown

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

Just look at him go . . .

"The poetry of the earth is never dead."  ~ John Keats

"Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?  Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself."  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Friday's child is loving and giving,

                          

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." ~  e.e. cummings

Thursday's child has far to go,

This could be taken two ways . . . 

Since I'm a "Thursday's Child", 

I choose to interpret it to mean, "will go far"!

Done today in my sketchbook on regular drawing paper.

"Oh hummingbirds, mighty little ones, stay a while. The sight, sound and touch of you fills me with such love and joy. Thank you for inviting me to hover a while and savor your sweet magic." ~ Sandy Sandy

:-D  ~ C H E E R S ! ~  {-:

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Poor Wednesday's Child . . . 

Hummingbirds drink nectar and eat small insects constantly throughout the day. They hibernate at night to conserve energy. It is the only species that can fly backwards.

Done today in my sketchbook on regular drawing paper.

 "Hummingbirds teach us to hover in the moment and to appreciate its' sweetness." ~ Costance Barrett 

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

C'mon princess, pose for me . . . 

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."  ~Author Unknown

Done in my sketchbook on regular drawing paper.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."  ~ John Muir

See a color sketch of "Monday's Child" here.

Love Those Wild Things!!

It has been crazy here today with hummer action galore! The big feeder was empty by 11 am and Jerry just filled it again! I'm sure the others are all in need of filling tonight. I tried to get some snaps, but they are just way too fast. There's courting, mating, territory guarding, fledging and rowdy fun happening all around the yard. They can't wait for the Butterfly Bushes to bloom! I've seen dozens testing out the unopened buds today. Here's a shot of the back of my house. There are at least five little cuties in this picture. 

Of course, I just had to sketch one for my drawing everyday post. I tried to get an unusual position for this one, but I'm not too sure how successful it is. Hummingbirds wings actually move in a figure eight pattern and I've tried to portray that here. As everyone knows, they certainly don't look like any other bird in flight!

My Hummingbirds

Another sketch from my yard.

Hot Hummingbirds

It's a scorcher today and the hummingbirds have been drinking up the nectar really fast! Seems like every time I look, there's another empty feeder. Here's a quick sketch of a little hummer resting in the shade of a Butterfly Bush.

The Hummers Are Coming, Oh Boy!

Our Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are on their way! Check it out! http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html They've been spotted in Mid FL to NC! WAHOO!

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

Things have slowed down a little at my hummingbird feeders the last couple of days. I'm guessing there is something with tasty nectar blooming in the surrounding woods. I could smell something similar to the fragrance of Honeysuckle when Jerry and I went out for a morning bike ride.