Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Steve’s Bird Of The Day #58.
Hi everyone and here we are with today’s bird, the tiny “ruby-throated hummingbird”. We will have two posts with this bird, the male today, pictured above at my hummingbird feeder and the female tomorrow. The male and female spend very little time together so doing 2 posts seemed a good idea. This species of hummingbird is the only one that breeds in the eastern half of Canada and the US. Here in Canada it breeds much further west though than in the US going right to the Rocky Mountains. They winter in central America and return to Canada usually in May, in our area around mid May. Males return first and pick out a territory and they always return to the same place each year. They are amazing tiny birds about 3 to 3 3/4 inches (7.5 to 9cm) from the tip of it’s bill to it’s tail. The males throat patch can appear ruby red, orange or jet black depending on the light. They beat their wings about 55 to 75 times per second and can fly at top speed and suddenly stop then change direction in mid air. They can fly forwards, backwards, sideways, up and down and upside down. They don’t flap their wings up and down like other birds, but in a figure eight design, this helps give them uplift on both the down and up stroke of the wings. I have tried to capture this and show my efforts for both the male and female. It isn’t an easy thing to do! Once the pair have mated the male takes off on his own and doesn’t help with nest building or looking after the young.
Back tomorrow with more on this amazing bird. Have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Art In Nature #15.
Hello again everyone! Still a very cool day here, but these pics today will help us think of warmer days from last summer. And those warm summer days will come back again soon, I hope. There is so much out there in nature that we can look at that really is very much art. Today we will once again look at some wild berries that certainly showcase a wonderful artistic view. But some are also dangerous in their beauty however, so it’s necessary to know which is which so you don’t end up with something you don’t want.
This first one in the photo above is the bunchberry. We will be looking at the curious flowers once I begin my wildflower series. These berries are ripe when red and are edible but rather dry with a large seed or two. However, they can be added to your homemade jams and jellies for added color, plus they are loaded with pectin which is helpful for adding to fruits that don’t have much natural pectin. But they make a nice picture by themselves too, bright red berries surrounded by those green leaves.
In the pic above is a beautiful looking blue berry, but not to be confused with real blueberries, they are called clintonia. These are a nice art picture, but, they are very poisonous, just a few would make you very sick indeed. Actually the whole plant, leaves and flowers too are very poisonous, so a good one to stay away from, except for a nice picture.
In the photo above we have wild lily-of-the-valley berries. These are ripe when red and are edible, but once again rather dry but a good source of vitamins. They can be eaten raw or dried while green and boiled at a later time to soften and add to other food.
Then in the photo above are white baneberries. These are sometimes called doll’s eyes, I think I showed them last year. These are very poisonous, 4 or 5 can make you seriously ill, more can kill. But they make an interesting addition to a photo collection of art in nature. I hope you have enjoyed our walk through nature today enjoying the beauty of natural art. Have a wonderful day and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 