Spent Some time with this hummingbird

Coralie aka Mrsroadrunner | Spent Some time with this hummingbird

Thought I would spend a little time with this hummingbird on this day.

Showing up with his/her click click lets me know this one or the others are around. Typically in the apple tree and coming out during the day. Fortunately for me, they all get hungry about the time I am outside doing my chores then doing my photography!

I personally think this is a young hummingbird of the rufous species.... possibly a adult female... however just the way it behaves I really think it is a juvenile??

This species is rather aggressive and new I was there. These hummers appear to think my camera is perhaps one of them?? Hovering in front of me as if checking me out as if making sure I am not going to be stealing anything from their territory? At times hovering in front of me so close that a photograph was imposable to get with the lens I have on my camera for these shots.

Well lets get on with the photographs shall we??

What I did was, I stood in one spot for 45 minutes to a hour and just waited. At times finding things to photograph just so my camera would make the click click noise! That is all it took as I stood near our patch of zinnia flowers! Yes I have a tripod, the question is, do I use my tripod? The answer is no. Not my style, and frankly this lens just is not big enough to need it on a tripod. It extends a foot, 12"?

The shot above he took notice of where the noise of my camera was coming from. There was oh three sessions with this little one. In the middle of the sessions the hummingbird would go and rest. Which of course would give me a chance to rest.

The photo above just makes me laugh when I look at it! Birds are not stupid, and it just appears to me as I was working on getting these photographs, that this little one was trying to play peekaboo with me. The clicking of my camera stopped when the hummingbird was low on those flowers, however when feeding on the top zinnia flowers the clicking of my camera commenced!

I personally like the hummer on the red zinnias, the color is darker and makes the color of the hummer POP. However this is just my opinion. Our worst critiques after all is ourselves!

What I like about this shot above is, this hummingbird is flying backwards. I am a avid bird watcher. With this said, never had I seen another species of bird do this, nor have I photographed any other bird doing this! At the time of going backwards, this hummingbird is also "talking".

Ok, I am trying not to bombard you with to many photographs. I will show two more and if you want to see all of the photographs they are in my birds,seed and insect eaters album.

This shot this hummingbird was happily talking.

This shot was just colorful! We have had a pretty good patch of zinnias in this spot this year which surprised us since we had someones pets here destroying parts of the garden. Anyone can clearly see the damage done by these pests called pets. We do not condone folks allowing their pets to destroy other people property. To bad others do not feel this way.

Thank you for coming by my yard, seeing my photography!

Thread Wasted (waisted) Wasp

Coralie aka Mrsroadrunner | Thread Wasted Wasp

Thread Waisted Wasp

This little guy showed up here at the house. Well, females have more color then the males and I did not see another one thus it is hard to say if this is a male or female. Pretty colorful and if we just went on that I would say female?

Busy with the work that needed to be done. I have not seen this particular species here at the house before. Typically only seen them in the many canyons we have here in our part of the high desert. Though we have several canyons near by and can only assume this one came from one of them? Or heck, perhaps we now have these on the property raising young? Never felt threatened by this species so, let it be.

You can see this one was feeding on many of our flowers,going here and there. Playing with wasps is fine, I just keep in mind they can sting.... if they are going to or not is another story. I have photographed bumble bee's who acted more aggressive then this species.

I watched as this one got irritated with all the pollen and wiped the pollen from its facial area. I am sure this wasp new I was there watching it, but did not seam to mind or care?

The yellow in this marigold flower brings out the color of this thread waisted wasp.

Wasps are wasps. These are considered solitary wasps, however for being solitary I have a photographs around here of several of them together at the canyon. I will find that photograph to show you.

This photograph was actually my first experience "playing", with this wasp. Guy is my other half for you who are new to my posts. He maps out where we are going to go and has kept me from doing some pretty stupid things!! Needless to say Guy was not impressed with whom I chose to "play", with on this hike to the canyon rim when I got this shot.

Back to another one of our flowers this one went! Lets be honest, most people kill such things when they see them. I got a pretty simple rule here at the house, you dont hurt me and I wont hurt you. You hurt me and I will destroy you, your colony, your children your childrens children haha. Half way joking here but.... I do remember the stings from doing nothing more then walking into the garden from the other stinging "guests", we have here. This is unacceptable behavior in my eyes from these creatures we welcome into our garden.

This is a mud dauber flying off. This is also a thread waisted wasp. The species has several wasps within it. These mud daubers have never acted aggressive with me either, thus the photographs. I see them at the base of one of our ponds, they do not seam to like the other little pond we have for some reason?

Now this is this thread waisted wasp flying off.

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs of the thread waisted wasp. My conclusion from observing and photographing this species is, they are a pretty docile wasp....

Metolius Oregon Community Garden

Coralie aka Mrsroadrunner | Metolius Oregon Community Garden

Community Garden (Clicking on photo will enlarge it) Metolius Friends Community Garden Here in Metolius Oregon we have something special going on, a community garden! Everyone is welcomed to this community garden which was started a few years ago to help the community fight the hunger issues that have plagued the community in these hard economical times. I personally like to go over and just see how things are growing and changing. Every time one either grows their own garden or visits someone else's garden no two times is ever the same! Nature has a way of making sure of this. Of course being a photographer I speak mainly through photographs so , lets get on with the photography! I like the looks of these just because! Have some corn! I have a tendency to eat these right off the vine here in my own garden! These are good in stir fries. I am a huge fan of Zucchini! Add them in veggie dinners,fried,salads ,breads yummie! Rhubarb for those who like it. We even have one in our garden! Smell great! Tasty! Please contact if you plan to take these flowers for your soups,salads etc. Some folks do not know these are used in your recipe. If you would like the Catnip you need to say something. In our area Catnip as well as other species of the mint family grow VERY well. Thus, such plants as this Catnip are plucked and thrown out as a weed. Mind you, this Catnip is at or coming very near its mature age,meaning the seeds will produce more and more plants. Bottom line is, there is time to say something if you want such a plant. Caution if wanting to grow this on your property! The Metolius Friends Community Garden can be found on the Metolius Friends Community Church grounds at 575 Hood Ave Metolius Oregon 97741. Contact Information; Senior Pastor Ron Mulkey at ronmulkey@gmail.com Or Deb Mulkey at 541-546-6109 if you would like to email Deb   ronmulkey@gmail.com If you are concerned about organically grown produce please contact the above names. This organic gardener does not know if the community garden is grown organically or not? Photography and this article by Coralie mrsroadrunner.com Contact mrsroadrunner@mrsroadrunner.com Misc Photographs from the Community Garden

The Tale Of The Bread Thief

Coralie aka Mrsroadrunner | The Tale Of The Bread Thief

As I was sitting in my spot watching the birds,butterflies,bees just enjoying the nice weather we have here in the high desert of Oregon I looked over to one of our ponds and seen the swimming young frogs wanting their piece of bread.

Well, I can not just feed them one day and not the other right? I admit I am against feeding the bigger wildlife, however these smaller wildlife do not have much of a life span and are not typically hunted.

So I headed in and got them their bread breaking it up into chucks to get water logged which is the only way they can consume such a thing. Went on with the other thing I found to do, which was photographing a spotted new species of frog who showed up.

Not to stress out my little visitor I left the spotted frog to go back to my chair. Folks I am sure understand that photographing wildlife can be a thankless thing with a lot of waiting around, and waiting and waiting!

As I wait, I observe the activity around me. There is so much activity! I looked over to see how the swimming young frogs were doing with their bread. Geesh, quite a bit of it was gone!! They never ate their bread this fast before! Something was up!! So I give a dirty look at the dogs, thinking one of them got into the pond and ate the little pieces of bread even though the dogs have never did this before!?

So I wait.

Soon a pair of Brewer's Blackbirds showed up!

As a bird as smart as these blackbirds are, this Brewer's Blackbird being no different, the female walked out into the pond grabbed a piece of bread from the swimming frogs and devoured it. Oh you little stinker!!

That was not the end of the show! Oh no end of the show yet!

The male Brewer's Blackbird jumped onto a rock we have in this pond for the birds. He grabs a large piece of the bread and eats it right in front of his female! The female was not impressed! She ran in grabbed a small piece of the bread and flew near the other pond!

The male was hot on her tail with his remaining piece of bread in his beak!

I swear you could actually see the wheels turning in the females brain!! How do I get that bread from him?? She walks over to the edge of the water of this other pond. Walks in the water and pretends to eat something?

Well, this was just to much for the male to bare, not knowing what she was eating and all. So watching her, he moves towards her. Mind you he still has a good junk of bread left himself, but greed is getting the best of him!

He moves closer to her to see what she is eating.... she sees her opratunity and takes it! She flies to his bread, grabs it in her beak and off she flies! Whipping those wings near me, with the male hot on her tail and screaming at her!!

I just laughed!!

This is the tale of the bread thief. Hope you enjoyed it I sure did as it was happening haha!