Something old... Monarda 'Jacob Cline'... still the top draw in our garden this time of the year.


Something new... Salvia 'Mesa Purple'... has bloomed profusely since purchase and the hummers hit every bloom when they visit. The bloom color is very nice, too


Something old... Salvia coccinea 'Lady In Red'... the one plant no hummingbird garden should be without. There are volunteer seedlings coming up... everywhere... from last year.


Something new... Agastache aurantiaca 'Coronado'... has quickly moved into the "Top 5 Most Visited Blooms" on our deck. Vibrant orange/red colors... very nice


Bud
Southwest Ohio
USDA Plant Zone 6a

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Pentax DA*300 f/4, Sigma 180 f/3.5 Macro
There's 1 or 2 more hummingbird / butterfly pics located here...
http://www.pbase.com/budohio

What nice shots there Bud.
I remember when I had hummers that couldn't stay away from Monarda and Lady in Red and Coral Nymph and Black and Blue. I could rip every plant out and probably take down the feeders right now and they would never be missed

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Gorgeous pictures, clear as a bell! That's a nice looking Agastache; mine just croaked...

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

All right Bud, GIVE! Do you own a camoflauge outfit or tent to hide in to get such up close and personal pics? Everytime I bring the camera outdoors, the hummers flee. Come on fess up, you were actually a topic of discussion with a hummer friend today about this very subject. Inquiring minds NEED to know!

Pam NJ 6B

Bud - Those pictures are just beautiful as usual! And the flowers too...I don't have that particular agastache - its very nice. My Rupestris is not yet in bloom and Tutti fruitti did not come back this year. I have Agastache Heather queen that is in bloom -I don't like its sprawling growth though - it takes up too much room. Will have to see if hummers like it.

That Mesa purple is gorgeous - one I would love to try next year. Jacob Cline is now in bloom and has always been a top hit here also - but no hummers yet.

Carol
Milford, CT
Zone 6

Bud:

Super pictures as always--beautiful portraits of hummers surrounded by the beautiful flowers they feed from. I never fail to be impressed by your shots. Thanks!

Donald

Zone 4 Red Wing MN

Bud,

I am the inquiring friend that Pam is referring to. I sit behind a window, have the blinds down and the window open just a crack. As soon as the lens is spotted, the hummers just take off.

Suchie

Penny - thanks and keep the faith. Better weather... and a batch of immatures are headed your way... soon

Joan - Thank you! Found the agastache at a local nursery. Great color and very upright. I'm hoping that it surivives the winter.

Pam and Suchie - Thanks, ladies! Well, let's see... no camouflage or blinds used here. I find that patience is probably the number one key factor, and the 300mm lens helps, along with high megapixel count images that can be cropped. This time of the year when the immature birds are congregating, it's much easier because they haven't developed much fear yet and they're very accustomed to my presence... the adults, not so much. I do have a window located near a few container plants and when I see a hummer in the area, I postion myself for a shot. There are a few birds here now that I recognize and can predict fairly well where they'll go next. I always move slowly out in the garden, wear earth-tone colors...green, tan, etc. I also try to move closer when there's no direct line of sight between me and the hummer, i.e. it's on the backside of a bloom. Yes, I am a stalker...

Carol - Thanks! I really like the Mesa Purple... it has earned a spot in next year's garden. We have a purple agastache...can't remember the name. Great looking blooms, but it seems to be growing horizontal. The Agastache aurantiaca 'Coronado' is a keeper!

Donald - thanks, I appreciate your comments!

Bud
Southwest Ohio
USDA Plant Zone 6a

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Pentax DA*300 f/4, Sigma 180 f/3.5 Macro
There's 1 or 2 more hummingbird / butterfly pics located here...
http://www.pbase.com/budohio

Bud,

Thanks for giving us a few tips on "Stalking for pictures" 101. But you DO get alot of adult pics too so I'm sure its alot of your techinique also.

Your Purple Mesa look great. I also have this plant this year. I had one in a large 20 inch pot and a red one in a 14 incher. Both bloomed great but than they started to get very weird stem patterns, ie off centered, heavier stems on one side of the plant, bare on the other. Was this your experience with the Mesa's? I had to chop one way back and let it regrow and bloom again because it just got so awkward (ugly) looking although it did continue to bloom like crazy and the hummers always loved it. "I" would like it to look a bit less unsymetrical. I love plants that fall this way and that naturally, but this salvia looks strange as it grows. The proprietor of the shop I bought it from also agreed with me. Now don't get me wrong, it did its job in early spring when non of my salvia from seed or purchased were in bloom yet, but I'm moving it to a less prominent location (off the deck). Unless there is a REVOULT, than the hummers will have their way.

Pam NJ 6B

Bud,

Thanks for the pointers regarding taking pictures. I do have a 300mm lens and have attached a photo of a male on the Mesa Purple. It has not been edited in any way. I am planning on playing around with it later. Now that I have figured out that the direct link works only after you post and not in edit mode, I am going to post some more.

Suchie

Nice job, Suchie! You look like a pro!

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Thanks Joan, it was very generous of you to make that comment.

Suchie

Suchie,

In Photobucket I use the "HTML Code" for posting my pics and YOU CAN see the pics in "EDIT". If you want to post several pics, You check the box of each pic you want and than press the botton on the bottom of the page entitled "Generate HTML & IMG code. Than you can chose

"HTML images for Ebay, Livejournal, MySpace, etc." for posting your pics or if you want to do clickable thumbnails "HTML clickable thumbnails for Ebay, Livejournal, MySpace, etc. - recommended".

I meant to show you this the other day, but I was too tired and hungry to get started on photobucket. Hope this help and BTW your pic is great. Like I said, DH has a 300mm also that I use, but I just leave it on "AUTO" cause I don't know much about the camera and really have no desire to learn, ecspecially when they fly away when I bring that bad boy outdoors!


Pam NJ 6B

Suchie, you're very welcome! It's a good clear shot.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Pam,

Thanks for the pointers regarding posting pictures. Even the sound of my lens spooks them. I have started running a loud fan while trying to take pictures. I think it helps by drowning out the sound of the lens.

Joan,

Thanks.

Suchie

Pam - No issues so far with the growth habits of Mesa Purple, although if it did start to off-center and multi-directionally.... it would fit right in with my kamikaze-style of gardening. I can relate to things that are a little "left of center"...

Suchie - awesome shot!



Bud
Southwest Ohio
USDA Plant Zone 6a

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Pentax DA*300 f/4, Sigma 180 f/3.5 Macro
There's 1 or 2 more hummingbird / butterfly pics located here...
http://www.pbase.com/budohio