An Evening w/ Hummers and Bluebirds - 22 Jun 2026

I picked up a new weed wacker (Husqvarna 130L) and took out the glossy buckthorn out back and next door at Bonnie's. I then decided to dig up the dirt strip under the feeders and apply 16 bags of mulch (finished today). 

To celebrate completing all of the yard chores I grabbed the Sony 600/4 and sat on the deck this evening with the hopes of photographing* the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (male and female) that have been visiting the feeder (changed every other day for the past month).

I took a side track when the Eastern Bluebirds started appearing at the nest box across the Quinlan Prairie. They appeared to have abandoned the bluebird box during mid-May, but reappeared after the first of June and are actively nesting and raising young. How many? I don't know; I don't want to disturb the nesting parents.

They then appeared again next door at Bonnie's. The male loves to perch right over the jelly feeder and I've been griping to Bonnie that the "Damn bluebird keeps pooping in the jelly!" Tonight both the male and female visited her feeding station

and the female even visited my shepherd's hook. She was holding a bug w/ red wings and I was worried that we have Spotted Lantern Fly. But reviewing photos revealed that she caught a wasp w/ a red shield on the head. 

While waiting for hummingbirds I took the opportunity to get some photos of Luka while she lazed on the deck.

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird finally made a visit to the feeder and gave me gorgeous profile pics both while perching on the shepherd's hook and on the feeder, and even on the wing!

* - Auto-ISO (100-64,000) and 1/4000 sec shutter speeds helped capture the hummer in flight. 30 fps and pre-capture also helped!