Da birds. . .

OK, this isn't one of our pictures. Lucy can take a good picture of the hummingbirds, while I flail hopelessly with the autofocus and all the other bells and whistles on the camera, but will never able to take a picture like this.

We have a fair amount of the hummers here at Tree Houses. Right now, though, is the "tween" season for the birds, as the ones that hang out here are likely headed north and the ones that are down in South America are headed up this way for the spring and summer. We have a low number currently, perhaps around 12 to 15 on a regular basis, though that will change in a month or so. Currently, we have two feeders up for the hummingbirds (just sugar and water, nothing else is necessary) and we only fill up the feeders (which hold about 40-some ounces) once or twice a day. When it's high season, we're filling up the two feeders (and we add a third) four to five times a day, as the little buggers really suck up the juice.

Last week, there was a lad from the UK, and he was wearing a pinkish/salmon shirt with buttons. While he was standing by his table waiting for breakfast, a hummingbird came darting down and poked its beak into his button hole. To his credit, the lad didn't swat it away or run screaming (as some adults have) to the other end of the breakfast area, but hung out and got a close-up view of the critter.