Strange new problem....

I've had squirrels on my bird feeders before but not like this...

[sorry for the picture quality - cell phone photo through a window screen]

This Eastern Grey Squirrel kept shaking the hummingbird feeder to get some of the sugar water to splash out and then licked the feeder. I'm sure she was getting a sugar high. I hope she doesn't become addicted. I don't think I want to fill the feeder up daily just in order to give this squirrel diabetes!

Late Hummingbird

My gardens have been blessed by a late hummingbird.  It's past the season when hummingbirds are easily found here in New England.  Many of these late season hummingbirds turn out to be unusual species.  I think this one is a "common" Ruby-throated hummingbird.  One great plant to attract these late hummingbird is Pineapple Sage.  The other plants she's been feeding on include several Agastache species, Salvia nemerosa and possibly Russian Sage.  Only the Pineapple Sage is in peak bloom but she doesn't seem to mind that the other plants are past their peak.

The pictures were taken through the window so they're a big hazy.

When photographing birds I always worry about Bird Flew.

Odd colored hummingbird

I took these pictures of this odd colored hummingbird in my backyard this afternoon.  I'm mostly sure it's "just" a Ruby-throated hummingbird (the species we normally get up here and the only one I've seen in my yard) but the golden sheen to the back caught my attention.