Welcome, visitors!
This hummingbird seemed to flirt with me yesterday. I saw him (or her) buzzing all around the gardens yesterday, front yard and back, but every time I lifted my camera he rocketed up into the trees. Lurking in the doorway, I finally shot a few pics of him through the glass storm door as he dined on Salvia greggii nectar across the garden.
I’m still playing around with my camera settings, and I took the rest of my photos in sports mode, with a faster shutter speed. The unfortunate trade-off for speed was a loss of clarity, so these two are grainy.
The other welcome visitor yesterday was our first cold front. It blew in before dawn, dropping 2 1/2 inches of rain in my garden and dropping temperatures into the low 70s by noon. Whooo-hooo! It’s normally around 91 degrees at this time of year, so this felt like a gift. I’m marveling that it’s cool enough right now for me to have the windows open.
The racket of someone’s leaf blower fills the air, unfortunately.
In just a couple of days, the Austin City Limits Music Festival will bring thousands of visitors to our town, along with 126 musicians/bands, including Bob Dylan, the Killers, My Morning Jacket, Spoon, Lucinda Williams, Indigo Girls, and Crowded House. Do I have tickets? No, I’m sorry to say. Various excuses like having a young family and no babysitters and not liking to stand in sweaty crowds in 100-degree heat seem lame now that beautiful weather has swept into town and I’ve seen the line-up. Ah well. If anyone reading this goes to the festival, be sure to leave a comment telling me all about it. And if you’re from out of town for the festival, welcome to Austin!
Sweet Autumn clematis adds its sweet fragrance to the garden.
Hi! New reader here. Just wanted to say that your blog photography is lovely overall, and your Mouse & Trowel awards are well deserved. But wow–these hummingbird photos are really exceptional, especially the middle one. I hope your little friend sticks around so you have more photo-ops.
Thanks, Nan! I really appreciate your comment, and I’m glad to know that you enjoy reading Digging. And I’m with you—I hope that hummer sticks around for more photos. I want to try to get closer next time! —Pam
Ooh, I’ve had no luck with my sweet autumn clemetis. I planted it against a fence in part sun, and it’s done absolutely nothing since I put it in the ground in March. Where is yours planted? Do you fertilize it? I have great memories of this clemetis from my years at the University of Wisconsin, where there was a fence smothered in blooms every fall, and it smelled amazing. 🙂
Boy, am I the wrong person to ask! I planted mine a few years ago in a mostly sunny spot, and it did really well for a few months. But then it crisped up and looked really ratty, and I concluded that it couldn’t take Austin’s hot summers. So I cut it down and pulled it up and planted a butterfly vine there instead. I didn’t get all the clematis out though, and it’s been trying to come back ever since. This summer I let it, and it’s doing great. We have had an unusually wet summer, so maybe that did the trick. It is lovely. Good luck with yours. —Pam
I saw a hummingbird around the Turk’s cap most of last week. I don’t usually see them so I was pretty thrilled. They’re too fast for me or my camera. I really admire your shots. What is it time for ACL already! Grumble. Grumble. I guess there will be no getting in and out of my neighborhood this weekend.
I really love the sweet autumn clematis. Is it hard to grow here in Austin? How does it like our summers when they’re more typical. Yesterday’s weather was just fantastic. I’m still not tired of the rain. And the temperature! It was only 71 at 11:15 when I was zooming up 183 to meet a special someone for lunch and a visit to a nursery. I certainly was doing my autumn dance of joy.
It was hard for me to grow (see comment above yours). But I’ve seen it here and there around town. Maybe we’ll hear from another Austinite who has no trouble with it and can tell us what it loves. Here’s to more Autumn dances of joy! —Pam
We get hummingbirds every day, but I can’t photograph them so it’s great to see your photographs, Pam. Ours are on the Turks cap and coral honeysuckle, but once the pineapple sage gets going that’s a favorite.
Sweet Autumn clematis grew so easily in IL but I’ve never tried it here. Yours is lovely.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
For other hummingbird lovers out there, my resident hummer loves vitex, Salvia leucantha , Salvia greggii , cigar plant (cuphea), Turk’s cap, Salvia guaranitica , coral honeysuckle, flameleaf acanthus, and Tecoma stans. A varied diet! Maybe one day I’ll try pineapple sage. —Pam
Great hummingbird shots! And, we had the same weather yesterday! Who knew! Love the sweet autumn clematis!
How nice to share the weather with you, Layanee. 🙂 —Pam
What wonderful shots, Pam! And if I were living down there, I’d probably have the exact same excuses for not going to the festival… in spite of the huge draw that lineup would be for me. 🙂 Maybe we’re just getting old?
Oh, stab me through the heart! I am turning 40 next month. 😉 —Pam
I enjoyed the pictures of the hummingbird. I have a pair that hang around my home, but have been unsuccessful in getting their pictures. Gardening can be really hard work, but it’s moments like that, when you reap such sweet rewards from nature.
Rose
http://gardeningforhealth.blogspot.com
Trying to take a hummingbird’s picture can be hard work too. 😉 But they’re a delight to watch. You are right—sweet rewards! Thanks for commenting, Rose. —Pam
Crowded House? How good is it that those guys have gotten back together!!
BTW – the hummingbird photos are incredible. I often try to take photos of some of the birds in my garden but the same thing happens. As soon as the camera is uncovered they dart for safety and places where a good shot could never be secured. Doh!
Glad you enjoyed them, Stuart. My back yard was alive with birds this morning—no hummers, but cardinals, wrens, mockingbirds, doves—but all my pics were duds. Birds don’t often want to pose, do they? —Pam
Thank you for the most beautiful photos, I’ve been enjoying your blog for just a short time but I can’t wait to sit down in the evening and just enjoy You’ve inspired me as my garden prepares for a long winter here in minnesota I’ll keep enjoying yours Thank you
Welcome to Digging, Karen. I appreciate your kind comment and hope you’ll drop in frequently through the winter and beyond. —Pam