Our first Hummingbird!

It's been rainy and gloomy outside and things have been quite dreary as far as my finding full-time employment is concerned, but on the positive, I finally got my Nikon D80 working again just in time to capture the first hummingbird at our feeder!John's parents got this feeder for me as a graduation gift. Last week I was looking through my Birds of Texas book to try and get an idea of when hummingbirds would be making it through the area. I wasn't expecting them for a little while longer, especially with the weather as cruddy as its been. Still, last week we prepared some nectar (1 part sugar, 4 parts water, boiled) and put the feeder right outside the front windows.

On Thursday, right around 5:45pm, John startled me by exclaiming, "There's a hummingbird out there!" I jumped up to look out and see and of course, I missed it. But constant vigilance for about half an hour paid off. It kept fluttering to the feeder, moving back and forth between the feeder and some purple flowers I had planted in the front to attract butterflies. (Now I know to keep planting more of them!) I stood at the window waiting and snapping photos, waiting and snapping photos. I wish it hadn't been so dark and dull outside! I can't wait to catch it on a sunny day and get some excellent photos! But for now, these will have to do.
Ruby-throated hummingbird