Hummingbirds and Lizards



As I sit at home waiting for my back to heal, I have the opportunity to sit outside and watch everything that goes on in my yard where wildlife and nature are concerned.  We have 3 hummingbird feeders, and they are continually in use by our local sonic flyers, so one day I sat literally less than 3 feet from a feeder hung from a tomato cage surrounding a potted tomato.  I've seen so many photos of people holding feeders in their hands and having hummingbirds drink from them while doing so, and I wanted to try to do the same, but instead I opted for simply being close to them.  As I sat, they came, much to my delight!  I clicked away with my digital camera, and one of my best photos is shown here. 

Hummingbirds are amazing.  Their wings make a humming noise which you can hear if you're close enough, and I can hear them around me sometimes even if I can't see them.  They are territorial and will fight for a feeder to call their own by swooping and diving in a huge arc, back and forth, back and forth, as they fend off a rival.  The females aren't as brightly colored as the males, and the species that lives in North Carolina is the Ruby Throated Hummingbird (at least, that's what I think it is).  If you're close enough, you can even see their tiny elongated tongues when they sip the sweet liquid from the feeders.  Their song, as with every species, is unique, and I can easily distinguish it from the other birds. 

As my husband was working in the yard, he moved a piece of downspout, and this lizard came running out, surprising him.  We have lots of lizards, and this one was the biggest we've seen in our yard.  It ran to our screened gazebo and is pictured here, and we estimate it to be 6 inches long.  We don't have any idea what kind of lizard it is, so if any of you do, please let me know!

Watching hummingbirds, lizards, birds, and butterflies calms my soul and soothes my spirit.  We provide a wonderful habitat for all of them, and the pleasure they provide simply by being is worth the work it takes.  These creatures live in the elements and get everything they need from their creator.  They don't worry about tomorrow, and God provides for them.  There's a lot that can be learned from hummingbirds and lizards.  I'm one of their most devoted students.