Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #93 – Morning
The theme from Ann-Christine this week for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #93 is Morning.
“Although time seems to fly, it never travels faster than one day at a time. Each day is a new opportunity to live your life to the fullest. In each waking day, you will find scores of blessing and opportunities for positive change. Do not let your today be stolen by the unchangeable past or the indefinite future! Today is new day ! Good Morning ” – Steve Maraboli
My morning routine these days is about the same as before the pandemic. On any day, I spend an hour to be with myself before getting on any business. There is a family of four hummingbirds in my garden. One of them was born in my backyard in May 2018. Apparently another baby was born this year, but I don’t know where they built the nest. The first thing in the morning when I go downstairs is checking on the hummingbirds. I have one feeder outside of the kitchen window and another one in the backyard. The hummingbirds mostly rely on the sugar water from the feeders, although they also like the nectar from the purple Sylvia flowers.
After making sure the feeders have plenty of sugar water, I then brew my coffee. My favorite coffee mug has the image of Thomas Kinkade’s painting. It holds 12 ounces. Two cups of coffee would start my day just right.
While sipping the coffee, I make my round checking the flowers in the front yard and backyard to see if any spot needs more watering. The two grapevine plants started growing. I usually train the vine before they get all tangle up.
The next thing to do before sitting down at my desk is to feed the birds. There are about twelve to fifteen mourning doves and several house finches coming to my backyard for feeding. Yesterday morning, as soon as I put the seeds on the ground, a scrub jay flew by making loud noises. There are two scrub jays pay me a visit from time to time, but they are not the regular visitors. I was glad to have my phone, so I snapped a few shots. Then a squirrel came by. He is not afraid of me. He even poses for me to take photos. Well, he just stared at me.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #93 – Morning
The Showers of Blessings 
Great Photos Miriam! Humming Birds are such beautiful little creatures!
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It’s my treat to have this little family of four live here!
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Hi Miriam, A wonderful quote by Steve Maraboli! I showed my husband your other hummingbird posts. We are both in awe of your exceptional photos. The photos in this post are stunning. It is rare to see the wings of a hummingbird in flight. Your post put a smile in my morning. Thank you!
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Thank you for reading, Erica. The hummingbirds cheer up my mornings. Even my husband started to like them and reminds me to fill the feeders! I hold the camera and supports with the other hand to keep it still and get ready to shoot. I sometimes wait in the spot for 20 minutes to get 50 shots to pick several good ones.
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You’re so fortunate to have hummers almost year round. We are waiting waiting for our first hummer siting. We put out the feeder with our famous sugar water two weeks ago (usually in NE, they come around mid to end of April). But two weeks ago the feeder was covered with 4 inches of snow! We’ve had a cold April, so not sure when they’ll show up. But the song birds have been shivering on our bird feeder – they’re busy enough that we fill it every day. I love hearing their songs. However, we have a problem with the squirrels hanging on the bird feeder (which hangs off a long long branch of a tall hearty tree) and even on our suet feeder (off of our deck). Do you have that problem?
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I don’t have a feeder for other birds except for the hummingbirds. Most of the birds in my garden are mourning doves, finches, jays. The doves are big and they come in a flock as many as 20. If I have a feeder for them, only a few can get to it at a time. I throw seeds on the ground in the yard. Other birds don’t mind eating from the ground.
I have squirrel problem. When he comes, other birds stay in a distance. Once, the mourning doves made a nest in the tree. I think the squirrel got it.
Can you hang the feeder with thin wire like stainless steel? The squirrel may not be able to climb down to the feeder. I have friends made a feeder atop a pole but squirrel can climb up.
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Nice reply, Miriam. Yes, the doves definitely prefer to eat on the ground. They love the song birds who eat on the feeder and scatter seed below, which the doves share with the squirrels. Our birdfeeder is not on a pole, but hung by a thin but strong wire! Our squirrels are quite intelligent. 🙂 They have a game of running away when my guy comes chasing after them. They laugh at him from the top of the tree. Gotta love ’em. xo
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Yes, Pam, that’s something I have this mixed emotion about squirrels. They are not afraid of me. I chased them away but I can stand there because the doves won’t come. As soon as I go away, before the doves come back, they are there eating the seeds. 🙂
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What lovely visitors to your mornings, Miriam. I love the hummingbirds that visit you. 🙂
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Thank you, Diana. The hummingbirds are the simple joy in my life. We don’t have pets. This little family has lived with us since 2016. It could have been since 2014 but I started watching them in 2016. These winter of 2018, the parents went south for 4 weeks but the baby didn’t go. One day I didn’t see the baby all day and got me worried. I prayed for him all day and was so glad to see him the next day. They winter last year was not cold so everyone was around. 😀😀
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I don’t know how you can tell them apart, Miriam. They’re too fast for me. Lol. I wonder if I have hummy families here too. The Hatfields and McCoys – they’re always feuding. 😀
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The baby born in my garden once found the feeder, he flew only 6 – 10 feet between his favorite branch and feeder. My eyes followed him. Later, dad came by to take him on rides. He always came back close to the feeder. Now the whole family play and ride in front and behind my house and perch on the top branches on the eucalyptus and pepper trees. Sometimes I Zoom in the camera to find them when I see them landed somewhere. The “baby” doesn’t go anywhere. Other three fly in the neighborhood but always come back for feeding. 😀🤗
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I’m inspired and wants to share my mornings photo, amidst this pandemic
https://acdsstudio.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/photo-inspiration-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
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A very inspirational blog you got there
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I’m jealous of your hummingbirds, great post!
Stay safe and well.
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Thank you, Ana. I’m one baby hummingbirds was born in my garden. So I keep track of them and know that this is a family of four not just a random group.
We’re far from being over the pandemic. Yes, we must be vigilant. Stay safe and well 🙏😊.
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what beautiful mornings-
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Thank you, Michele!
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Hi, Miriam! It’s lovely to read about your morning routine. I loved the pictures, too. ❤ xo
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The birds and flowers always give me a bight start. Thank you, Vashti. ❤
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Ooh. Great shots. I love hummers. Good ‘captures’, squirrel included.
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Thank you, John. Took many shots of the hummers to get a few!!
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Your third photo is exceptionally nice, clear and colorful!
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Thank you, Tatiana! Probably it was one of the few out of 50. 😀
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I can’t believe how fast those little guys beat their wings. No wonder they have to eat nonstop!
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Yes, Jacqui! I think they eat every 20 minutes. I’ve seen them suck and pee at the same time. 😀😀
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These photos of your hummingbirds are remarkable, Miriam!
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Thank you, Amy! I took them the last few days for this pay. I was standing still not to scare them.
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Thanks for sharing your morning! I especially love the photo of the hummingbird on the wing!
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Thank you, John!
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Wonderful way to begin a day, Miriam.
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Yes, it is, Rupali. Thank you!
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You got some great photographs to commemorate your morning routine! The hummingbirds around our house never seem to stay still long enough for us to grab a good photo. (Or maybe we’re just slow!)
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Thank you, Liz. I sometimes take as long as 20 minutes to take 50 photos to get a few god ones with steady hands. 🙂 🙂
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A lovely way to begin the day… ❤ Beautiful photos, Miriam! xo
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Yes, it’s pretty calm here. ❤
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Such a lovely morning routine, Miriam! Starting a new day like this must be wonderful. Love all your birds and the routines with them. Having hummingbirds in the garden is really a treat. The squirrel looks sweet – do they really go well together, he and the birds?
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The hummingbirds light up my days, Ann-Christine! The birds try to come to the seeds when the squirrel is here, but when the makes a slight move, it scares the birds. It doesn’t come regularly though.
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Wow fantastic and marvelous photographs, Miriam and so nice to see these birds come everyday in your garden. Nice to be with nature and birds and little squirrel your day goes so well and you are at peace. Thanks so much dear for this wonderful share.
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Thank you so much. I enjoy seeing the lovely birds and flowers in my garden. It’s a good way to start my day.
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Welcome Miriam and yes a nice start to the day😊😊😊
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💖😊
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🌷🌷🌷😊😊😊
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🙏💐
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♥️♥️♥️
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Fantastic images. 😊
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Thank you so much, Irene!
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If you have squirrels I’m surprised you also have birds! The little devils are rather gluttonous! Loved your hummingbirds – they are so difficult to capture!
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The birds and squirrel don’t get along, Tina. I have to chase the squirrel away but it doesn’t mind me. I scooped up the seeds and wait to make sure it’s gone before I put the seeds out again. Yes, I have a lot of time to take enough photos of the hummingbirds to get a few good ones!
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Hi Miriam. It looks like your garden is similar to mine – a mini nature reserve and a very relaxing place to be. Lovely photos.
Stay safe and well.
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I’m glad to hear you have a lovely garden, Kim. I’m sure it gives joy and peace of mind like mine does too me. I’m glad you like the photos. Yes, stay safe. 😊
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Wow… Wish I could take photos like these. 🙂
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Thank you, Kevin. I’m not professional, just point and snap. I’m glad you like them. 😊
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Wow! Such a lovely routine to begin the day. So lucky to have your own garden. Birds and squirrells are really a bundle of joy. Lovely, delightful post.
On Tue, Apr 21, 2020, 9:56 AM The Showers of Blessings wrote:
> Miriam Hurdle posted: “The theme from Ann-Christine this week for > Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #93 is Morning. “Although time seems to fly, > it never travels faster than one day at a time. Each day is a new > opportunity to live your life to the fullest. In each waking day, you w” >
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Oh Indira, so glad you liked my photos. Yes, I consider it’s a blessing to have a garden like this. It’s accumulation of 20 years of enjoyable work. It’s good to get to a point with minimal maintenance. Thank you for sharing. 🤗
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I’m a fan of hummingbirds as they are so much fun to watch. I know that they are attracted to bright colors, especially red. That must account for why most feeders are red. You don’t need sugar water with red dye. It’s more important to get the ratio of sugar water right—four parts water to one part sugar.
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Yes, Pete. I started feeding the hummingbirds in 2014. I used to buy red nectar. But very soon I got the formulas like yours and mine my own. It’s convenient to do it that way. Thank you for reading.
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Hi Pete, I posted the review of your book on Amazon and Goodreads. I scheduled a book review post on my blog next Tuesday. It was perfect timing when you wrote it because your memories were still fresh. Wonderfully done. It reminded me of many things I did.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2N4JDJSUP15DU/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3301455432
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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #93 – Morning.
Visitors on wings
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