Busy backyard

[Wandering Man]

Between the bees and the humming birds, things are really busy in our backyard.

It's 5:30, and that outdoor thermometer reads 100.

[G3farms]

Says we have to sign in to view the video

[Wandering Man]

Try it now. I had to go to my desktop to unlock it.

[Perry]

Nice video of the birds and the bees, and not rated R. 

[Green bee]

My wife and I sit and watch the humming birds. They are very aggressive toward each other. Back in the spring I watched one pecking at a spider web. I couldn't figure out what it was doing, so I looked it up and found out they use spider webs to build there nest. And sometimes become tangled and die in the web. They are very funny to watch.

[Jen]

Wman, what a pleasant back yard! And look how you are helping the pollinators    Now all's you need is a bat house (don't tell riverbee I said that 

[riverbee]

awesome video! thank you!........

i love hummers, we usually have about 10 feeders up, the hummers are incredible, can't hardly walk into the house from the back porch, gotta duck around the hummers flying around. sitting on the porch late in the day is pretty awesome, so many hummers, can't even count them! 

bees and hummers?  yes.......awesome!!!

bat house?...........yeah we have one of those......our whole house..........
lol, don't get me started.....

[lazy shooter]

You have to love the hummers, and they are very aggressive little creatures.  It is a beautiful back yard and looks to be part of a larger parcel of land. 

But everything is not bliss in Victoria.  Their very mild winters mean that snakes hibernate very little, if any.  That translates into large, South Texas Rattlers.  I wouldn't be surprised that Wman doesn't have a five to six foot diamond back in his back yard from time to time.   That's OK too, as they come with the territory, and rattlers are not aggressive.

Thanks for sharing the great video.  We have a few hummers but nothing like seen in your video.

lazy

[Wandering Man]

Lazy,

I've not seen a rattlesnake back there yet. I've killed two water moccasins/cotton mouths,however. And from counting snake skins, I know there is at least one more calling our yard "home".

I wouldn't have killed them, but I've got two dachsunds who would have got themselves in trouble if the had spotted the snakes first.

We have a nimbler of snake eating birds that hang around the house, too. They help with some of the lesser snakes.

We are fortunate in that our back yard buts up against somebody else's small ranch. They only mow twice a year, and there are lots of wildflowers, so we have plenty of forage for the bees.

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for sharing!  Your yard is alive.  I noticed you have some brush piles back by the hives.  There's wildlife in there too!  I have seen plenty of sterile yards.  There's nothing there to invite critters in.  Easy to take care of, but sure eliminates food and habitat for God's little creatures.  I like to see some life in my yard.

[Wandering Man]

Thanks for sharing!  Your yard is alive.  I noticed you have some brush piles back by the hives.  There's wildlife in there too!  I have seen plenty of sterile yards.  There's nothing there to invite critters in.  Easy to take care of, but sure eliminates food and habitat for God's little creatures.  I like to see some life in my yard.

Those are tree branches waiting for me chip.

I drag my chipper to the far side of the yard.  My bees have always been tolerant of lawn mowers and weed eaters.  I don't want to push my luck running the chipper next to them.

I'll use the chipped wood for compost and mulch in our vegetable and flower gardens.

It is past time for me to trim more branches, once I'm finished, that pile of brush should be gone.

I found this little guy looking for his mamma last year:

[Les]

Thanks for sharing WM. I could settle in with an iced tea and watch the comings and goings of the bees and the hummers. What type of hummers are they?  Our Ruby Throats are so territorial, it is rare to see more than one at a time at the feeder. By the time we get home, I am sure ours will have headed south.

RB I agree, sterile yards discourage wildlife.  I have a big brush pile, roosting boxes, several bird baths and even just some plain old dirt for the birds to take their dust baths in.  We are putting up bat boxes next year too. 

[Wandering Man]

Thanks for sharing WM. I could settle in with an iced tea and watch the comings and goings of the bees and the hummers. What type of hummers are they?  Our Ruby Throats are so territorial, it is rare to see more than one at a time at the feeder. By the time we get home, I am sure ours will have headed south.

RB I agree, sterile yards discourage wildlife.  I have a big brush pile, roosting boxes, several bird baths and even just some plain old dirt for the birds to take their dust baths in.  We are putting up bat boxes next year too.

Right now, it's the Ruby throats that are making their way through.  We've had some less flashy ones almost all year round.  Yes, they are territorial.  I was surprised yesterday to see four sitting on one feeder.  Then there is the feeder without a perch.  A solitary bird sits on the top and keeps everyone else away.