Honeysuckle and hummingbirds in the food forest
The food forest is buzzing with LIFE right now!!!!
In particular, the hummingbirds are flying over us as high speeds as they swoop and chase each other over the fruit trees! We've watched these hummingbirds in our urban food forest since we first planted it about 10 years ago. We immediately noticed they LOVED they honeysuckle vines we had growing on most of our cinder block walls. We find them enjoying and feeding on the flowers all day long.
The BEST PART...if you scroll....to the end of these photos....is that they have nested in the SAME NEST....on our back porch for 10 years also. Coming back every year...to use the nest for another generation of hummingbirds. We have a few different varieties of honeysuckle growing. Each flower.....is absolutely beautiful...and the scent just heavenly!!! It's time to gather some flowers..and infuse them into some oil...for lotions and face creams.
Enjoy the photo tour below. We took these about an hour ago.
Below is the view from our back porch. This is the porch the nest is on. Young hummingbirds don't have far to fly....to find nectar.
This is the Halls Honeysuckle
These flowers are catching afternoon light. Perfect shape for these hummingbirds to reach in and get some nectar. The colors and scent... in the family of plants...just BLOW MY MIND!
Pollen dropping...
Above...you can see honeysuckle surrounded by fruit trees and other goodies. Figs....mulberry and some grape vines creeping along the base.
Below you can see the nest on top of wind chimes on our back porch. It's amazing to me they chose this spot...and keep coming back EVERY YEAR to use the same nest. On top of vibrating wind chimes too!!! :) We do our best to make sure the nest isn't disturbed and that the honeysuckle is tended to.
The image below was taken about an hour ago. I waited until the mother flew out to go feed and took a quick shot!!! One egg this year. Some years there are two.
The view from the nest....over looking the honeysuckle below.
Here's an image of last year's hummingbirds...from the same nest. There were two...and they both flew straight down to the honeysuckle. We watched them take first flight and prayed they would come back one day to have some eggs of their own. Perhaps...one of them is the one now....who has her egg on this very nest. It's so much fun to wonder...and PURE JOY....to watch them and be with them in our food forest!!!
IF....you're looking to attract hummingbirds into your garden...and into your life...we TESTIFY...planting honeysuckle works!!!!!!!
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Thanks for viewing this post fellow Steemians!!! We appreciate ALL OF YOU!!! If you would like to take a FULL VIDEO and PHOTO TOUR of our food forest...you can right here on our recent steemit post: ENJOY!
https://steemit.com/gardening/@rawutah/pure-joy-at-sunset-with-our-son-in-the-food-forest-vlog-7
Now that's, beyond doubt, @purejoytown!!! I love seeing the old photo of the babies that are now perhaps mommies. 😊
sooooo purejoytown spt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! me too it's so amazing to think they might be the mommies returning!
OMG the baby birds!!! what a sweet sweet relationship here! I LOVE all of the honeysuckle... i bet that smells so divine... and i just absolutely love the interspecies connections unfolding. <3 <3~
interspecies connections unfolding!!!!!!!!!!!! yes!!!!!! i love that!!!!!! we love ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this time of year, nothing better then humming birds and blooming honeysuckles. Hoping mine comes back this year it hasn't been itself the last couple years. https://steemit.com/permaculture/@mobios/get-shut-in-the-cold
thanks for stopping by and leaving such a kind comment. i love this time of year too! following you now. i hear ya on the honeysuckles not being themselves. mine did the same..and i hacked them all the way back. they re grew with vigor...and i much happier now.