Last week I was sitting on the deck in early evening. I heard a hummingbird chirping in the beech tree.

There she was, sitting on a branch in between beautifully lit pinkish leaves. She was backlit too.

It seemed as if she had just finished dinner and was sitting, fat and content, in the evening sun.

She spent a lot of time itching her head…

…and staring around, up and down and over there.

She fluffed her feathers and left them wide open in the warming sun.

Her tongue came and went. I wasn’t sure if she was catching insects…

…or just practicing tongue aerobics.

She peed four times while she was there. I guess that sugar water goes right through a girl.

And after perhaps 20 minutes of sitting and enjoying the evening light she took off.

I enjoyed watching her, and took over 300 images. She’s still flitting around the feeder but I expect she’ll be gone soon. I hope I get to visit with her once more before she goes.
September 13, 2026 at 3:54 pm
What a sweet interlude, Dawn. Thanks for sharing her special visit with us. 😍
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September 13, 2026 at 3:55 pm
Love love your photos. You’ve actually captured the flick of the tongue and the pee – amazing! I’ve been very lax about filling the hummingbird feeder this summer, but finally got to it yesterday. Just waiting for the hummers to find it again – we have some that stay all winter – they might be Anna’s, I’m not sure. It’s hard to get a really close view of them.
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September 13, 2026 at 3:58 pm
I love when hummers perch and preen (and pee, LOL)! Excellent photo essay of their charming ways!
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