There're back!

In spite of the very cold temps of late, our H'birds arrived. Bet they wish they were back in sunny Central America!
It seems a few males precede the main flock which dribble in over the next few weeks.
If you feed these tiny guys, it's a good idea to put out a least one feeder now (one part table sugar/4 parts water without need for red food coloring as most feeders have enough red
on them) which ups your odds they'll stay. I generally don't start working with them for a month or so to let them settle in and begin nesting and the jury is still out on my arm. I got
the miserable splint apparatus off my arm (YES!!!) but as of now don't have enough strength or dexterity in my hand to handle lenses etc. and droppin' one isn't something I care to do!

One of our prior hummers lookin' me over. Incredibly, they can make a 4000 mile round trip flight and return to the same feeder year after year!

Ditch Patrol 2010

The shortened version of the DP 2010 got underway in early April. Am going to have to have surgery on my elbow next Wed. which will basically put me out of commission for about a month at least. Have a non MS related ulnar nerve compression at the elbow that needs fixin' so I don't lose most of my L hand function.

This beauty is Sanguinaria (commonly called "Bloodroot") that is about our earliest spring wildflower not counting the little Crocus that is
cultivated. I looked for it for years before finding a small group of this uncommon flower over in Wilderness battlefield last year. It's absolutely gorgeous
with the pristine white petals surrounding the bright yellow stamens. These belong to the Poppy family and to a group of plants called spring ephemerals
(ephemeral meaning transitory or quickly fading) in that they complete their brief life cycle in early spring before the trees set their leaves.