A Rest and a Fill-up

I went back to the Dahlia gardens this morning because it was cloudy, perfect for flowers, so I spent a fair amount of time using my macro lens and Lensbabys. The flowers are quite exquisite.  As nice as that was, I couldn't resist the lure of the adjacent garden and the hummingbirds.  I only had to wait about 15 minutes before one appeared and as luck would have it, it chose an isolated Lion's Ear with a very distant green background.  I particularly liked this shot because the hummer is resting while it fills up on nectar and you get to see his tiny little feet that can't be used for walking, but are excellent for perching.  The bird is only about the size of my thumb. 

As my husband has a full day of sports, first attending a Baltimore Ravens game in the afternoon, to be followed by a Nationals Baseball game in the evening, I pretty much have the day to myself. After the hummingbirds, I drove about 40 minutes to Hughes Hollow to see what was happening there.  Because this is a wildlife management area open for hunting since Sept 1, I can only go there on Sundays when hunting is prohibited.  I was hoping to find some dragonflies, but there were none.  The grasshoppers were everywhere and I am hoping I got a decent shot or two. Still sorting through them all and will ultimately post on Flickr. 

Thanks to everyone for the hearts, stars and lovely comments on my recent hummingbirds and bees.  They will all soon be gone so I am having my fill of them while I can.