The hummingbirds and Bullocks oriole share the red hot pokers, but not at the same time. These photos are from another year, as it’s a bit early for the pokers to bloom, but I was inspired by Cindy Knokes’ oriole photos to dig out my oriole photo. Please visit Cindy’s blog too, if you haven’t already done so. https://cindyknoke.com/2024/04/21/goldies-2/
The red hot pokers soon will bloom,
Just waiting for some sun,
Then to their petals I will zoom,
And hover till I’m done.
The juicy nectar waits for me,
I stretch my long tongue down,
To lap the sweetness running free,
Within the petals round.
I need to hurry – sip and fly,
Ere Bully Bullock comes,
I do my best to drink it dry,
‘Cause he and I aren’t chums.
I am an emperor of birds,
You see my royal stance,
I rule the land with so few words,
It only takes a glance.
It could be that it is my size,
I’m not a little hummer,
I feed on flowers, they’re my prize,
Especially in summer.
But one thing hummers share with me,
That is our love of bugs,
The creepy crawlies that we see,
They simply call us thugs.
The hummers take the tiny ones,
To suit their appetite,
While I eat big ones by the tons,
I’m not a little mite.
And so we share the poker plants,
There’s food enough for all,
In time I’ll go and eat some ants,
And any bugs that crawl.
April 25, 2024 at 5:52 pm
Perfect end to my day.
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April 25, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Aw, that’s so nice to hear.
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April 25, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Wonderful!
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April 25, 2024 at 7:52 pm
Thanks, Cindy. Your oriole post inspired me.
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April 25, 2024 at 8:59 pm
Those photos are fantastic, Anneli. I love them.
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April 26, 2024 at 10:30 am
Thanks, Lynette. That makes me smile.
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April 26, 2024 at 11:09 am
😊
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April 25, 2024 at 11:57 pm
Fantastic pictures and a fun poem, love it!
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April 26, 2024 at 10:28 am
So happy to have you come to my garden, Ursula. Happy birthday to you!
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April 26, 2024 at 2:19 am
I have Red Hot Pokers in my garden. That’s a beautiful capture of the hummingbird.
Loved your fun poem too.
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April 26, 2024 at 10:27 am
Thanks, Liz. Glad you enjoyed your visit here.
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April 26, 2024 at 4:20 am
Beautiful, Anneli! Your poem captured the essence of the amazing hummingbird.
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April 26, 2024 at 10:26 am
Thanks, Grant. I love having them around.
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April 26, 2024 at 4:47 am
So beautiful!
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April 26, 2024 at 5:27 am
Well done Anneli. I loved the red hot pokers since I first saw them in NZ many years ago. Great bird captures. Happy Friday. Allan
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April 26, 2024 at 10:25 am
Thanks, Allan. They’re something different, and having lived up north, as you do too, I appreciate their exotic look (like they’re from some warm place)!
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April 26, 2024 at 5:52 am
Dear Anneli,
our gardener didn’t like the red hot pokers and removed them from our garden. We don’t like them that much either. But we still have one plant in our garden.
Great photographs of the bird.
Wishing you a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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April 26, 2024 at 10:24 am
They can get a bit messy after they bloom, but the birds sure love them and that’s why I keep some pokers around – to attract the birds.
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April 27, 2024 at 2:06 am
Dear Anneli
when Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma read this, they immediately will buy some new plants.
Thanks and wishing you a wonderful weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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April 27, 2024 at 8:38 am
They like sandy soil and are very resilient. Birds love them, and so do bees. I think Siri and Selma will enjoy them.
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April 26, 2024 at 6:43 am
Fine set of photos and poem.
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April 26, 2024 at 10:23 am
Thank you, Belinda. The hummingbird is a bit fuzzy, but he just wouldn’t hold still!
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April 26, 2024 at 7:09 am
Stunning photos again, and I love the poem. Hummingbirds are amazing, aren’t they? I’ve never seen (or even heard of) a Bullock’s oriole, but he’s lovely and bright.
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April 26, 2024 at 10:22 am
Thank you, Helen. I agree with you on the hummingbirds. I’m amazed they make it through our miserable winters. As for the oriole, I’ve only seen a pair of them twice before and they don’t stay long. They’re a treat to see even for the short time they’re here.
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April 26, 2024 at 7:56 am
Delightful photos and verse. Thanks for the smiles Anneli. 😊
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April 26, 2024 at 10:20 am
Thanks for reading, Brad. Have a great day.
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April 26, 2024 at 11:09 am
My pleasure Donna!
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April 26, 2024 at 11:57 am
I’ve never grown red hot pokers but our neighbor’s house has many patches of them. They fascinate me. The hummingbird photo is a delight.
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April 26, 2024 at 1:28 pm
The pokers are really easy to grow. You don’t have to do very much, except not overwater them. Thanks for the nice comment, Ally.
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April 27, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Delightful post, Anneli. Just what I needed to see and read today. ❤
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April 27, 2024 at 8:33 pm
Even though they aren’t really blooming yet, it gives hope and reminds us how beautiful summer will be.
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April 28, 2024 at 7:06 am
This was so much fun, Anneli! Great rhyming word play, and creatively involving both birds you watch at the red hot pokers. And terrific photos of the hummingbirds and oriole.
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April 30, 2024 at 5:10 am
A beautiful mix of stunning photos and exquisite poetry, Anneli.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:24 am
Thanks so much, Mark.
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April 30, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Such a cute poem! And the photos are gorgeous. I had never heard of the pokers before!
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April 30, 2024 at 3:17 pm
I’m surprised about that, Luanne, because they grow so well in sandy soil and are tough when it comes to withstanding dry times.
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April 30, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Yeah, I’ve never seen them here or in southern California where I lived but I looked them up and I COULD have them here.
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April 30, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Easy keepers and they really attract the birds.
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April 30, 2024 at 9:41 pm
Very fun and cute poem, Anneli! I love hummingbirds and raised one (that’s to say, one hummie was born in my garden in CA, I watched him grow and fed him for four years before I moved). I saw a hummingbird in my new garden last year. I should plant some red hot pokers to feed him (them).
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May 1, 2024 at 11:41 am
They do like them.
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April 30, 2024 at 11:07 pm
Love it!
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