What a treat! This hummingbird was having a meal right next to me when we were at the nursery this afternoon. He didn't seem to care that I pulled out my camera to capture his pretty green feathers and his long black beak. He came back several times as I was browsing but he always came back to this particular plant, the bleeding heart. (make sure to click the photos to enlarge them)
"The hummingbird's beak is exactly fitted to probe those flowers where the bird finds its food. The tongue has the outer edges curved over, making a tube on each side."The Handbook of Nature Study has a whole section on hummingbirds, pages 115-117.
Handbook of Nature Study, page 115
There is also section on the bleeding heart, pages 558-560.
We had a very enjoyable afternoon picking out a few new plants for our garden. I will have to share about those after I get them planted in the ground. :)
Barb-Harmony Art Mom