I’ve already told ya’ll how much I love our colorful zinnias, mostly because of the bird and butterfly activity that they bring to the yard; well, now I’ve added gladiolus to my list of favorite flowers. They are blooming so beautifully this year, and the hummingbirds have taken a fancy to them.

I saw this gorgeous gal flying about a wine colored blossom the other day.

She would fly into the flower for some nectar, and then rest on the stalk for a bit.

I’m calling this beauty a female because of the rounded, white-tipped tail feathers and the lack of red or rust coloring on the neck, but it honestly could be a juvenile male. At this point in the season they can be really tricky to tell apart, and I certainly wouldn’t fall on my sword over my answer.

And speaking of swords, when I was googling the correct spelling of the word “gladiolus”, I found out it comes from the Latin word meaning “little sword”, because of its blade-like leaves.

Occasionally, she would just perch on a petal and patrol the area…

…and then she’d head back to the blossom to grab some more fuel.

It takes a lot of energy to keep those wings beating so fast!