THE HUMMERS RETURN—
My first arrival of the season, a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, was sitting on its feeder support at dawn Sunday, May 6th.
It is always exciting to contemplate that tiny critter’s amazing migration; weighing a maximum of just under ¼ ounce, many of them flew 1,500 miles from their winter range in Central America—flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico in the process.
Some of its cousins will continue as far north as the middle of the southern tier of Canadian provinces for their summer breeding. Those more ambitious travelers might fly as much as 3,000 miles between their winter and summer ranges.
It is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America, and, only the male has that marvelous, flashing red throat
Their wing beats an astonishing 53 times per second and they are the only birds than can hover and fly backward.
We tend to think of them as delicate creatures because of their tiny size, but, they will aggressively defend “their” feeder from any interloper brazen enough to attempt a sharing maneuver.
If you witness that behavior often, simply install an additional feeder or two 15 or 20 feet away from any others.
Welcome back my colorful little friend.
___________
Photo/Cornell U
My first arrival of the season, a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, was sitting on its feeder support at dawn Sunday, May 6th.
It is always exciting to contemplate that tiny critter’s amazing migration; weighing a maximum of just under ¼ ounce, many of them flew 1,500 miles from their winter range in Central America—flying non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico in the process.
Some of its cousins will continue as far north as the middle of the southern tier of Canadian provinces for their summer breeding. Those more ambitious travelers might fly as much as 3,000 miles between their winter and summer ranges.
It is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America, and, only the male has that marvelous, flashing red throat
Their wing beats an astonishing 53 times per second and they are the only birds than can hover and fly backward.
We tend to think of them as delicate creatures because of their tiny size, but, they will aggressively defend “their” feeder from any interloper brazen enough to attempt a sharing maneuver.
If you witness that behavior often, simply install an additional feeder or two 15 or 20 feet away from any others.
Welcome back my colorful little friend.
___________
Photo/Cornell U
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