No, no pictures of them, but they are everywhere today. I've three feeders out and each is about 10 yards from the other. One is on the front porch, one on the side porch and the third is on the edge of the lawn. We've had 5 or 6 hummers for about a month now and I supposed the population bump was the result of fledglings joining mom and pop at the feeders along, perhaps with a few aunts and uncles. With today's cold temperatures and drizzly conditions, activity at the feeders has skyrocketed. Watching them zoom back and froth chasing one another from feeder to feeder and perch to perch can make you dizzy. There have to be far more than six little birds out there. At times there are five swarming about one feeder and, since it's impossible to see all three feeders at once, I'm sure there are more at the other feeders. Even when I have two feeders within my field of view and can clearly see six birds at once, there's a good chance there are more in the trees, on the telephone wire or at the third feeder I can't see.
I wonder if some of the activity isn't from new south-bound birds dropping by to get stoked up on sugar water. Perhaps they can hear the whir of their brothers' wings on a supersonic wavelength and home in on the sound expecting to find food nearby.
If it stays cool like this (the temp has dropped another degree to 56 degrees), they'll take the first burst of wind heading south and disappear. Last year all the hummers were gone by the end of September.
2 comments:
I need to look at hummingbirds more and Democrats less.
Here is some information on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird you may or may not already know. Hope you enjoy it.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are found throughout the eastern part of Texas and the U.S. and southern Canada. They migrate to Mexico south through Costa Rica for the winter. The Ruby-throated hummingbird must gain critical bodyweight before attempting to cross the Gulf of Mexico. The hummingbirds will nearly double their weight (from about 3.25 grams to 6 grams) before crossing the Gulf of Mexico. A single migration can become a nonstop flight of up to 500 miles over a period of 18 to 22 hours.
The best way to distinguish the Ruby-throated Hummingbird from all other species of hummingbirds except Black-chinned Hummingbird by their call.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a total estimated population of over 7 million individuals. This species of hummingbird was hunted during the nineteenth century for its beautiful plumage, but the Ruby-throated Hummingbird now enjoys protection from harvest through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This act declares unlawful the taking, killing, or possessing of migratory birds. It is also listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna of 1975.
If you would like much more information about hummingbirds, please click the links below. The sites contain many articles about hummingbirds, video clips about hummingbirds, an informative tips booklet on hummingbirds, and much more.
Click Here To Visit About Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds For Mom
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