Time To Say Good-Bye

For several years now, this reporter has kept up with the spring arrival of hummingbirds to our yard. As a rule, they usually arrive around hubby’s birthday and also tax day, April 15th. To be sure you welcome them each year, put out your feeders by April 1st so they will have food when they arrive. Mark this on your calendar for next year!
Well, now it is time to wish them a safe journey to warmer climates such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal and South America. Can you believe that these tiny birds will “tank up” before leaving our area and fly with the wind so many thousands of miles away? I would say that this is remarkable.
Apparently all of the people in Virginia who feed the hummers have had a great number to visit this year. I know that we usually have three or four hummingbirds at the most, but this year there were too many to count! It seems that I was filling the feeders every other day.
During the really hot weather, it is best to clean and change the feeders every two to three days. Now that we are having cooler weather and there are still a few hummers around, feeders don’t need to be cleaned and changed as often.
I have only seen one hummingbird nest up close and that was after it had fallen to the ground. The nest is very tiny just like the birds.
It is fascinating just to watch hummingbirds. They have a high metabolism and a great deal of energy is spent flying. We have our feeders hanging off the front porch and this year we would sit out there and film them eating and flying in and off the porch. Quite interesting!
These tiny creatures consume up to twice their body weight in nectar every day. That’s what they like; nectar and insects. They lap up the nectar with their tongues. They are able to perch and will do so at feeders regularly. Our new feeders have a small perch so it was exciting to watch them rest for a few minutes. Because they fly so much, they have poorly developed feet. From what I could see, their feet are very, very tiny and they are much more comfortable while in flight.
Hummingbirds lack a true song and vocalize chirping notes. One can hear a sharp trill and chirp from them as they fly around.
Some fun facts about hummingbirds: they fly forward, backward, shift sideways and stop in midair. They can beat their wings 60 to 200 times per second. They can fly up to 60 miles per hour. They can live five to six years in the wild and are the smallest birds in the world.
Remember, it is not necessary to take down feeders to force the birds to fly south. They will migrate. If hummingbirds are sticking around, it could be because they are sick or injured. Some experts recommend leaving the feeder up with a spotlight on the feeder to keep the nectar from freezing. Now, we have never done that because before cold weather arrives, our hummers are gone!
The ruby-throated hummingbird makes a nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico each spring and fall so it is time to say farewell to our little friends.
If you’ve never had a hummingbird feeder, purchase one now for next year and enjoy the hummers from spring to fall!