According to Birds and Blooms, a hummingbird beats it wings up to 50 times per second! Like tiny drones of nature, they can hoover and fly backwards, all the while taking 150 breaths each minute.
Although they’re tiny, hummingbirds have an aggressive side, with the males defending their territories from interlopers looking for a free meal at the nectar feeder. While out gardening, I can hear them chittering at each other and the whir of their wings as they zoom around the yard. Even though the male defends the territory, it’s the female who carries the weight of parenthood, from building the cup-shaped nest to raising the young.
Female ruby-throated hummingbird having a long drink of sugar water.
Another cool thing about female hummingbirds is how she mates. Unlike most female birds who are courted by the male, the female ruby-throated will move into an area of her choosing, and pick up a male who has the local territory. Ahhhhh, reminds me of my younger days. Sigh.
Female coming in for a landing.
Want to attract them? It’s easy. The sugar water recipe is simple. Boil one cup of cold water and add one quarter cup of white sugar. (The recipe is four to one, but unless you have several feeders, you’ll be throwing the nectar way before you can use it all.) No need to add food coloring. Keep the feeder clean by changing the sugar water each week and rinsing out the feeder. I use an ant guard, available at any local garden center or hardware store. It keeps out, well, ants. Duh! Hang the feeder near some branches because hummers like to chew and screw then chew again. That’s it! So, I encourage you to put out a feeder and bring a hummingbird into your life. They truly are one of Mother Nature’s greatest marvels!
Visit http://www.hummingbirds.net for more info.
Blessed be :}
concordriverlady.com 