The Humming Bird Originally posted 5/06
This time of year when my mother, who lives in Maine, and I talk on the phone the topic of hummingbirds no doubt will come up. Many folks in Maine know that spring has arrived when the fiddleheads do but for my Mom it’s when the hummers start hitting her feeder.
Arizona desert 2003 122’F and I spotted this guy taking a break in the shadow of a cactus.
[quote] Hummingbirds fascinate hu-mans with their delicate, two-inch long bodies and iridescent feathers, weighing as much as a dime and fearlessly visiting porch sugar-water feeders.
Their tiny wings beat so fast, it looks like a blur. They have needle-like beaks.
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The hummingbird is a fascinating creature that can entertain for hours. It’s not unusual for me to have one or two buzz me when I’m working in the yard and I have a bright red shirt on.
Anyone from the Sandhills of North Carolina this upcoming weekend there will be a workshop on hummingbirds; [quote] Hummingbirds are definitely special for people,? said ornithologist Susan Campbell, who will hold a workshop Saturday morning at the Pinehurst Village Assembly Hall from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on how to attract hummingbirds to your yard. The workshop is free to the public and is the third in a series about different birds and wildlife begun in 2006 by the Pinehurst Conservation Commission?s Greenway Wildlife Habitat Committee. [/quote]
What I really found interesting about this article is that Susan Campbell spends most Wednesday’s catching and banding hummingbirds. [quote] Most Wednesday mornings, Campbell does her trapping, banding and recording at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines, where she works part-time as a naturalist. She allows visitors to observe while she traps and bands the birds, and examines ones she has already banded that may be caught in the trap.
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Wow I can’t imagine banding hummingbirds. If you want to read the entire article here is a link http://www.thepilot.com/news/052406hummingbird.html
Here is some links to photo journals of hummingbird nests and the raising of the young.
http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/
http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/
If you haven’t ever tried it pick up a feeder and some nectar mix ( or google for the correct recipe to make it yourself) and set it up around your home and see if you can attract some hummingbirds in this summer.
One of the best photos I’ve ever seen of a hummingbird from last years NC Wildlife Contest
John Stroud, Raleigh
Hummingbird chasing away honeybee, Raleigh
Link to more info on Hummingbirds
http://www.hummingbirds.net/
Thank you for the gracious comments about the hummer photo. I’m still fascinated by hummingbirds and enjoy and appreciate their beauty.
Comment by John Stroud — June 24, 2006 @ 11:08 am