Nothing much in bird world tops hummingbirds
Blog for Garden; 9/5/18
A hummingbird eating nectar off our deck; Steve Baker took this terrific photo with his cellphone.
For the last few weeks husband Steve and I have especially enjoyed the antics of local ruby-throated hummingbirds.
I keep a hummingbird feeder on the back deck, and there is an evergreen tree as well as a weeping mulberry tree near the feeder. Luckily, we get hummingbirds in May and they usually leave us around the last week of September. This year, they stayed until Oct. 4, or so; I kept telling them: "Fly South, little hammers!"
On advice from the folks at Wild Birds Unlimited (Davenport.wbu.com), we keep up the feeders for two more weeks in case any stragglers fly by.
On Oct. 16, this year, I went out to remove the feeder and was stunned when a female hummer flew up and looked at me in great surprise -- she was feeding on the nectar and I couldn't see her. I quickly cleaned and refilled it. Don't give up on these little birds!
The hummingbirds are taking off for warmer climates, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowadnr.gov, article: "7 Cool Things You Should Know About Hummingbirds"). Ruby-throated hummingbirds will migrate to Central and South America, and are able to cross the Gulf of Mexico in one flight.
I can believe this. In our gardens there is plenty for the hummingbirds to eat, including a red canna lily; a hibiscus tree with orange blooms and a hibiscus bush with pink flowers, as well as a tall red salvia. Looking out the front windows, it's easy to spot the tiny birds, swerving in and out among the flowers for nectar as well as for a number of insects.
The Iowa DNR reports that hummingbirds regularly eat insects to supplement their nectar diets... Meals have been analyzed to contain gnats, spiders, flies, beetles, aphids, and even, tiny bees.
The hummingbirds are classified as Apodiformes, as they do not walk much on spindly legs, according to the DNR. The local hummingbirds land on the evergreen tree; they pick a bare branch and wobble while trying to balance. However this gives them a time-out, so other hummingbirds can get at the feeder, unimpeded.
These hummingbirds at the Baker house are eating, eating, eating, to store up enough food for the flight south. For now, I'm using a nectar solution, diluted in water and which I replace every 3-4 days. I keep that feeder as clean as possible.
I'll use that nectar solution up, and then wash the hummingbird feeder in the top rack of the dishwasher (by itself). It will be stored until we get it out again, next spring.
No doubt we'll eagerly await the return of these sweet hummingbirds. Their presence confirms that spring and warm weather has returned to Iowa.
For the last few weeks husband Steve and I have especially enjoyed the antics of local ruby-throated hummingbirds.
I keep a hummingbird feeder on the back deck, and there is an evergreen tree as well as a weeping mulberry tree near the feeder. Luckily, we get hummingbirds in May and they usually leave us around the last week of September. This year, they stayed until Oct. 4, or so; I kept telling them: "Fly South, little hammers!"
On advice from the folks at Wild Birds Unlimited (Davenport.wbu.com), we keep up the feeders for two more weeks in case any stragglers fly by.
On Oct. 16, this year, I went out to remove the feeder and was stunned when a female hummer flew up and looked at me in great surprise -- she was feeding on the nectar and I couldn't see her. I quickly cleaned and refilled it. Don't give up on these little birds!
The hummingbirds are taking off for warmer climates, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowadnr.gov, article: "7 Cool Things You Should Know About Hummingbirds"). Ruby-throated hummingbirds will migrate to Central and South America, and are able to cross the Gulf of Mexico in one flight.
I can believe this. In our gardens there is plenty for the hummingbirds to eat, including a red canna lily; a hibiscus tree with orange blooms and a hibiscus bush with pink flowers, as well as a tall red salvia. Looking out the front windows, it's easy to spot the tiny birds, swerving in and out among the flowers for nectar as well as for a number of insects.
The Iowa DNR reports that hummingbirds regularly eat insects to supplement their nectar diets... Meals have been analyzed to contain gnats, spiders, flies, beetles, aphids, and even, tiny bees.
The hummingbirds are classified as Apodiformes, as they do not walk much on spindly legs, according to the DNR. The local hummingbirds land on the evergreen tree; they pick a bare branch and wobble while trying to balance. However this gives them a time-out, so other hummingbirds can get at the feeder, unimpeded.
These hummingbirds at the Baker house are eating, eating, eating, to store up enough food for the flight south. For now, I'm using a nectar solution, diluted in water and which I replace every 3-4 days. I keep that feeder as clean as possible.
I'll use that nectar solution up, and then wash the hummingbird feeder in the top rack of the dishwasher (by itself). It will be stored until we get it out again, next spring.
No doubt we'll eagerly await the return of these sweet hummingbirds. Their presence confirms that spring and warm weather has returned to Iowa.
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