Our hummers are buzzing. Whereas we usually have 2 or 3 at our back yard feeders, we have a half dozen or more this year and they are battling one another, as usual. But as always, they are beautiful and fascinating creatures.
Got a nickel in your pocket? That’s how much the little guys weigh. Their nests are the size of a quarter.
Hummingbirds are in a perpetual state of excitement, at least so far as their pulse rates are concerned. On average, a hummer’s heart beats 615 times per minute and can reach over 1,200 beats per minute. They are also fast little devils, attaining flight speeds of up to 34 miles per hour.
The tiny birds are sugar-holics. They dine on nectar from assorted plants and flowers. They need their sugar fix for quick energy. Each day, they must consume more than their weight in nectar or perish. Hummers also need protein in their diets and get that by picking off an insect or two throughout the day.
My wife Nancy is a typical hummingbird feeder. We, in fact, keep a jar of what appears to be cherry Kool Aid in the refrigerator, but it’s just a hummingbird mix that we use to replenish the feeders.
It is said that hummingbirds are more attracted to the feeders because of their bright adornments than they are to the red sugar water mixture, but we play it safe and use both red feeders and red sugar water.
Hummingbirds typically arrive in Central Virginia from about mid-April through the end of May. Occasionally, we’ll see a bird of two in the spring, but it’s usually July before they come to our feeders en masse. They skip town, heading for Central and South America, each fall. Some suggest that bird lovers do a disservice by keeping feeders up too late in the year, thus discouraging hummingbirds from migrating. There is no proof to substantiate that claim. Hummers will leave when the time is right, feeders or no feeders.
Planting for hummingbirds is simple. Just grow as many bright flowers – red or any other color – as possible. If you plant them, they will come.
