Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hummer Summer

Dick put out three hummingbird feeders this summer, and they have been very popular. One day I saw five hummingbirds vying for position at the feeders. They are very interesting to watch, and they have inspired research on their habits, size, and migration.



It seems that in addition to the sugar water at the feeders, they live on tiny insects that they find on blossoms - that's where they get their protein.



From Michigan, they fly to the Belize/Honduras area in the Fall - it's hard to believe that these tiny birds can get that far away. In fact, the majority of the newly hatched ones don't make it - only about 25% of them arrive at their destination. The older birds have better luck.



Dick learned that if there's a wind of 25 mph, they can't make any headway! Their life expectancy is only 3 to 5 years.