'HUMMINGBIRDS'2013

'HUMMINGBIRDS'

Hummingbirds are truly the most amazing tiny jewels of the 
sky! I got into hummingbirds about oh 7 to 8 years ago. And I've been in loved with them ever since. The thing about this tiny jewels of the sky; Well that's what I call them. Besides being so beautiful in the colors that they come in. they are wonderful in your garden. They help in ways you might not think about. One is the Adult hummingbirds are great at gobbling up lots and lots of aphids, gnats, tiny flies & other kinda bugs that will sometimes attack you favorite plants. I have found that since I have had my hummers now for about 8-years how, I haven't had any more problems with my plants having bug problems. But that's just one factor of a plus of hummers.

 Allans Hummingbird 

The Lucifer Hummingbird

 Wine Throat Hummingbird 

What I love most about the hummingbird is their sheer joy they have given me. Over the years I have have planted this flower called Bee Balm and I had know Idea  that the hummers   liked them until one day I noticed that a beautiful tiny hummingbird would come and visit my garden every summer. I decided to add a few more different flowers that I knew that the tiny knew friend would like. I add Some more Red Bee Balm, Foxgloves,Fuchsia's, Sage(comes in lots of different colors - red, orange, & yellow are the best),Morning Glory's. I also added a feeder too.. I discover that my hummer was either a Anna's Hummer or an Ruby - Throat hummer. I haven't been able to figure out which one it is but it really doesn't matter to me because I have so much joy from the beautiful tiny bird. To give you an little idea about each of the types of the hummers I thought I would give you a little description of both; The Ruby-Throat hummingbird is found mostly in the east of the Great Plains, many of this tiny jewels will migrate nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico  - six hundred miles over open ocean water flying low over the tops of waves. to reach the Northern parts on California and Washington. But I have discovered over the years that both the Anna's & Ruby - Throat hummingbirds are starting to stay, at their winter homes these last oh, 5 to 6 years. The Ruby Throat hummers in additions to the flowers and feeders (which I will cover more in another blog about feeders and the food you can make at home that is much more healthy for your hummers) are great on eating insects to protect your flowers and some plants too. In addition to feeding on insects and the floral nectar, the ruby-throat  often feeds on the tree sap provided by the drilling of sapsuckers in many parts of Northern California & Washington. This tiny jewels are especially attracted to the blooms of the trumpet creeper - which seems to be primarily adapted to pollination by the hummingbird. The Ruby - throat hummingbirds are also very attracted to the Red Bee balm, Columbine and  Red Saliva.
Now both the Males and Females of the Red throat humming bird have a iridescent green backs. And their undersides are grayish white, with dusky green sides and flanks. They are a close relation to the Black - chin hummers who are in the westerly states. The males are a bit different by far...
When seen in the right light or not, but usually in the summer days the male has a fiery red gorge's that are quite beautiful.. I've have also found that the top of their heads have the same red iridescent flare when they move in the light. They are quite the talkative little birds too. 
Both can  produce this amazing humming sound with their wings & they seem to have a chirping sound that is quite loud at times. The Anna's Hummingbird is so much like my Rosy hummer too. The way he looks and the talkative part of the bird too. 
Anna's Hummingird  has the iridescent feathers but its on his head and his throat & basically all around his head. and you can see his even when its not a sunny day. Also what makes me thing of Rosy with this type of hummer is - the way that they hovering in midair air - the way they fly up really high  and then come down dive-bombing into a tree that is very close by my graden or another hummer. Doing these amazing flying dancing you could call it in the air. and then dive bomb at amazing speeds. 

Well, I will continue blog on my love for my Hummingbirds - And my Rosy - My wild little hummingbird...
Wendy