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Saturday, February 28, 2015

TipsFromtheGarden-HummingbirdsBringingIntheSpringBlooms-

TipsFromtheGarden-
HummingbirdsBringing-
IntheSpringBlooms-
Hummingbird
Feeding on yummy
Nectar in Spring blooms
Good Afternoon My dear Friends & Followers and
Welcome to Saturday's 
~TipsFromtheGarden~
For today's Tips I thought I would talk about 
the Hummingbird and how they are the best 
Pollinators with the coming spring blooms.
Yes, Hummingbirds are nifty pollinators, yet they are 
also not to bad at eating their share of those nasty 
tiny bugs that start hanging around your garden and 
porch too. For me during the up coming of spring is the sheer
joy that I experience when I watch these marvelous miniatures 
creatures of the sky, feasting on their favorite flowers, sparkling 
the sky's as they hover in midair, deftly sipping nectar from the newly beautiful blooms for 
spring. During the winter if you happen to have 
these beauty that stay over the winter, you can enjoy them and help them survive by setting up feeders year around with you own homemade sugar feed. This way you can enjoy the beauty of the hummingbird even in the rainy or snowy weather too. Which I have 
with my Rosy Anne hummingbird for the last 7-years. 
I have found a good pair of binoculars can help with these tiny jewels of the sky.
These hummingbirds are tiny only about 3 to 4 inches long from the bill to the tail.
They move very fast, and often look alike at fist glance especially immature birds 
and females, because they don't sport the showy colors of an full grown male hummingbird.
In fact, its is easier to identify adult male hummingbirds more than any other
because of their flashy feathers. 
Also because the males are always trying to impressed the female hummingbirds
with their amazing flight patterns too.
So Here are some of the most common male hummingbirds that you 
might see in your area flitting around you fuchsias; 
Allen's Hummingbirds

The Allen is a coastal California hummingbird that look
and behaves much like the Rufous hummingbird. 
The two distinguish looks between the two different Allen's are
Look for the male Allen's all green back and crown, reddish sides and tail 
with a fiery-orange throat. Also Allen's have spectacular 
display flight patterns in the sky. its a series of U followed by a 
slow spiraling upward path that ends with a final dive to show that the 
Allen 's is defending his territory. 
This hummingbird is also known to been aggressive to drive away Hawks
They have a various vocalizations and wing noises accompany his 
airborne acrobatics. 
Rufous HummingBird

The Rufous Hummingbird mainly breeds in the Northwest 
and is the only hummingbird you're likely to encounter in Alaska. 
Despite spending winters in southern Mexico, the Rufous hummingbird
will occasionally shows up in places like Nova Scotia or even Florida. 
One well publicized Rufous hummer spent last winter basking in the 
warmth of an enclosed outdoor hot tub near some offices in eastern Pennsylvania!
So what do these jewels look like?
The Rufous have red-dish sides and tails and bright or angle-red throats. 
Like some other hummers, Rufous will feed on the sugary sap oozing 
from sap-sucking holes. These hummingbirds are also very 
aggressive and will readily chase away any other types of hummingbirds
that may come near their territory. 
Anna's Hummingbird

Well we have come to my Anna 'Rosy' hummingbird! Even though I live
in Northern Washington Seattle he has made his home here with many of his lady 
Anna's and a few young males have stayed here year around too. It seems when 
doing this post they say that the Anna hummer is most common to visit your
garden in any area. I seems it is a year -around resident in coastal California 
and parts of Arizona. Not to mention Northern Washington coast of Kent too.
and Parts of Arizona. They look very much like the Costa' hummingbirds but its 
head feathers and iridescent throat are an rosy-red rather than the 
Costa's purple. The Males song , however is very different 
It is a distinctive buzzing and sputtering noises.
The hummer also has the habit of often hovering in midair before dive-bombing 
and intruders [which I have seen Rosy do many times!!!]
Their breeding begins in December, which is very early by any bird standard,
Note; I have seen Rosy get very busy around this time of the year
in his tree that I have finally found where his nest/home is. That is why
I always keep fresh sugar water for him and the female that I do see
around this time of the year too. I must clean it the feeder at least four times a 
month. During this time I have no blooms or flowers for my tiny friends
and since they have decided to make their home here year around I make sure
they have plenty of food for them and their little ones which I have never got to see.
When the spring does come they love my Bee Balm flowers mostly the Red. 
Black-Chinned HummingBird

These beauty's are more common as a summer visitor, and will come to 
feed on your feeders and flowers in the Western gardens. 
The Black-Chinned Hummingbirds range from British Columbia to Southern Texas.
And all the way to through much of California too.
In the wild, you might find these beauty's near the tree-lined streambeds  where
they feast on the nectar and small insects. The Male Black-Chinned tends to flip
around during its U, shaped flight display and has a distinctive 
violet border low on its back throat. It's rarely seen in the U.S.A during the 
winter months; this one mostly always migrates down to Mexico for the off-season.
The Black-Chinned female sometimes builds her new nest right on top of the old one
when she returns each year to Mexico.
Costa's Hummingbirds

These beauty's hummingbirds primarily will dwell in the lower parts 
of California and Arizona desert areas. This hummer is known for its vigorously 
defending his territory with its chattering sounds it makes and a passionate 
chases it will do. They have a beautiful Iridescent purple feathers covering the 
top of their heads and throat that will extend downward like old-fashioned muttonchops. 
The males also protects their territory with a grand display of flight patterns
repeatedly flying up and down in an oval shaped path, he will continue this
until the intruder is gone , then he will return to his perch on a tall plant near 
his nest/home. They make a interesting sound these Costa's hummers, 
It is his shrill, high-pitched whistle. that makes them very different.
Like all hummingbirds the Costa can fly forwards and backwards and up and down,
sideways and cross ways too.
Calliope Hummingbird

These hummingbirds are very very tiny at only 3 inches in length and a mere 
one-tenth of an ounce; which is 2 grams! in weight.
The Calliope hummingbird is the absolute smallest bird you will find in 
the North America. 
The Male has a golden-green back and sports purple throat stripes, which 
may be hard to distinguish until you see them from the exact right angle.
These tiny Jewels breed throughout much of the West,
especially in the mountainous areas. Could be because they feel safer there.
The male has a display of flight pattern too for his female during breeding time,
It is a distinctive U-shaped flight path, of hovering at each end of the female before 
dropping down. Females lay two pea-sized eggs in a well-hidden nests. 
Broad-Tailed Hummingbird

Well we have the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird, these beauty's prefer 
higher elevations and are mostly seen by western backpackers in the high mountains 
than by backyard gardener's. So if you happen to be in the mountains Look and 
Listen for this mountain hummingbird, especially near streams and flowering 
meadows any where along the Rockies. 
The Males resembles the Ruby-throat in appearance, however you wont have to
distinguish these birds from one another because their ranges don't overlap.
The Broad-Tail male produces a loud and constant musical trilling or zinging sound, with 
its wings and performs a U shaped dive; display when he is defending his 
territory or  courting a mate.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Lastly the Ruby-Throat Hummingbird, this beauty is only commonly seen 
on the east coast, Southern, Midwest and most of all Canada. 
The Males are quite beautiful with their ruby-red throat and metallic green back are both
iridescent, however seen only when the light strikes the feathers a certain angle. 
The Ruby-Throats often fly across the entire Gulf of Mexico to reach their winter
homes in Central America. Look  for them hovering in your garden and along the
edges of the wooded areas...

I hope that you  all Enjoyed my Post 
for Saturdays
TipsFromtheGarden 
Hummingbirds
I love you all very much my dear 
Friends & Followers 
YOUR WENDY


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