HummingbirdsBringing-
IntheSpringBlooms-
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| 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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