This is to give nourishment to the hummingbirds that are flying from the north (Canada, Michigan, etc.) on their long migration to Central America. Most of the males have started their journey already but some females may remain. It is vitally important that there be no mold on the inside of the feeder. The mold will kill the hummingbirds. Clean your feeder with a small brush and vinegar and rinse well. I have discovered that most town water (in any town) molds easily. Instead, I use purified water from a bottle. It is so hard for me to believe that this tiny creature weighing only 1/100th of an ounce can fly 600 miles across the gulf of Mexico to Central America and the West Indies. The weight of a tracking device would hinder their long flight. How does anyone know that this is the route by which they take—across hundreds of miles with no place to land and rest—no food and the possibility of extremely inclement weather? Although research does show that they gather along the coastline in Florida and other southern coastal states. Do they veer off to Cuba? Is it possible that many ruby throats swing to the right out of Louisiana towards the Texas coast, following the coastline down Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, to Costa Rica? Are we assuming, because they are known to winter in Central America that they have to fly the 600 miles over the Gulf waters to get there and back? Okay, I am a skeptic. But I read that the hummingbird has to eat twice its body weight each day to survive. That is not possible with a 600 mile flight over water. Even if they have gained 25 - 40 % of their weight. Even if they have to fly continually, night and day without stopping. How long does it take them? I understand that they can fly about 23 miles a day. Flying along the coast they could go inland when necessary to “refuel.” But flying only 23 miles per day would take 26+ days to complete 600 miles over open water. That is just not possible for these little guys without food and water. Maybe they know how to read the atmosphere and tell when there will be one heck of a tail wind! Maybe they land on plastic refuse islands and find food and water. No doubt, I will remain flummoxed at this seemingly unbelievable feat. These tiny creatures help us in a fashion similar to that of the honeybee. When a hummer sticks his/her head in a flower, pollen rubs off on its head and is then transferred to the next flower. They especially like honeysuckle, nasturtiums, lilacs and canna flowers. Although I have seen them feeding from other flowers, even my zinnias.
She only lays two eggs, each the size of a pea, which she incubates for 16 days. The tiny ones are fledged within three to four weeks. If it is early in the season, she may raise a second brood. In my entire life I have seen only one hummer nest with babies. It was here in Indiana at Donna Beste’s farmhouse. How pleased and appreciative I was that Donna shared this treasure with me! Hummingbirds have many threats and although their life span is three to five years, many die within one year. They have to contend with red vehicles, snakes, cats, ants, wasps and spiders. Yep, spiders. If a hummer gets caught in a web and cannot get out, it is curtains. A little female hummingbird got into my garage a few years back. I opened the garage door but she would only fly high, not out the door. She went above the garage door where there were spider webs and got caught, falling to the garage floor. I picked her up and carefully pulled the cobwebs from her wings and body, then walked outside and let her go. Everyday after that for the rest of the summer, whenever I would go outside on the deck, a little female hummer would fly close to my face as if to say hello. During one of our past hot, dry summer seasons, I was watering the garden. I could adjust the hose spout to fine mist which I did when I saw a male hummingbird hovering close by. He flew right into the mist and cavorted with joy, flying backwards, hovering and going up and down as if he were jumping for joy. What a vision to remember! Hummingbirds do love flowing water and that is why the solar birdbath fountains are so popular. I wonder if these tiny birds, only three and three-fourths inches long, were once mistaken for fairies? If any of our ancient ancestors had myopic vision seeing hummingbirds flit around so quickly, with shimmering clothing (feathers) shining in the light, may have been the imaginative start of flower fairies. I pray the hummingbirds will always be on our planet and return to us next spring. I pray that the creatures we love, who give us so much joy, will be able to survive this changing world.
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