Humming Birds Are Here.

Just one of at least two dozen humming birds and The Windy Knoll last year.

Writer: Donna Crumly Harvey.

Flying nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico is an important part of the natural selection process that has made these little birds so tough, and not all of them pass this harshest of tests. Before leaving land, hummingbirds double their weight by gorging to add fat as an energy reserve; in good weather they can go 600 miles without stopping, and the crossing is only 500 miles. The ones that don’t add enough fat won’t make it, and their genes aren’t passed on; that’s how nature works. It’s just a bit more dramatic with hummingbirds, because they’re so small and we love them so much. 

Hummingbirds are BIG eaters. No animal on earth has a faster metabolism-roughly 100 times that of an elephant. Hummingbirds burn food so fast they often eat 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food per day! In order to gather enough nectar, hummingbirds must visit hundreds of flowers every day. Just one day of cold temperatures or bad luck finding flowers can mean death

Ruby-throated: Eastern U.S. and Canada
When Ruby-throats return to their breeding grounds, they will have completed a remarkable journey back from Mexico and Central America. This species is the only hummingbird commonly found in eastern North America. 

This note really shows how late I am:

Over 150 sightings of Ruby-throats were reported this week, a sign that the migration is in full swing. Monday a Ruby-throated humingbird zipped up the Atlantic Coast to Branford, Connecticut (41°N), a full week ahead of last year’s sightings. With favorable southwest winds we’re sure to see similar reports as the week progresses.

“A male Ruby-throat arrived at 2pm today at my hummingbird feeder site. Had a five-minute feeding bout.”