Month: November 2008

The Tiny Bee Hummingbird

Have you ever heard a buzzing noise and thought it was a bee only to discover that it wasn’t a bee at all? Well, then what was it? It was most likely a Bee Hummingbird. This post will provide you with some interesting information on the smallest bird in the world—the Bee Hummingbird. 

The male bee hummingbird is the smallest known bird in the world. Male bee hummingbirds weigh 0.056 ounces and are 2.75 inches in length. The female of this particular species is slightly larger then the male. These hummingbirds live in Cuba. Its body is about the size of a large bee, thus the name of the species. The bill and tail account for half of this length.

Like all hummingbirds, the bee hummingbird is known to be strong and swift flier. This species of hummingbird also spends a higher percentage of their lives flying than any other species. They have specially adapted flight muscles, which make up 22 to 34 percent of their total body weight. Just like other hummingbird species, their shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate 180 degrees and their small feet and legs can only be used for perching.

Categories
Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Tips for the Winter Feeding of Hummingbirds

In the winter, you will want to only fill your feeder half-full, due to a decrease in the number of birds that will likely be visiting your feeder. You will want to change the nectar weekly, rather then every 3-4 days, to ensure that the nectar has not spoiled. A spoiled food source will drive the birds away and it will be hard to get the birds to once again trust your food supply.
 
In order to prevent the nectar from freezing, you may want to bring the feeder in at night.  This will help ensure that nectar solution will remain liquefied when the feeder is once again placed outside and therefore the birds will be able to get a drink of the nectar whenever they need one. 
 
In very cold weather, many people choose to alternate feeders by having two of them. This allows the warm one to be put out at mid-day and the cold one can be brought in the house.
 
There are many other alternative methods to help ensure that the nectar solution stays warm or to keep snow off of the feeder. These include the following: heat lamps, electric pipe wrap, and other creative solutions that people have developed. 
 
Lastly, your winter feeder should include a perch; this will allow the bird to feed without expending much energy as well as enabling you to have a close-up view for observation and photography.
Categories
Hummingbird Feeders

Are There More Winter Hummingbirds?

In the past 10-15 years, hummingbird feeding has become increasingly more popular and therefore many more people have placed hummingbird feeders in their yard and are maintaining them. The increased number of feeders means that people “forget” and leave their feeders up past Labor Day. Many people believe that to be the traditional date for taking down hummingbird feeders, but there is no such thing. Let me explain.
 
It is impossible to provide an exact date by which time hummingbird feeders should be taken down. It is believed that migrating hummingbirds may be helped by feeders that are left up until at least two weeks have passed since seeing your last hummingbird. Contrary to what many people believe, hummingbirds will migrate even if your hummingbird feeders are not taken down. Males generally migrate several weeks ahead of immature hummingbirds, which are also known as new hatchlings, and females. When migration occurs is determined by a change in the length of the day or photoperiod. 
 
We all know the power and reach of the Internet and it has certainly made a difference in this matter. Due to the Internet, people have become more aware of the existence of winter hummingbirds. The Internet has also made it much easier for people to learn of the opinions of hummingbird experts and then to contact them via e-mail.
 
The increase in warm weather during the past several years may explain why vagrant hummingbirds have wandered further than normal. Habitat destruction may also offer an explanation why more hummingbirds have been forced to wander. The traditional wintering grounds of the hummingbird, in the tropics, may have been destroyed thus forcing them to wander.  
Categories
Dear Mom

Get Out and Vote!

Today is Election Day 2008 in the United States. This is the day that we as American citizens have the right to go to the polls and cast our ballot for the candidates of our choice. I don’t know about you but I was truly beginning to wonder if this day would actually ever truly arrive, because the campaigning seemed to have been going on for the past two years of so. Enough already! The end is finally upon us. Yea! Regardless for whom you choose to cast your ballot, I would encourage everyone to go to the polls and let your opinions be known. Don’t let your busy, hectic lives be the cause of your not taking time to vote.
 
After all, regardless of the outcome, this election will make history. We will either elect the first African American  President or the first women Vice President. I, for one, want to make sure my opinion has been expressed in this matter. That way it will be easier for me to know that I did my small part to take part in this historical event in the history of our country.
 
I am not an overly political individual, but I do feel that it is important for everyone to get out and vote and thereby express your opinion in this election. Here in America, we have the freedom to vote for whomever we choose. The same can’t be said for other countries of the world, so you ought to count yourself blessed to have this privilege and not take the responsibility that comes with it lightly. If you choose not to exercise your freedom of choice and right to vote, I don’t feel that you have earned the right to complain if you don’t like the election results, no matter what they may be. So, do us all a favor and exercise your right to vote…you will feel better knowing that you did so.
 
On a personal note, this day also marks my sister, Karie’s 50th birthday. Happy birthday, sis! I wanted you to know that I was thinking of you as you mark this milestone in your life. You are probably still traveling, as a result of your move from Florida back to Texas, so I won’t be able to reach you. Have a great day! I’m very happy that you will be much closer to the family as a result of the move.

When Different Species of Hummingbird Migrate

There are far too many species of hummingbirds to mention every variety in this post, but this information  will give you some general information on the migration of several different species of hummingbirds. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds normally spend the winter in Central America. From March through May they migrate north, some through the eastern two thirds of Texas, some apparently through Cuba and Florida, and some apparently directly across the Gulf of Mexico. Birds reach the southern Gulf coast in late February and early March. Later migrants fly to breeding grounds further north. The farther north they are going the later they travel. Arrival time on the breeding grounds tends to not occur until food plants are blooming. Departure time also corresponds with the end of the blooming season for food plants. Fall migration lasts from late July until late October in the southern states.
 
Black-chinned Hummingbird Migration
 
In spring Black-chinned Hummingbirds can be seen returning to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona from mid-March through May. They reach Southern California by late March. It may be May before the species reaches the northwest states and British Columbia.
 
In fall they leave west-coast areas in mid-August and September. In Texas they are usually gone by mid-October. Black-chinned hummingbirds winter mostly in Mexico.
 
Broad-tailed Hummingbird Migration
 
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds spend the winter in mountains of Mexico. During spring migration they reach west Texas in March and April. In Arizona Broad-tails usually show up in March or early April. More northern states like Wyoming may not get Broad-tails until May. Broad-tails regularly migrate as far west as eastern California.
 
In fall they leave Wyoming and Colorado in September. Arizona, New Mexico and Texas may see fall migrants as late as October.
 

Rufous Hummingbird Migration — In spring Rufous Hummingbirds migrate up the Pacific coast, passing through California from February to May. The birds reach British Columbia in early April and Alaska by mid-April. Birds arrive in Idaho and Montana around the end of April.