Author: Hummingbird

What Happens to Hummingbirds During a Hurricane?

Have you ever wondered how hummingbirds are affected by hurricanes? Living along the Gulf Coast, in southeast Texas, I know that this is some thing that I have often wondered about myself. Until yesterday, while doing some searching on the Internet, I never knew an answer to this question. What follows is some very interesting and informative information which is written and provided by Mr. Bill Hilton of Hilton Pond. Thanks so much for the very informative insight into this matter.
 
Hummingbirds and hurricanes have been intertwined for hundreds of thousands of years. When bad weather hits, hummers hunker down as tightly as they can in the most sheltered place they can find, often in dense vegetation on the downwind side of a tree trunk. Their feet are very strong and can hold onto a twig very tightly when the wind blows.

Hummers have very little surface area and probably find it easier to get out of the wind than larger birds do.

The majority of hummingbirds will survive hurricanes over land unscathed–as is shown by folks who have reported hummers feeding heavily when the eye of the hurricane passes over, and by those who have observed them feeding as soon as the storm passes by but when winds are still strong.

Some enthusiasts in hurricane-prone areas secure their feeders with wire or duct tape prior to the advance of a storm so the birds can take sugar water whenever conditions allow. (Be sure to remove the duct tape after the storm, lest hummingbirds get stuck to it.)

All said, hummingbirds are not the delicate little creatures some folks perceive and can survive rough conditions. A far bigger danger than hurricanes over land are unexpected northbound winds in the Gulf of Mexico during migration. A bird that heads out into a hurricane is destined to become barracuda food. Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds probably succumb to the dangers of long-distance migration, of which hurricanes are a major part.

Somewhere around 70-80% of all young Ruby-throated Hummingbirds produced this year will die before next spring; otherwise we’d be up to our eyebrows in hummingbirds. Keep your feeders clean, enjoy the ones that make it, and don’t worry about those that succumb to the forces of nature.

— NOTE: All pages on the Web site for Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History are permanently archived. The main page has a Search Engine (as does every page on the site). Plug in your search term and you will find the info you seek. 

Best wishes,

BILL Hilton, Jr.

York SC

Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History at http://www.hiltonpond.org
"Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project" at http://www.rubythroat.org
 
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Hummingbird Food

Creating a Habitat to Entice the Hummingbirds

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Do you wish to create a habitat that will attract hummingbirds? If so, then it must have variety. As more and more of the hummingbird’s natural habitat has been lost due to increased population and urban development, the need to create alternate habitat sources has become even more important then ever before. It is my hope that this post will help you discover how to effectively create a hummingbird habitat. Also, by creating your own hummingbird habitat, you yourself are helping to ensure that these amazing birds will be around and that everyone can continue to enjoy them well into the future.
 
The exact habitat requirements for each species of hummingbird are different. The tips offered in this post are general in nature and are not intended to help to attract a particular species of hummingbird. The general nature of these tips should ensure that they can be used by anyone interested in creating a hummingbird habitat.
 
One key to creating a hummingbird habitat is that it should have areas of sun, partial sun, and shade. If the area of your yard where you want to create the hummingbird habitat is sunny most of the day, then you need to plant trees and shrubs. If the area is entirely in the shade, you will want to open up the area to let large patches of sunlight in. Having areas that allow both sun and shade is necessary to grow a wide variety of plants.
 
Your hummingbird habitat should consist of many levels of vegetation. The area should have some tall trees, some medium-height trees, some flowers, some grassy areas, as well as some shrubs. These different levels will provide the hummingbirds a variety of choices of where to feed or where to perch to rest or roost. This may help ensure that the hummingbird will remain in your yard for a longer period of time.
 
You want to plant a wide variety of flowers. You will want to choose both flowers that are known to attract hummingbirds as well as others. It is important to select flowers that will bloom at different times, because there will always be something flowering. The flowers will serve two very important purposes: they will provide a source of nectar for the hummingbirds, and they will also attract insects on which the birds will feed.
 
It is also important to have a source of water available for the hummingbirds. A hummingbird will get water wherever they find it, whether it is beads of water on a leaf, from a brook or stream, or even from a sprinkler. Another way to provide a source of water is by having a birdbath available. The birdbath should have a very shallow water depth to allow the birds to stand in the water if they choose to do so. Adding some small flat rocks to the birdbath will create different water depths within the birdbath.
 
By creating the right hummingbird habitat, you can create both an environment where hummingbirds not only want to feed but also nest. Having a wide variety of plants will provide the female hummingbird a wide variety of nesting materials from which to choose. Willow shrubs have downy fibers that many hummingbird species will use to build the bulk of their nest. The willows will also serve as a source of nectar for the hummingbirds and it will also attract insects on which the hummingbird can feed.
Your hummingbird habitat should also contain some perches so the hummingbirds can survey the territory. You might want to create some perches that give the birds a good view over the flowers. Hummingbirds will often perch on tree limbs that are above and behind the flowers or even on some bare tree limb.
 
For many species of hummingbirds, the size and range of their habitats is rapidly decreasing. Therefore, we must strive to provide alternate habitat sources. It is my hope that the information contained in this post will help you do so more effectively.

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird

According to what source you consult, you will find different information about where this particular species of hummingbird is found. Let me explain just what I mean. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s site, this species of hummingbird is found in extreme west Texas, on the Edward’s Plateau, in south Texas and on the coast.   According to hummingbird experts Don and Lillian Stokes, this hummingbird is found in one small area of the United States: the adjacent corners of Arizona and New Mexico. Regardless of which source you believe, apparently it isn’t very likely that many if us will see one for ourselves. 

The nest of this species of hummingbird has very rarely been found. Those nest that have been found located mostly in Sycamore trees on braches some 20-40 feet above the ground.
 
Virtually nothing is known of the migratory movements, courtship, breeding behavior, displays or territorial behavior of this bird. That is why it is extremely important that if you think you have observed this species, please take some notes because the information you provide could be valuable. 
 
This bird is a Texas Bird Records Committee review species. All occurrences should be reported to the committee with detailed documentation to enhance our knowledge of this bird in the state. Anyone wishing further information on how to provide the information should contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department or visit their website to learn more.
 
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Dear Mom

After Ike…Home is Oh So Sweet!

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Hello Everyone!

It is really good to be back with all of you once again.  As you are all aware Hurricane Ike recently slammed into the Gulf Coast region.  As a result, the area was under a manditory evacuation order and people were told to leave the area for our own safety or stay at our own risk.  I left the area with my father on September 12, 2008 and then returned to his house on September 19th and then finally returned to my apartment in Beaumont , Texas earlier today.  So. now you can understand why there have not been any new post in the past several days.

My father and I ended up evacuating to a small town called Merridian, Texas.  Why there you ask?  The answer to that is because it was located far enough north to get us out of the storm’s path and it was the only place where we knew we would be able to find anavailable hotel room.  You see, we knew about this very small town, population about 1500, because my grandmother, my dad’s mom, had once lived there.   The people are very nice there, but there is really nothing to do there for fun.  We stayed there until we returned to my dad’s house. 

As I said before, we returned to my dad’s house on September 19, 2008.  We retuned there knowing that the house had not sustained any damage, and that the electricity was not yet back on. While we were away, we kept hearing about the devastation caused by the storm in Galveston, Crystal Beach, Orange, Bridge City, Beaumonmt and other places.  My dad’s house is located about five miles or so from BridgeCity, Texas and 99 pecent of the homes in businesses located in Bridge City were severly damaged or totally distroyed by the devastating storm surge and the amout of water this produced.   People are still trying to clean up and salvage what lttle if anything they can from their homes and businesses.  This is going to take quite some time and is being made much more difficult because people need housing or lodging while they work to put their lives tback together once again.  Athough, it will never be the same again and it won’t return to anything resembling "normal" for quite some time, I’m quite sure.   

After our retun, I kept telling my dad how very fortunate we were that his house had not sustained any damage and that he only had two trees in the yard needing to be removed.  Yes, we all take elctricity and water for granted, but after seeing what true desistation and loss look like It isn’t something to complain about.  After all, we were safe and had a home to sleep in and food to eat, while other aren’t as fortunate.  My heart breaks for all those who have lost  vitually all their belongings and their homes, but I know that the Lord will help see them through during this difficult time and that each of us should do whatever it is that we can to lend a helping hand along the way.

It wasn’t until earlier today that ectricity was restored fully to the apartment complex where I live.  Part of the building has had power for a few days, but the rest just got it today.  That is why I have not been able to post until now.  It is so good to be home!  I have so very much to be thankful for and I truly am blessed.

Have a great day.  Please keep all those who are continuing to try and put their lives back together after Hurricane Ike in your thoughts and prayers.  While it may seem like a small thing, prayer truly does change things and I know that it is far more powerful than this situation.

 Thanks, mom!  I know that both you and the Lord were looking out for all of the family during this.  We came through just fine and are all so very blessed.

 

 

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Dear Mom

Hurricane Ike

Hurricane season 2008 has been extremely active. I am writing this post in advance, just in case we are forced to evacuate the area. Today is Tuesday and as of current predictions, Hurricane Ike is predicted to make landfall somewhere between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, Texas sometime later this week. As everyone probably knows, the projected path of the storm could change very rapidly and this makes it extremely hard to predict where the hurricane will make landfall.
 
If you are reading this post, then it means that I have had to evacuate the area and there is no way for me to know how long I must remain out of the area. That is why this may be the final post for several days. I didn’t want anyone reading this blog not to understand why there may not be new post for some time. Rest assured, I will return home just as quickly as possible and once again begin posting.
 
If it should become necessary, my boyfriend and I will be evacuating with my father. At this time, I have no idea where we will end up going to or how long we will need to remain there. Evacuating is not something anyone in my family wishes to do but we are making the necessary precautions just in case they should become necessary. This evacuation would be the second time in about a week that we have had to endure this stress and inconvenience, but because of the extremely unpredictable nature of these storms one can never be too cautious or careful. After all, no one wants a repeat of our Hurricane Rita experience, which caused massive devastation and destruction to this region of the country.
 
I wish that Hurricane Ike would just dissipate and spare any area of the country damage, but that seems highly unlikely to happen. Only time will tell how bad things are for anyone as a result of this hurricane. Just keep everyone who could be affected by this hurricane in your thoughts and prayers. I will be back and posting on the blog just as quickly as possible.