Ruby-throated Hummingbird waiting for me to fill the feeders. |
This was enough to make me hustle back inside to fill several feeders. As soon as I hung the first one, my friend made a beeline for it. I hardly had time to climb off the ladder before it was feeding! Ahh..that is good. Now maybe he will feel better! I hung the other three feeders. Before I left the garden six more hummers were feeding. I had not realized so many were here already! They must have migrated in a few days prior to the cool spell not knowing what they would be facing.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird with his feathers fluffed as he tries to ward off a cold rain. |
The hummers have a hard time coping when the temperatures suddenly drop. They must eat more to survive. Some of these birds migrate across the Gulf of Mexico to overwinter in either Central America or Mexico. This is a non-stop flight that can be very grueling for the hummer. I always try to have my feeders in place as soon as the weather warms but with the sporadic winter-like weather, I neglected to do so this spring. I feel terrible that I nearly caused problems for the tiny birds! Now, however, they seem happy and many more have stopped in to feed. The Buckeye bush and jasmine have started blooming so they can feed there, too. I blame the fickle spring for throwing the birds off on their migration. Most years, they time their flights according to flowers that are in bloom but this year, the blooms are not following the normal sequence. Usually, the orange trees and peach trees bloom right after the wisteria and jasmine followed by roses. However, this spring the oranges did not bloom..the wisteria was early..the jasmine is thinking about it and the peaches have bloomed twice! Crazy Spring! Can't you make up your mind? And quit messing with my birds! Folks..fill those feeders! The little guys need your help!
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