Hummer in the Garden

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been making regular visits to our Coral Honeysuckle. In the east we only have one breeding hummingbird whereas west of the Mississippi there about a dozen species. The reason for this is likely due to the reduced number of tubular flowering plants found in the eastern part of the country. Ruby-throated Hummingbird begin to arrive in our area in late April and almost all of them have headed south to Central America by the end of September.

Hummingbirds are the only birds able to fly forwards and backwards. Here she approaches a flower slowly and positions herself below the flower before entering.

The hummingbird’s long bill is perfectly adapted to reach into a tubular flower to collect nectar. Once she taken enough nectar from that particular flower she will move onto another one, never returning to the same flower twice in one visit to that plant. Native vines such as Coral Honeysuckle and Trumpet Vine are wonderful because they have so many flowers.

Though the feisty hummingbird has few enemies it green back blends in well amongst amongst the plants its visits.