A Hummer

Little Whiz of Bird Land Earl Plato

“Faster than a speeding bullet?” Not quite. That ‘blur’ that went by us was a bird. I am sitting on my daughter and son-in-law’s porch in Wainfleet overlooking the Welland River. The ‘bullet’ went by and then in a second returned and hovered at the feeder. The Ruby-throated hummingbird, its wings truly a blur, was feasting at Diane’s feeder. She keeps it clean and faithfully refills the container. She has established loyal and healthy customers.
This smallest of all of our birds is attracted to tubular flowers such as trumpet flowers. I was told that in the wild - plants such as bee-balm of Shagbark Trail, jewelweed at Marcy’s Woods, thistle and petunia serve as sources of food. At their Wainfleet home Diane has filled the artificial feeder with a mixture of honey and coloured sugar water. Of course the colour is red.
Hummingbirds have remarkable powers of flight. You know what I mean. As far as I know they are only birds that can fly backwards and hover in one spot. Amazing!
“Humming” - that’s the sound they make in flight thus their name. Are you lucky to have a pair near your home?
Writer’s note: Magazine Birder’s World suggests two or more feeders if you are lucky to have more than one pair. These little guys are very territorial and will fight for area control.
At Ridgeway Fest this past July a lady brought in a Ruby-throated hummingbird’s nest to us at the Bert Miller Nature Club stand. The nest was only about two inches wide. She told us the neatly woven nest was held together with spider silk. Spider silk? Yes.
***
My recent article on the killdeer received telephone responses from Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. Moreover, Jean Davis of Pound Avenue wrote me a two page letter telling of her love for these birds. Jean is just a block away from Sunset Drive and Ken Benner’s killdeer site. In her interesting letter about a mother killdeer being snatched off her nest. I quote Jean as follows: “... morning arrived and when I looked at the ‘empty’ nest there was a killdeer sitting on those eggs. Believe it or not, he stayed there on the nest for about three weeks until the babies were hatched. I was absolutely amazed.” Note: Jean said “he”. Yes, this was a ‘father’ delivery! Ask her why. Love those killdeers.