Most hummingbirds of the U.S. and Canada migrate south in fall to spend the winter in northern Mexico or Central America, thus my low turn-out at dinner time!
The Rufous Hummingbird is one of several species that breed in western North America. This is thanks in part to artificial feeders and winter-blooming gardens, and some even return to the same gardens year after year, which is what I am hoping for! The Rufous Hummingbird nests farther north than any other species and must tolerate temperatures below freezing on its breeding grounds, which, I understand happens for some humans, too. This cold hardiness enables it to survive temperatures well below freezing, provided that adequate shelter and feeders are available. Now that I've learned all this about hummingbirds, I suppose we purchased our feeder at the wrong time of year. I will keep my new feeder hanging anyway, at least through the fall, and see what happens. I really want to see these lovely birds up close.
P.S. Did you know that they can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their tiny little wings 90 times per second! They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds who can...I really want to see that.
Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne
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