LADY BUG: HUMMINGBIRDS PROVIDE A MINIATURE ACROBATIC EXPOSITION

The hunningbirds are often termed "winged wizards." Their flying ability is superior to that any other bird. They can propel themselves forward, backwards to the right or the left or can remain motionless.

They begin wing motion prior to leaving their perch so when airborne, they can reach top speed almost instantly. Also, they are capable of changing gears quickly from forward flight to rise backward by merely slanting the angle of their wings.

When frightened suddenly a hummer can make a fast getaway by flying upside down. Also, they are capable of remaining motionless in the air while feeding. This type of aerial suspension requires the most of their energy among all of their antics.

On our annual trip to Ranbow Trout Ranch at Rockbridge, the non-fishermen (and women) spend hours at the lodge where hummingbird feeders are in each window of the spacious dining room. it is fascinating to watch their maneuvers and feeding habits.

It is one of the few birds that can lift straight into the air. It can turn its wings at 180 degrees forward or backward. They commonly beat their wings 50 to 70 times per second. During courtship, however, a male's wingbeat is up to 200 times per second, propelling him 30 to 40 miles an hour, as he puts on his best show for his lady friend. The buzzing sound and flight are part of the courtship ritual, according to DeeCee Frelling, a former wildlife specialist at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

When putting out bird feeders for the hummers for the first time, tie a red ribbon on or near the feeder, but do not color the water, authorities advise. They suggest boiling together one part sugar and four parts of water for two minutes. Do not add red coloring. Wash the feeder in fresh water from time to time to prevent mildew from forming.

This is the only bird which feeds on nectar alone, which is easiy digested and converted into energy. They like the sweet juices from columbine, penstemon, beel balm, salvia, nicotania, and hibiscus. As I am writing this, one is gathering the sweet nectar from the salvia in our front bed.

Insects are caught in flight. The female needs sand to supplement calcium for the eggs when she is nesting. They also like to be near water. They Ruby Throated hummers, weighing only three grams, or about half of the weight of a marble, stores up about 50 percent of its body weight to travel 50 miles to cross the Gulf of Mexico twice a year, flying non-stop.

Aided by uncanny memories, they return to the same food source each year, sometimes on the same date. When Mary Fern Hardy lived on Castor River near Farmington, she had a male bird that often left for his winter home later than the others. Before he left, she said, he would buzz round and round her head, as much as to say, "Farewell for now, and I'll see you come spring," and upon his return he again would buzz her head as she sat on her porch. The tiny birds life span is said to be about 9 or 10 years.

Each specie of hummers uses various types of materials for building their nests. The nest is about the size of a walnut. some use bits of bark while others create strong, fluggy nests that resemble cotton candy. Some use cobwebs, feathers, lichens and other organic materials.

Friends living near Jackson have had hummers build above their carport where they have been able to watch the construction and the female on the nest. The birds build a new nest each year, and the process takes sometimes up to two weeks. The incubation period if from 15 to 22 days. The mother will turn the eggs to allow all sides to be warmed adequately and will not leave the nest on a cold or rainy day. She also fluffs out her feathers on hot days. When the babies hatch, she regurgitates nectar and insects to feed them. It is from 8 to 10 days from hatching until the babies can fly on their own.

This bird firecely defends food sources against all comers, driving away much larger birds, oblivious to their size.

"Hummingbirds - Their Life and Behavior" by Esther Quesanda Tyrell, was the source of some of this hummingbird material.