WE'VE had a hummingbird feeder up all summer, but only noticed a hummingbird once. However, on a hike by the river this week we had a wonderful surprise. We passed by a man taking picture upon picture, seemingly of the bushes above a rather unappetizing looking bog. He showed us how the bushes and trees here were full of ruby throated hummingbirds! I couldn't zoom in far enough with our camera, but if you look closely in the picture you can just see one perching on a branch.Some hummingbird facts:
- The extremely short legs of the ruby-throated hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch.
- It beats its wings 53 times per second.
- They build their 2" wide nests directly on top of a branch, using spider web threads to hold them together.
- The oldest known ruby-throated hummingbird was over 9 years old.
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