September is the best time of year to observe one of nature’s most amazing animals. It’s hummer month!
Although several hummingbird species live in the southwest, only the Ruby Throated lives in eastern North America. It is the tiniest of our birds and only reaches three inches long. Hummers nest in suburban trees but aren’t frequently seen in the summer. By early fall local young hummingbirds have fledged and birds that summered in northern states and Canada are passing through on their way south.
Hummingbirds have an amazingly ability to hover as they sip nectar. They prefer tubular flowers, and the best way to attract this bird to a yard is to cultivate a wide array of colorful late summer and fall blooms. Our family loves watching hummers hover near columbine blooms out the kitchen window. They also check out Obedient plant and Crown of Thorns among other domesticated blooms.
Hummingbirds readily sip sugar water from a wide variety of hummingbird feeders on the market. So, putting a feeder outside a kitchen window is likely to attract this tiny bird for your enjoyment. Adding red food coloring is not necessary.
Many people worry that artificially feeding hummingbirds will cause them to linger in Iowa where they may be caught by cold weather. Fortunately, their migration instinct is powerful, and all hummingbirds leave the north before cold weather arrives.
By early October hummers have caught a ride on a strong north wind and are well on their way south. Now is a good time to replace hummingbird feeders with seed feeders for winter birds.
