Our Love of Hummingbirds (Our Love of Wildlife) - Hardcover

9781591936886: Our Love of Hummingbirds (Our Love of Wildlife)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591936888 ISBN 13: 9781591936886

Publisher: Adventure Publications, 2017

The hummingbird: nature’s most entrancing backyard guest

People love hummingbirds. Ruby-throated, Black-chinned, Rufous and more, birding enthusiasts and gardeners are infatuated with them all. We put up our brightly colored feeders, and we wait, hoping to glimpse their tender frames, colorful features and aerial acrobatics. Acclaimed naturalist and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela shares his up-close-and-personal images as he presents the amazing lives of these incredible birds. Anyone who appreciates the wonders of nature will treasure this spectacular collection of photographs and information.

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About the Author:

Naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer Stan Tekiela is the author of more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs. Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.

Spring Arrives: Where Are My Hummingbirds?

Weeks after the weather warms, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are still nowhere to be found. The journey northward is long and difficult for these winged jewels. Like many small birds, they migrate at night and feed during the day. Tiny Ruby-throats are no match for the strong winds blasting out of the north or large storms whipping in the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration, so they wait for the favorable, warm southern winds to help propel them along.

Along with the weather, wildflowers and insects also play a role in migration. If Ruby-throats migrate before wildflower nectar is readily available or insect populations hatch, they can starve to death. When all of the conditions are in place at the proper time, one spring morning you will awake to find your hummingbirds home again.

Home After a Long Flight

There is a special joy in seeing our hummingbirds return from the tropics each spring. People who put out hummingbird feeders are especially thankful that the birds survived the long flight from the wintering grounds, in some cases up to 2,000 miles away!

Hummingbirds, such as the Broad-tailed, enjoy the good life during the winter months, feeding from a profusion of tropical flowers. These months are a time of rest and recuperation, and that includes a hiatus from breeding. They won’t mate and raise young again until they come back to our yards. This makes the habitat we provide for them very important indeed.

Typically, the male hummers return a few days to a week before the females. Depending on the weather, sometimes they all arrive at the same time.

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