It has been a slow year for Hummingbirds. We typically have four to six birds in our backyard throughout the warm weather months. This year there are only two. The fights over our one feeder are fierce and fun to watch. In talking with others, we are not alone in noticing a decline in birds. If there is a reason for this, I don't know what it is and haven't Googled the situation.
I have photographed just about all the other bird species starting in the spring but had to wait for the Hummingbirds to show up. Over the last few days, I have dedicated hours to sitting on the patio with camera in hand waiting for the birds. As a result, I have a nice collection of photos showing the birds at rest and in action. All the photos are of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. This is the only species that I have seen this year.
Some interesting facts....Hummingbirds can fly at about 30 miles per hours. One article I read did the math and found out that if you measure speed by body lengths per hour, the Hummingbird is faster than a fighter jet. They can also fly as far as 1,200 miles non-stop.....amazing.
