First, photo credit for the incredible Hummingbird shot above goes to my Sister Susanne, who really captured this Hummingbird in all its beauty at her home…and here’s the best shot I could get at my house:
You see, this is their mating routine – and I’ve shared this once before, because I was amazed to see one of the Hummingbirds literally put on a full dance routine while sitting on the feeder – and now it looks like they are doing a “Top Gun: Maverick” aerial battle!
My Hummingbird Ballet!
I found out that this aerial ballet is the male’s way to attract females….with that in mind, here are five things you need to know about Hummingbirds:
They Hum!
1 – The name, hummingbird, comes from the humming noise their wings make as they beat so fast.
When I am outside filling up my feeder, I sometimes hear one “buzz” by me in a friendly way…they are very social creatures to be sure!
2 – They are the smallest migrating bird. They don’t migrate in flocks like other species, and they typically travel alone for up to 500 miles at a time.
It’s not often I get more than one at time on the feeder, but I didn’t know they didn’t migrate in flocks like other birds…
Going Both Ways!
3 – Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
All you have to do is watch them and see how they move backwards and forwards with ease.
Check out this video of a Hummingbird hovering over my feeder as another sits and drinks:https://video.wordpress.com/embed/AorPNWuI?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=1&loop=0&preloadContent=metadata&muted=0&playsinline=0&controls=1&cover=1
4 – Keep The Bar Open!
Yes, these birds love to belly up to the bar!
Hummingbirds drink the nectar found in feeders by moving their tongue in and out about 13 times per second. They can consume up to double their body weight in a day.
Go Red!
5 – Hummingbirds have no sense of smell. While they can’t sniff out feeders, they do have good color vision.
So, if you want a lot of Hummingbirds, plant naturally red or orange flowers – also: DO NOT USE Hummingbird solution that is dyed red – just buy a feeder with a red perch, like this:
I read that a Male Hummingbirds will “dance” to attract the Female – and while it was shot through a screen, I managed to capture the “dance”:
So there are just a few reasons a Hummingbird is a “spirit animal”, and I will keep trying to get better shots like this incredible photo, which also comes from my Sister:
An absolutely gorgeous shot – it’s an “Anna’s Hummingbird” – typically found along the western coast of the U.S. These birds are easy to attract to backyards with nectar or by looking in spring blossoming trees and flowers – see more of her terrific Hummingbird shots at her blog:
There is more wildlife in Southern California than you may realize: we routinely see news reports of wandering Bears and Mountain Lions, along with Coyotes, Raccoons and more…
OK, I admit that Giraffe don’t roam freely here – BUT there is a Safari in Malibu that’s the next best thing!
Stanley the Giraffe loves to be fed, and the Safari is also a wine tour!
Click here to see more!
I have also shared this story of deer wandering up our cub-de-sac in Beverly Hills:
They seem unaffected by us – here is video:
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Leave me a comment and let me know if you have Hummingbirds where you live!
Categories: Art, Los Angeles, Memoirs, nature, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Hi John, I have always loved hummingbirds, they are so pretty and tiny. Your sister certainly go a great shot of the Anna’s hummingbird. Lovely to see a picture of a giraffe.
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Thanks Robbie – they were acting crazy when I was shooting them!
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I’m not sure how scientists determine this, but I’ve read that hummingbirds can see colors outside the rainbow (those invisible to humans). Since natural flower nectar is clear, there is no reason to add food coloring to sugar water. In fact, there is some belief food coloring may be harmful to hummingbirds.
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Hummingbirds are my favorite bird! They are beautiful, with almost iridescent colors. We love to watch them in our yard. Most in our area are green. Red flowers are their favorite. I didn’t know #3!
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They are going wild today…really something else! Thanks for the comment!
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How wonderful! Best to you, John.
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I didn’t know much about hummingbirds except our American blogging friends all seem to have hummingbird feeders and I now know why the feeders are usually red. Migrating birds are always amazing and humming birds win top prize for solo trips… It is a strange thing about birds in general, they either hang out together in huge flocks or live their lives alone.
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They are really sociable and once you put up a feeder they will be regulars at the bar! Thanks for your note!
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Hummingbirds are amazing!! Great photos and videos.
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Yes, they are going wild outside my house and I love it! Thank you for commenting!
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I love hummingbirds! They are amazing little birds! Great videos of their courtship displays and dance! Thank you for the shout-out! 😍
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Great to see your videos, John. I so wish we had them in Britain, I am jealous of the countries that can enjoy watching them.
Best wishes, Pete.
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they are fascinating creatures – like fairies. great close-ups
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The aerial ballet literally goes on all day – sometimes 5 or 6 of them whizzing by and landing to dance on the feeder!
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