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April 15, 2010 - Say hello to a tiny winged wonder10A I APRIL 15. 2010 1 SUFFOLKTIMES.COM Say hello to a tiny winged wonder Recently we began to hear reports of a number of hummingbirds in our area, so we checked our feeder more closely and sure enough, we spot- ted the beautiful male ruby- throated hummingbird passing through on its annual migration north Humming- birds have left their winter quarters in Central America on their epic journey north, some on their way inland, some actually flying 18 hours across 500 miles of the Gulf of Mexico. We were lucky enough that some of them came inland and treated us to a splendid show of their aerial agility and daz- zling colors before leaving after only a week or two to rest and refuel These hummingbirds reminded me of some ofmy experiences with the brilliant - FOCUS ON NATURE colored s that ke t- ' terlike precious stones in the v late PAUL STOUTENBURGH sunlight as Y land quickly, feed fora few moments and disappear as quickly as they came. When not on the feeder the hum - mingbird would try out our purple petunias, but preferred the feeder for a few quick drinks and then he was off to our bright red geraniums. They also enjoy trumpet creeper, cardinalflower, honeysuckle, jewelweed and bee balm flowers, where we photographed them in our garden at home. Try putting a feeder out this year in hopes ofattract- ing some ofthe nesting ruby-throated hummingbirds in our area. The first time I saw one of these fragile little fellows was when one came to a tnmtpet creeper on my dad's backporch years ago, when I was very young. It left a lasting impression on me, how this little bird whose wings beat so fast Icouldrit see them (200 times a second), could move in any direction —up, down, forward., back- ward— or just hover in midair. later, when I became interested in photography, I was going to try to pho- tograph some night herons on aduck farm, now the Indian Island County Park in Riverhead. I was carrying a bird blind camera and binoculars along a path to where the night herons roosted when I became aware of a buzzing sound around my head. I thought it was a wasp and swished it away only to have it come back and buzz me again. When I stopped to see what it was, I found it to be a ruby- throated hum- mingbird guarding its nest a mere six feet off the ground. The night herons would have to wait, as I quickly set up my equipment and tried for a photo of this tiny bird that had stopped me in my tracks. Looking through the opening in my blind, I could see the nest had been built on the limb of a tree and was cov- ered with lichens, so it seemed to dis- solve into its surroundings. Luck was on my side and the female soon came back and settled into her tiny walnut - sized nest just before I left I looked into the nest and saw two white pea -sized eggs in this cozy little nest built of plant down interlaced with PAUL AND BARBARA STOUTENBU RGH PHOTOS This ruby- throated hummingbird just passed through our area in Florida on its epic journey north. The tiny birds stayed around for nearly 10 days resting and feeding on flowers. spider webs and shingled with lichens. Since that time I've photographed the broad - tailed hummingbird in Colo- rado while camping with the family and the orange hummingbird on the Pacific Coast when Barbara and I toured our western states. The ruby - throated humming- bird feeds on nectar and insects and spiders, which I once witnessed up in Canada, where we spent time at our friends' fishinglodge. As we sat on the porch after a day of fishing we began to notice some activity in the top of the high ceiling. We watched for a while and to our surprise we saw something slowly tumbling down. On closer in- spection we found it was a hununing- bird tangled so badly in spider webs that it could not move. We untangled it and let it go. It wasn't long before we saw this feisty little hummingbird go Left. These common cooter turtles, which grow as large as 12 inches across, were sunning themselves along the edge of a pond at the botanical park we visited recently. Above: This paper wasp was busy in our petunias on the deck when we spotted it Since then we have found nests under the eaves and in our shed right back to her feeding frenzy among the spider webs. This time as it tum- bled down we untangled it and took it a good distance away and released it On our recent visit to the botanical park near us in Florida we noticed what looked a bit to us like a beauti- ful pink dogwood blooming but we discovered it to be a tree with long, pink, tubular flowers — called the purple trumpet tree —much like our trumpet creeper back home that the hummingbird, with its long bill, enjoys getting nectar from. What a beautiful blossom for the migrating hummingbirds to find and enjoy on their short stay here. While there along the water's edge we spotted three common cooter tur- tles sunning themselves, only to realize as we looked at the photo later there are actually four, if you look closely. Along with spring come all sorts of birds, flowers and insects. While watching for the hummingbird one day Barbara spotted a large wasp. It turned out to be a paper wasp, probably the one that built the small nest suspended on a short stalk in our shed. There are always exceptions to the rule in anything and that goes for na- ture as well. Ruth Oliva was visited by a westem Rufous hummingbird one winter. It got so cold that Ruth had to take the feeder into the house at night to keep it from freezing and put it out again the next day. Day after day that little bird would come from somewhere and enjoy the sugar water that was set out for it. Ruth surmised it must have been spending the night across the street in the low brush to keep warm. It was a great holiday gift that Ruth enjoyed. t `�iysarrr"W Tni .��,�.�•'�'� .mss .�� -.,. �r PAUL AND BARBARA STOUTENBU RGH PHOTOS This ruby- throated hummingbird just passed through our area in Florida on its epic journey north. The tiny birds stayed around for nearly 10 days resting and feeding on flowers. spider webs and shingled with lichens. Since that time I've photographed the broad - tailed hummingbird in Colo- rado while camping with the family and the orange hummingbird on the Pacific Coast when Barbara and I toured our western states. The ruby - throated humming- bird feeds on nectar and insects and spiders, which I once witnessed up in Canada, where we spent time at our friends' fishinglodge. As we sat on the porch after a day of fishing we began to notice some activity in the top of the high ceiling. We watched for a while and to our surprise we saw something slowly tumbling down. On closer in- spection we found it was a hununing- bird tangled so badly in spider webs that it could not move. We untangled it and let it go. It wasn't long before we saw this feisty little hummingbird go Left. These common cooter turtles, which grow as large as 12 inches across, were sunning themselves along the edge of a pond at the botanical park we visited recently. Above: This paper wasp was busy in our petunias on the deck when we spotted it Since then we have found nests under the eaves and in our shed right back to her feeding frenzy among the spider webs. This time as it tum- bled down we untangled it and took it a good distance away and released it On our recent visit to the botanical park near us in Florida we noticed what looked a bit to us like a beauti- ful pink dogwood blooming but we discovered it to be a tree with long, pink, tubular flowers — called the purple trumpet tree —much like our trumpet creeper back home that the hummingbird, with its long bill, enjoys getting nectar from. What a beautiful blossom for the migrating hummingbirds to find and enjoy on their short stay here. While there along the water's edge we spotted three common cooter tur- tles sunning themselves, only to realize as we looked at the photo later there are actually four, if you look closely. Along with spring come all sorts of birds, flowers and insects. While watching for the hummingbird one day Barbara spotted a large wasp. It turned out to be a paper wasp, probably the one that built the small nest suspended on a short stalk in our shed. There are always exceptions to the rule in anything and that goes for na- ture as well. Ruth Oliva was visited by a westem Rufous hummingbird one winter. It got so cold that Ruth had to take the feeder into the house at night to keep it from freezing and put it out again the next day. Day after day that little bird would come from somewhere and enjoy the sugar water that was set out for it. Ruth surmised it must have been spending the night across the street in the low brush to keep warm. It was a great holiday gift that Ruth enjoyed. APRIL 15, 2010 1 SUFFOLKTIME to a tin ay Hello wined wonder PAUL AND BARBARA STOUTENBURGH PHOTOS ruby- throated hummingbird just passed through our area in Florida on its epic journey north. The tiny birds stayed around for nearly ivs resting and feeding on flowers. rcecenuy we began to hear reports of a number of hummingbirds in our area, so we checked our feeder more closely and sure enough, we spot- ted the beautiful male ruby- throated hummingbird passing through on its annual migration north. Humming_ birds have left their winter quarters in Central America on their epic journey north; some on their way inland, som( actually flying 18 hours across 500 miles of the Gulf of Mexico. We were lucky enough that some of them came inland and treated us to a splendid show of their aerial agility and daz- zling colors before leaving after only a week or two to rest and refuel. These hummingbirds reminded me Of some of my experiences with the FOCUS ON NATURE, colored gems that glit- ter like precious stones in the . late as .0 Iu Li-my, iceu for a rew moments and disappear as quickly as they came. When not on the feeder the hum- mingbird would try out our purple petunias, but preferred the feeder for a few quick drinks and then he was off to our bright red geraniums. They also enjoy trumpet creeper, cardinal flower, honeysuckle, jewelweed and bee balm Howers, wnere we photographed them in our garden at home. Tly putting a feeder out this year in hopes of attract- ing some of the nesting ruby- throated hummingbirds in our area. The first time I saw one of these fragile little fellows was when one came to a trumpet creeper on my dad's back porch years ago, when I was very young. It left a lasting impression on me, how this little bird, whose wings beat so fast I couldn't see them (200 times a second), could move in any direction — up, down, forward, back- ward — or just hover in midair. Later, when I became interested in photography, I was going to try to pho- tograph some night herons on a duck farm, now the Indian Island County Park in Riverhead. I was carrying a bird blind, camera and binoculars along a Path to where the night herons roosted when I became aware of a buzzing sound around my head. I thought it was a wasp and swished it away only to have it come back and buzz me again. When I stopped to see what it was, I found it to be a ruby- throated hum- mingbird guarding its nest a mere six feet off the ground. The night herons would have to wait, as I quickly set up my equipment and tried for a photo of this tiny bird that had stopped me in my tracks. � UX. Hig uuuugn me opening in my blind, I could see the nest had been built on the limb of a tree and was cov- ered with lichens, so it seemed to dis- solve into its surroundings. Luck was on my side and the female soon came back and settled into her tiny walnut - sized nest. Just before I left I looked into the nest and saw two white pea -sized eggs in this cozy little nest built of plant down interlaced with spider webs and shingled with lichen Since that time I've photographed the broad - tailed hummingbird in Colo- rado while camping with the family and the orange hummingbird on the Pacific Coast when Barbara and I toured our western states. The ruby- throated humming- bird feeds on nectar and insects and spiders, which I once witnessed up in Canada, where we spent time at our friends' fishing lodge. As we sat on the porch after a day of fishing we began to notice some activity in the top of the high ceiling. We watched for a while and to our surprise we saw something slowly tumbling down. On closer in- spection we found it was a humming- bird tangled so badly in spider webs that it could not move. We untangled It and let it go. It wasn't long before we >aw this feisty little hummingbird go right back to her feeding frenzy among the spider webs. This time as it tum- bled down we untangled, it and took it a good distance away and released it. On our recent visit to the botanical park near us in Florida we noticed what looked a bit to us like a beauti- ful pink dogwood blooming but we aiscovered it to be a tree with long, pink, tubular flowers — called the purple trumpet tree — much like our trumpet creeper back home that the hummingbird, with its long bill, enjoys getting nectar from. What a beautiful blossom for the migrating hummingbirds to find and enjoy on their short stay here. While there along the water's edge we spotted three common cooter tur- tles sunning themselves, only to realize as we looked at the photo later there are actually four, if you look closely. Along with spring come all sorts of birds, flowers and insects. While watching for the hummingbird one day Barbara spotted a large wasp. It turned out to be a paper wasp, probably the one that built the small nest suspended on a short stalk in our shed. There are always exceptions to the rule in anything and that goes for na- ture as well. Ruth Oliva was visited by a western Rufous hummingbird one winter. It got so cold that Ruth had to take the feeder into the house at night to keep it from freezing and put it out again the next day. Day after . day that little bird would come from somewhere and enjoy the sugar water that was set out for it. Ruth surmised It must have been spending the night 1cross the street in the low brush to ceep warm. It was a great holiday gift hat Ruth enjoyed.