I saw a hummingbird feeder similar to this in Birds & Blooms. The original creator is Lisa Szczgiel-Durante of Thomaston, Connecticut. I have done many modifications to this feeder make it work for me. With this test tube feeder it enables you to also try to hand feed your hummingbirds!
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Bird
- Diet:
- Omnivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- 5 to 9 years
- Size:
- 3 to 4 in (7 to 9 cm)
- Weight:
- 0.07 to 0.21 oz (2 to 6 g)
- Did you know?
- The hum of a hummingbird is made by the bird’s rapid wing beats, up to 53 beats per second for a ruby-throated hummingbird.
- Size relative to a tea cup:
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The male ruby-throated hummingbird does indeed have a striking red throat, though the female of the species does not. You would have to look quickly to see either, however, as these speedy little birds can beat their wings 53 times a second and fly in an acrobatic style matched by few other birds. They hover often, and also fly upside down and backwards. These hummingbirds have extremely short legs, so they cannot walk or even hop with any efficiency.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds live in woodland areas, but also frequent gardens where flowering plants are plentiful. They hover to feed on flowers, nectar, and sap. During this floral feeding process, the birds pollinate many plants.
These tiny birds are omnivores, sometimes feeding on insects and spiders. An adult ruby-throated hummingbird may eat twice its body weight in food each day, which it burns up with the high metabolism necessary to sustain its rapid wing beat and energetic movements.
This hummingbird breeds in eastern North America and is the only hummingbird species to do so. Males establish a territory and court females who enter it with flying and diving behaviors, and by showing off their red throat plumage. Females provide all care for young hummingbirds. They lay one to three eggs, incubate them for about two weeks, and, after hatching, feed their young for about three weeks. A female may have several broods in a year. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are largely solitary outside of the breeding season.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds winter in Mexico and Central America. To get there from their North American breeding grounds some birds embark on a marathon, nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. They may double their weight in preparation for this grueling journey.
I decided to have a bit of fun with my squirrel buddies…although they may not share my idea of fun! Peanuts were tied to a string and hung from different feeders and off the line. For people that do not know a lot about squirrels you would be amazed how smart they really are. It took them no time to figure things out, a little longer to actually get their peanuts. It sure was fun watching them!
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Mammal
- Diet:
- Omnivore
- Size:
- 5 to 36 in (13 to 91 cm)
- Weight:
- 0.5 oz to 4 lbs (14 g to 2 kg)
- Group name:
- Scurry or Dray
- Size relative to a tea cup:
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Like other rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that never stop growing so they don't wear down from the constant gnawing. Tree squirrels are the types most commonly recognized, often seen gracefully scampering and leaping from branch to branch. Other species are ground squirrels that live in burrow or tunnel systems, where some hibernate during the winter season.
Ground squirrels eat nuts, leaves, roots, seeds, and other plants. They also catch and eat small animals, such as insects and caterpillars. These small mammals must always be wary of predators because they are tasty morsels with few natural defenses, save flight. Sometimes groups of ground squirrels work together to warn each other of approaching danger with a whistling call.
Tree squirrels are commonly seen everywhere from woodlands to city parks. Though they are terrific climbers, these squirrels do come to the ground in search of fare such as nuts, acorns, berries, and flowers. They also eat bark, eggs, or baby birds. Tree sap is a delicacy to some species.
Whether they dwell high in a tree or in an underground burrow, female squirrels typically give birth to two to eight offspring. Babies are blind and totally dependent on their mothers for two or three months. Mothers may have several litters in a year, so most squirrel populations are robust.
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Bird
- Diet:
- Omnivore
- Size:
- 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm); Wingspan, 13 to 17 in (34 to 43 cm)
- Weight:
- 2.5 to 3.5 oz (70 to 100 g)
- Group name:
- Flock
- Size relative to a tea cup:
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Blue jays are natural forest dwellers, but they are also highly adaptable and intelligent birds. They are a familiar and noisy presence around many North American bird feeders. The blue jay's "Jay! Jay!" call is only one of a wide variety of sounds the bird employs—including excellent imitations of several hawk calls.
Blue jays are sometimes known to eat eggs or nestlings, and it is this practice that has tarnished their reputation. In fact, they are largely vegetarian birds. Most of their diet is composed of acorns, nuts, and seeds—though they also eat small creatures such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. Blue jays sometimes store acorns in the ground and may fail to retrieve them, thus aiding the spread of forests.
Common in much of eastern and central North America, blue jays are gradually extending their range to the Northwest. They are fairly social and are typically found in pairs or in family groups or small flocks. Most northern birds head south for the winter and join in large flocks of up to 250 birds to make the long journey. However, this migration is a bit of a mystery to scientists. Some birds winter in all parts of the blue jay's range, and some individual birds may migrate one year and not the next. It is unclear what factors determine whether each blue jay or family decides to migrate.
