Hummingbirds is coming to town!!

Cindy and I has been putting up couple bird feeders for hummers since April this year. We were hoping to create a great habitat for this cute tiny little creature when they are on their Spring migration, however, due to our trip back to Asia on early May, we don’t really get a chance to have a good observation on whether they are stopping by at our garden.

After coming back from Asia, we have the feeders cleaned up, fill it up with fresh nectar, and get ready to welcome the return of hummers for their Fall migration. At that time, it was end of July, no sign of hummers showing up at our back garden for next couple weeks, not until… 8/15/09 11:40am, when we were walking from the back porch to the garage, Cindy saw a tiny little thing flying around the feeders, yes.. It’s the hummer!! We saw the first hummer of the fall at our back garden, we were really excited!! Then the following day, Cindy saw it again around 7pm.

Anyway.. below is a short video clip I shot during a hummer visiting our back garden.

Fall 2009: First hummer observed on 8/15/09 at 11:40am.

Some quick facts about hummingbirds in Houston:
- Most of the hummingbirds in Houston appear during Spring and Fall season while they are on their migratory way to the South and North.
- One can expect hummers to visit Houston on their Spring migration around first week of April and Fall migration around first week of August.
- Other than a homemade nectar/sugar water, hummingbirds also love flowering plants and small insect.
- From late March to early May, hummers migrate in large numbers from Mexico and Central America through southeast Texas to their breeding grounds in the eastern half of North America and in the eastern portion of the Great Plains. In late July, the ruby-throats begin a return trip to wintering grounds in Latin America, passing through Houston once again in large numbers. But instead of moving through quickly as they do in the spring, they dawdle in our area to build up body fat that fuels their arduous journey south of the border.