Beautiful flowering bushes at the Pioneer Club, as we walked the Riverwalk today, my wife caught this action: According to the literature, the tiny birds mostly migrate across the Gulf of Mexico in winter, staying in Central America. Some evidently stop the migration in our area; we see them here all winter. The attrition rate for these amazing creatures is very high: average lifespan for about 85% of them is less than a year, though under ideal conditions they can live for years. What a shame. Their value as pollinators is priceless. Their little wings can beat as fast as 600 times a minute, while their hearts beat over 1000 beats a minute. You think your heart could keep up? Mine does 60 a minute, and I'm pooped! Frank
Gorgeous! They look like ruby throated hummingbirds. We have them here during spring and summer. They usually leave around the middle of September.