Monday, April 14, 2008

hummer's arrive


Spring comes on like gangbusters. So much so that it’s hard to take note of it all. Sometime during the past few days while I was out of town, red buckeyes began to bloom in Knoxville. At the same time ruby-throated hummingbirds turned up as well. When I settled back into my home and looked out at the feeder—Saturday late—there perched a hummer. A coincidence? Dare I say not!

Studies have shown that the diminutive little birds weighing 1/10 of an ounce—about the same as two dimes—follow the blooming buckeyes north. As the native tree with red tubular flowers blooms in any given area, the hummingbirds soon appear.

It's a lovely piece of natural synchronicity.

4 comments:

HomegURL said...

Lyn - I have also viewed my first hummer of the season but it was not at my own feader - it was in Roane County on Sunday, April 13. Mine usually arrive on April 15 -- TAX DAY -- in Blount County - downtown Rockford. Thanks for the lovely info. Kathy B.

BriteCloud said...

I'll never forget the first time I saw a hummingbird. I was 11 and we were visiting my grandparents in California. Of course I had read about them and always been curious. If they lived in South Texas, I sure never saw any.

It was just as beautiful and fascinating as I had imagined. I couldn't stop watching it. I still have a fondness for them today.

Stephen Lyn Bales said...

homegurl.

That's one way to brighten Tax Day.

Oddly, I was on the roof late Saturday removing the chimney cap so that the swifts could find the chimney to nest, when I looked down and saw the first hummer of the season at the feeder nearby.

Stephen Lyn Bales said...

britecloud.

Hello again. Yes, hummingbirds are beautiful and fascinating.

California has a few more kinds of hummingbirds than we do, so there is no telling what you saw but as you said, it was memorable.