Though we’ve grown an extensive assortment of flowers, our Foxglove appears to be the Ruby-throated hummingbird's favorite food source.
These tiny iridescent birds endlessly entertain as they hover while feeding, with wings beating 60 times per second, until they suddenly race away, disappearing like a dart. Capable of flying backwards, forward, and even upside down, these miniature
aerial acrobats are astounding.
Zooming intently between the Foxglove and the feeders filled with sugar water, they are focused on getting their fill, all while providing a fascinating live-action show.
These wee shimmering-green birds must feed on 1,500 flowers and consume over 600 insects a day to sustain themselves. As a result, they are determined to defend their food sources to get their fill. We watch, entranced, as they dive bomb each other, able to plummet over 60 mph, then pull out of the plunge to dash into the distance… only to return a moment later to protect their territory.
Occasionally, they will tolerate each other for a few moments to share a feeder.
When a male hummingbird perches in a patch of light, its scarlet neck and bright green back feathers dazzle with luminescence.
Our huge hydrangeas are also fun to watch, bustling with busy bees, bugs, and delicate butterflies fluttering and floating amidst the blossoms. These bountiful bushes remind me of large coral heads one sees when snorkeling in the ocean with colorful tropical fish flitting all around them.
At dusk, suddenly a squadron of dozens of dark-winged dragonflies descends, darting erratically like drones in an end-of-day frenzied feeding before disappearing into the night sky, and the show is over until morning.
