Bird watching has long been a hobby of mine. This pair of birds were in my backyard earlier this year. I believe they are a male and female Summer Tanager.
Even before I was officially old at 50, I always enjoyed birding. When walking in the woods or hiking I would try to spot birds, especially unusual ones. Just this morning while walking the dog, I spotted two bluebirds, while not rare, an uncommon occurrence. In the same park, I have spotted ducks, quails and even an occasional blue heron.
But hummingbirds have always been the bird I enjoy attracting in my backyard. There is just something about their ability to fly and hover that is fascinating. In Ohio, the most common one is the Ruby Throated Hummingbird — which usually comes back home from the South in mid-to-late April.
While reading the Sunday paper, I came across an interesting story about hummingbirds. Scientists and volunteers have perfected a method of banding the birds so they better understand the migrating patterns of the various species. Through this research, scientists have learned the birds can live longer than a decade — as opposed to the 2-3 years previously believed. The article also noted,
…astonishing migrations have been found, with a Rufous hummingbird caught in Florida one winter showing up the following summer more than 3,500 miles away in southeast Alaska. Some birds have even been discovered wintering in areas where temperatures drop below zero degrees.
Hummingbirds are a protected species and you need a permit to capture one. However, if you are interested in becoming a volunteer with the project Birds and Blooms has an interesting article explaining the ins and outs of banding hummingbirds.
Charlie R. Claywell 