It's time for... The Anual Hummingbird Celebration  !!! Sept.16 - 19 - 06 Rockport/Fulton

Each year thousands of ruby-throated, and other species of hummingbirds swarm into the Corpus Christi bay area. It's their last stop before beginning the 540-mile trip across the Gulf of Mexico to their wintering grounds.Thousands of people attend the annual Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport and Fulton,Texas.The local people of these seaside towns open their private backyards to the public, allowing us all to wittness the amazing sights of so many  birds all together, feeding on the sweet nectar of native plant blooms and feeders.They stay only a short time, resting up and rejuvinating their energies before flying non-stop 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Pennisula in Central America where they spend their winter months.How lucky I am to live right here on migrational path of these tiny jewels.

The  humming birds that are zooming all around the habitat now are a welcome livilyness! Being the smallest species of all the birds, some of these guys are barely bigger than a bumble bee, and they have a very high metabalism rate so they have to refuel their energy with food about every 15 to 20 minutes  In the begining of hummer season ,when only Aloe Vera blooms can be found, before the rest of the  flowers are in full bloom , I have seen as many as 15 to 20 hummers at one feeder at the same time. But as the flowers become more abundent, they spread out to the other nectar resources.They  battle  over the nectar feeders and the trumpet vine blooms, chattering as they go. At times they are so agressive towards each other, it seems dangerous, but  they are only warning others to stay away from their territorial boundries. I sometimes think it is really just a form of recreation for them since there is plenty of sweet nectars for all  with the trumpet vines  growing all around my whole house ,as well as other blooming beauties , like the  blue Phlox, red Salvia, orange Mexican Heather, pink Pomogranit blooms, and the bright red Turks Caps . 

The Ruby Red Throated Hummingbirds are the most aggresive at this time, and were the first species to visit the habitat about 10 years ago.Since then Costa's Hummingbirds have become anual visiters as well as the Blue-throated Hummingbirds, and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, and about 4 years ago Broad-tailed Hummingbirds started visiting as well. I have seen them  do some pretty strange things at times. One picked cob-webs and paint chips off the side of my garage for days, rushing them to a nearby branch in a shrub that became the makings of a tiny nest. And I have watched baby ones sleep while perched up on the humming bird feeder on a lazy afternoon, for more than 20 minutes at a time. Many of them have inspected a manican statue that I dressed up as a garden maiden lady , over looking the back fence . I painted the maidens' face to image my own and used some of my old garden garbs to clothe her and she has attracted lots of different kinds of birds, but the humming birds are especially attracted to her bright pink lips.I presume since they are fond of red and pinks, they think the lips are a flower bloom , and she has gotten many kisses from them as a result. A few have come face to face with me , to within mere inches, just to hoover in mid air and investigate me.One darted down to the ground and hovered over my pet dogs' ears, both exchanging inquisative looks at one another , the dog tilting her head back and forth while the bird just hovered in one place. Fortunatly my dog is a bird lover like me and has no desire to harm them, but she will definatly make sure they are not a buzzing bee first, because she seems to have some major issues with the pesky bees.  

Trumpet vine                                                    Turks Caps