Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) – 6/11/23

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/11/23

Observation Time: 9:40 a.m.

Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd.

Common Name: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female)

Scientific Name: Archilochus colubris

Comments: Our hummingbird feeder, located right outside our kitchen window, provides close-up views of these fascinating creatures from late April through mid-September. All we have to do is clean the feeder and change the sugar water (1/4 cup of sugar per cup of water) every four or five days.

With a little patience, hummingbirds can even be trained to feed from your hand using a small hand-held feeder.

If hummingbirds find the feeder when they arrive in spring, they’ll nest nearby, weaving their teacup-size nests from lichens and spider webs. Their two white eggs are the size of jelly beans.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only species of hummingbird commonly seen in New England. They overwinter in Costa Rica. When they migrate north in spring, they fly several hundred miles across the Gulf of Mexico.

Hummingbirds make their nests out of lichens and spider webs. They weigh about as much as a nickel.

These photos were taken on a sunny morning with a shutter speed of 1/5,000th of a second.

More Information: All About Birds