Ruby Throated Hummingbirds enjoy watching over their territory around feeders while "swinging" from this attractive Hummingbird Swing Perch. This is the Songbird Essentials SEHHHUMS Copper Hummingbird Swing from Amazon. Attractive, but a bit pricey at $12 - it works and looks good on a porch or deck. I like the wood and copper look. As you can see in the video there is no shortage of natural perches near the feeders so I was delighted to see this get used as much as it does. It tends to be used most often in the morning and early evening when the hummers are most active.
Ruby Throated Hummingbirds versus Yellow Jacket hornets at the nectar feeder. Besides fighting each other the hummingbirds have to contend with a few hornets who have claimed the nectar feeder and are vigorously - and quite successfully - defending it. When you watch the actions of the hornets it certainly gives the impression of intelligence and strategy. Sad to say the hummingbirds - which are birds with attitude after all - have been dominated by Bumblebees and Butterflies in the past so the hornets running them off is not too surprising. But despite all the battle they manage to get a drink of nectar in now and then. See also Hummingbird versus bee:
Male Ruby Throated Hummingbird has claimed this small feeder as his own now that spring flowers have declined. This video, taken in very poor morning light, is a good example of how the ruby-throat can look pitch black at times and then light up like a Christmas bulb when he decides to flash it - even in an early morning overcast.
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Hummingbird Helicopter! I was having some fun filming Ruby Throated Hummingbirds in slow motion from above - and it turns out a Hummingbird sounds much like a helicopter when filmed in slow motion. You can hear it before you see it - Crank up the volume! Ruby Throated Hummingbird at 1/8 normal speed - 240 FPS and the wings are still a blur, but rather than a circular blur like a helicopter you can see the range of their horizontal motion is much less as they flap in sort of a figure 8 pattern with more of a vertical component than a helicopter. It turns out studies earlier this year by Stanford engineers have found that hummingbirds actually have a more efficient a design than the best helicopter. To hear a hummingbird from above in normal speed check out:
Preparing for fall migration southward a cold Ruby Throated Hummingbird puts on a lot of weight in early October and guards its nectar feeder in preparation for the long flight from the Great Smoky Mountains to perhaps Mexico or Central America. Freezing temperatures have arrived as of 10/5/14 and a few straggler migrants will continue passing through and feeding voraciously. Feeders will be kept out for a few more weeks just in case a late arrival needs help. Contrary to some beliefs, leaving hummingbird nectar feeders out in the fall does not delay migration, but rather helps those hummers migrating later in the season.
Continuing on the hummingbird theme as the little birds will soon be gone until next year this is a recording of loud Ruby Throated Hummingbird wing sounds that provide the characteristic "humming" of the hummingbirds. This very close and unique perspective from above gives a great view of the wings and the very loud humming sound that results from wings beating from 50 to perhaps 200 beats per second. You can also see the ripples on the nectar from the wind generated by the rapid beat of the tiny wings.
This Ruby Throated Hummingbird knows how to enjoy life high in the Great Smoky Mountains and prefers to drink his nectar from a tiny wine glass while socializing on the deck. Crank up the volume and put on a large screen and enjoy the view! It was a challenge to get the bird in sharp focus and the forest and mountains in the background, but it came out nice. The hummers will soon be heading south for the winter - they will be missed!
Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird chilling out and preening on her favorite perch overlooking a source of nectar. She may have a nest nearby - this is some rare quality down time between fighting with other hummingbirds over nectar sources.
A fledgling Ruby-Throated Hummingbird crashed into our lives high in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina in late August 2013. Over the course of the next five hours we nursed the little hummer back to health and released it back to the wild hoping the mother would return. When she did - the drama was just beginning. We tell the story in full HD in: Baby Hummingbird Rescue - an original Nature Documentary. The story of a young Ruby Throated Hummingbird's wild and rocky first day out of the nest. Includes extreme closeup video of the birds rescue and reunion with its mother. Some of the interactions between the mother hummingbird and the fledgling out of the nest have not been put on film before. Please enjoy!
Hummingbird Rescue Kit - We were fortunate we could assist this little bird, but feeding hummingbirds and now knowing we might be called upon to rescue one - we have completed a "Hummingbird Rescue Kit" based on information from http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com.
Ruby Throated Hummingbirds continue their battle with insects over the sweet nectar in the feeder. After getting chased off by a Swallowtail Butterfly in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXx0v7lMG40
These Hummers now have a rather gluttonous BumbleBee to deal with. The Bee has quite poor table manners, where the Hummers could grab a quick drink while the ants, small bees and butterflies were also drinking - the stout BumbleBee simply sticks it's entire bulbous head into the entrance - blocking others from sharing. The Hummer is clearly aggrivated and snaps and scolds at the Bee - but does not dispatch it.
Ruby Throated Hummingbird mother feeding baby allows us to see its beating heart.
You can not count as fast as this precious little Ruby-Throated Hummingbird fledgling's heart beats in 40 seconds of video. Watch the zoomed-in PIP of the birds heart area in full 1080 HD. Hummingbirds have the fastest heart rates of all birds. We rescued a prematurely fledged baby hummingbird that crashed and exhausted itself - more on that in later video blogs - but here it is re-united with its mother and in assuming the out of the nest feeding position so the mother can get food into its beak, the bird allows us to see its tiny heart beating incredibly fast under its pink breast flesh. The hummingbirds has one of the biggest hearts in proportion to its body in the animal world, but it is still smaller than a green pea!
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Crank up the volume! Close up video and audio of a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird at an isolated feeder above evergreen trees. The sun was just right to bring out the iridescent green feathers. It is interesting to see how the hummingbirds interact with small insects at this scale. You will also hear some loud calls of nearby Cardinals.
Swallowtail Butterfly Rule The Hummingbird Feeder!
No Room For Hummingbirds Here!
Aerial Battle For Nectar Feeder Dominance - Won By The Butterfly!
I'm not sure this phenomena has been well-documented before, but it is amazing on at least two counts - one the butterfly is hovering by rapidly flapping its wings like a hummingbird to drink nectar from a feeder, and two - the butterfly is totally dominating the nectar feeder and chasing away the hummingbirds with deliberate acts of aggression. I observed this odd behavior and fortunately it continued for some time - allowing me to get my camera set up nearby on a tripod without disturbing the actions. This Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly pushes around both male and female Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds at a small nectar feeder. Very surprising since the hummers spend the day violently fighting each other for dominance of the feeder. I know they are the smallest birds in the world, but they should remember they are indeed birds and not let insects push them around. Perhaps the amazing cheekiness of this Swallowtail has thrown them for a loop - they don't know what to do - it wont even share the feeder with them! It is also possible the butterfly it is under the influence of the high octane artificial nectar and acting out of character!
Video: Butterflies and Hummingbirds Love Crimson Bee Balm
Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly on Crimson Bee Balm Wildflower
Its late summer wildflower and butterfly season and I found a nice colony of Crimson Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)in a mucky area along a mountain stream. Pipevine Swallowtails with the characteristic 7 orange spots on the underside of the wings and a few Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds were feasting on the nectar. Bee Balm is called many things including: crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Oswego tea, or bergamot. It is in the mint family and has a long history of medicinal use - usually in tea form. To find a large wild natural colony of this striking wildflower is quite a treat. More HD videos every week. Please Subscribe at: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=MyBackyardBirding
Video: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird enjoying the rain
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird in the rain
This male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is having too much fun in the rain! The more I observe hummingbirds away from the feeder the more I appreciate their personalities and natural behavior. The nectar feeder is just a very small part of their daily activities and food.
Cute Ruby Throat-ed Hummingbird in western North Carolina
It's rare to see a Ruby Throated Hummingbird relaxing and looking cute. But Hummers can be cute - if they sit still long enough to see them! This female is relaxing and having a bit of fun in her favorite Hemlock Tree. More HD videos every week. Please Subscribe at: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=MyBackyardBirding
