Feeding hummingbirds

Many people put out hummingbird feeders and enjoy watching the fascinating flight and behavior of these winged beauties.

A common misconception is that you need to bring in your feeders before fall to encourage the hummingbirds to migrate. They know when to take off. It is best to leave your feeders up for 3 weeks after you see the last of your regular visitors so they are available to late migrating hummingbirds that have come a long way and still have a great distance to go. Did you know that certain hummingbirds fly all the way across the Gulf of Mexico to get to their winter home?

Several of us here at Blue Moon Gardens saw a documentary on PBS about hummingbirds, full of fascinating information. One thing researchers have discovered by tagging hummers is that their winter home has expanded into the Gulf Coast. Soon we may have hummingbirds here in our area year-round.