Postcard Paintings and Christmas Ornament by Lois, 2020
As I sit in my garden:
Hummingbird, Hummingbird, where are you today?
Have you left on your journey so far, far away?
I have watched and waited for you to appear
Where sweet nectar awaits my little ones so dear.
Each day I have enjoyed since you came in May;
Watched you, fed you, day after day;
Watched in awe as your tiny family appeared;
Knowing I would lose you as autumn neared;
Lo, now I see that the time has come;
I don’t really wish to say ‘Good-bye’;
But, as I bid you ‘adieu’ I wish for you
A journey that is safe and a warm winter, too.
Our flowers and feeders will await you next May,
For every year you have come our way;
If the feeders aren’t up, at our window you hover;
So, we will be ready!! For we’re Hummingbird Lovers!!!
A recent study shows that ruby-throated hummingbirds are capable of flying, non-stop, over 1,200 miles (2,000 km) during migration. The study also found that adult birds, particularly males, migrate earlier during the fall than females and juveniles. Adult male birds were also in better physical condition to undertake the arduous journey. Juveniles, migrating for the first time in their lives, tended to leave later and take longer, probably due to inexperience.
A Little Art, Music and Poetry by Lois Mountz 