Spring migration in full swing
Bird Corner column focuses on hummingbirds returning to our community
The local bird migration throughout the neighbourhood is a joy to see every spring. As the days become longer and warmer, permanent residents are joined by flocks of birds either stopping over or returning for the season.
In late March to early April, the first wave of migrants, including Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, arrived. The Rideau River by Stanley Park was open thanks to the ice-breaking work, and attracted Common Mergansers and Canada Geese, along with a few Mallards. Red-shouldered Hawks, Northern Saw-whet Owls, American Woodcock, and Great Blue Herons are also returning.
From April through May, a wide variety of birds, including hummingbirds, warblers, thrushes, orioles, and indigo buntings, pass through Ottawa, with some staying to nest. Hummingbirds will be featured in this column.
These well-known birds are some of the first signs of spring in Canada. Their spring migration takes place from mid-February through mid-May, some travelling as far as 1,300 kilometres. The male Red-winged Blackbird returns before the female in the spring, travelling in large flocks during the day.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird/Colibris à Gorge Rubis
Hummingbirds are only found in the western hemisphere, and with 330 species, they are one of the largest family of birds in the world.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird. They usually arrive in Ottawa in early May, around Mother’s Day. Enjoy them while they’re here because, by early fall, they’re bound again for Central America.
These tiny birds have long wings and bills. They are bright emerald or golden-green on the back and crown, with gray-white underparts. The male is easily identified with its brilliant iridescent red throat that looks dark when it’s not in good light.
Like all hummingbirds, ruby-throats are precision flyers with the ability to fly full out and stop in an instant, hang motionless in midair, and adjust their position up, down, sideways, and backwards with minute control. Their extremely short legs prevent them from walking or hopping. The best they can do is shuffle along a perch.
Feeding
The best way to attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to your backyard is by planting tubular annual or perennial flowers as pictured below. They feed on the nectar of mostly red or orange flowers.
It is important to note that their diet also includes insects which they catch in midair or pull out of spider webs. Main insect prey includes aphids, mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, small bees and spiders.
If you have a hummingbird feeder, make sugar water mixtures with about 1/4 cup of plain table sugar per cup of water. Food coloring is unnecessary. Change the water before it grows cloudy because during hot weather, sugar water ferments rapidly to produce toxic alcohol. Be careful that your feeder is out of reach of cats, which are the largest predator of these birds.
This column marks the third year of sharing our neighbourhood bird photos and stories.
Next column: I would like to invite the youth of Manor Park to take bird photos during the summer and submit them to me by August 1.
Please submit photos anytime to flegault52@gmail.com Thank you!