Little Gem

It's been a really exciting week here in My Florida Backyard, as we've logged hummingbird sighting after hummingbird sighting! In the last few years, we've spotted the very occasional hummingbird - literally one or two a year at most. This week, though, we've seen both males and females every day... and we even managed pictures!

They're not great pictures, admittedly, but we're so excited to have hummingbirds that it really doesn't matter. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) migrate through central Florida in the spring and fall each year. Some people see them in great numbers as they pass through, while others see them only rarely. 

Once you're on the radar though, hummingbirds will often find you more consistently and in greater numbers. Interestingly, even though we put up a hummingbird feeder, the little birds have been consistently ignoring it in favor of nectar plants, like the Mexican Sage (Salvia leucantha) in these pictures. Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and the new Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' we got last year have also proven very popular.

This is a male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. You can tell by the dark patch under the chin. When the sun hits it at the right angle, it glows a brilliant ruby red. In other lights, the patch appears black. Females are much lighter underneath in all lights. We've seen both males and females this week.

I'm sure that for many of you hummingbirds are regular sights. For us, though, they're still rare enough to generate a lot of excitement, making this a really fun week in My Florida Backyard!