I snapped this(slightly blurry)female Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight as she hovered near the feeder. The white tips on the tail feathers distinguishes this bird as a female, she is slightly larger than the male too. You will often hear the characteristic buzzing sound of a hummer before you see it. The Ruby-throated ones have an average wingbeat of 52 beats per second. They can fly at 30 mph and dive at up to 63 mph! To be so little, they sure are fast!

It isn't every day that you get to see a Hummingbird's tongue! How cool is that!? The bird was backlit by the sun, so it was in good light to catch this shot. The long tongue is used for drinking flower nectar and catching small insects. Hummingbirds are attracted to the colors red and orange. It is not necessary to have red liquid in a feeder as long as the feeder has some red on it. In fact, it is probably better not to have artificial red dye in the hummingbird food. It is important to keep the feeder clean and replace the "nectar" weekly to keep the birds from drinking contaminated food.