09/08/2026
I had taken my hummingbird feeders down because I thought they had already left to migrate south Central America. Then this sweet baby flew right up to my face, hovered there, and looked me straight in the eye as if to ask, “Where is the food?”
Needless to say, the feeders went right back up.
A few fascinating hummingbird facts:
• Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that spend the summer in Minnesota migrate south for the winter, with many traveling to Mexico and Central America.
• Some make an incredible nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico, a journey of roughly 500 miles.
• Their wings typically beat around 50 times per second during normal flight and can beat even faster during courtship displays.
• During intense activity, a hummingbird’s heart rate can exceed 1,000 beats per minute.
• Hummingbirds can hover in place and are the only birds capable of sustained backward flight.
• Nectar provides energy, but hummingbirds also eat tiny insects and spiders for protein and other nutrients.
• Leaving feeders up does not prevent hummingbirds from migrating. Migration is driven largely by instinct and seasonal changes such as decreasing daylight.
• Keeping feeders available during fall migration can provide an important source of energy for birds traveling south, including hummingbirds arriving from farther north.
Apparently, I closed the restaurant a little too early this year. One tiny customer made sure I knew about it.
