THINGS I'VE LEARNED RECENTLY

Recently I've learned that:

A hummingbird's tongue is twice as long as it's beak.

Would you have guessed that?  Do they really like those bell-shaped flowers we see them frequenting  or, do they go to them because no other creature has a tongue that long?  

Do we feed them just so we can watch them eat?  How weird is that?  

Wonder what they feasted on before we taught them to eat/drink sugar water.  There may be baby hummingbirds who think all flowers are plastic.  Could it be that we've ruined this creature?  

Did you know that these birds have no knees.  You've heard the expression "bee's knees" of course.  Well, hummingbirds have no knees.  The can't walk.  They can stand or hop, but not walk.  No wonder they fly while they eat.  

Like most birds - the males are most pretty.  Pretty, but - - - sex occurs in the air between hummingbirds and lasts 3-5 seconds.  Who said, "So?"   Luckily, they can fly upward and downward and backward - they're the only bird that can do that.  

Enough!  Try to see the tongue working at your feeder this summer.