We got to stand and watch several hummingbirds this weekend, but they weren't the kinds listed on the Hummingbird Outdoor Hour Challenge. Nonetheless, we enjoyed them.

Sometimes, I can't quite figure out why God made certain birds. (I won't tell you which ones.) I know why God made hummingbirds though. It's because He wanted to us to see jewels flying through the sky. We learned however from reading the Handbook of Nature Study that they serve a purpose to the ecosystem, as well. They help to pollinate flowers that have long necks and whose pollen the wind can never touch. We were also amazed to learn that the hummingbirds like to eat bugs and will hover in front of a spider web and steal the spider's catch. I thought they were just nectar suckers. The most amazing thing we learned though was about the hummingbirds' tongues. Their tongues have little hairs on them and they curl in from both sides, causing them to have two straws in their mouth. Now that's amazing! We have such a wonderful Creator.

We got to watch two varieties of hummingbirds at Grandpa and Grandma's this weekend.

We got to see the most amazing Rufous Hummingbird, but I'm going to share one of the pictures that I posted a couple of weeks ago of the Rufous, because we couldn't get a photo this time.



Rufous Hummingbird photographed at the feeder on our porch.

The hummer that we watched the most was a Calliope Hummingbird. There were several of them hanging out at the feeder. However, we observed one interesting phenomon--the Rufous was the boss. When he came to the feeder, the others left. And he perched on a tree not too far away to chase the Calliopes away just whenever he felt like it.





Calliope Hummingbird photographed at Grandma's feeder.

Here are our Nature Journal entries.



Zippy's (age 9) nature journal drawing of the Rufous Hummingbird.



JD Boy's (age 6) nature journal coloring of a Rufous Hummingbird. From the Cornell Bird Coloring Book.