Ruby-throated Hummingbird Enjoying the View
.
I’ve been revisiting the Hong Kong Orchid trees growing around Everglades City, taking in their beauty.
.
.
Hong Kong Orchids
.
There was another reason as well. I was looking for the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds who also love these trees.
Although most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, including from Florida, spend their winter in Central America, those from the farthest points of North America will migrate no further than the tip of Florida. I saw them in Everglades City last winter drinking the nectar from these orchids and perching so pretty.
And, by golly, I spotted a female my first visit this year! 😁
.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) at the top of a Hong Kong Orchid tree
.
These hummingbirds are tiny at only 2.8 – 3.5 inches (7 – 9 cm) long, with a wingspan of 3.1 – 4.3 inches (8 – 11 cm).
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds beat their wings about 53 times a second! That is almost imaginable, isn’t it?
.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female)
.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird sticking her tongue out
.
I’m tickled to keep finding this female sunning on top of the same tree several times now. There are four other orchid trees in that immediate vicinity, it is most definitely a perfect spot for hummingbirds. Hopefully, I’ll continue to see her and others during the next couple months around all those trees.
.