The Delightful Hobby of Bird Watching [ 57 



HUMMINGBIRDS SMALLEST OF THE BIRDS 



Most children, loving tiny things as they do, are delighted 

 with hummingbirds, the smallest birds in the world. Those found 

 in the United States and Canada range from about three and a 

 half to four and a half inches in length. 



West of the Mississippi the hummingbird may be lured near 

 homes by an abundance of flowers and any small stream of water. 

 On the west coast it nests in porch vines and is frequently satisfied 

 with birdbaths or lawn spiinklers for its water supply. The ruby- 

 throated hummingbird, the only one that frequents the East, is 

 not quite so sociable; but it may be attracted to a garden by 

 brightly colored tubes of sugar water. You can make a humming- 

 bird feeder with a medium-size vial. Wrap this with red ribbon 

 or crepe paper and fasten it with a thin wire to a twig in the garden. 

 Fill the vial with a mixture of one part sugar to two parts water. 



Hummingbirds usually nest in fruit and shade trees, and their 

 well-camouflaged home is so small that it could easily be covered 

 by a fifty-cent piece. The female builds the deeply cupped nest by 

 herself. While she is busy molding and shaping it with her feet 

 and bill, her mate disappears from the scene. 



Newly hatched hummers look more like black insects than 

 birds, and watching a mother feed them is quite an experience. 

 She gives them food in a series of stabbing motions as she jabs 

 her long beak, filled with nectar and insects, down their throats. 

 She not only feeds them well; she is ever ready to defend them 

 and will even attack an enemy as large as a hawk if it comes near. 



Hummingbirds have exceptional flying powers. Some move 

 their wings so fast that it is quite impossible for the human eye 

 to see them. Hummers are among the very few birds that can 

 fly backwards (the phoebe and the oriental sunbird are the 

 others) , and they can "stand still" in the air. They get their 

 name from the hum of their wings which can be heard during 

 their rapid darting flight as well as when they hover. 



MEADOW LARKS 



When you walk through meadows or marshes you may be 

 startled by a large brownish bird rising out of the grass in front 



