CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hummingbirds might be small, but they come with big personalities, and it seems like they are taking over the Coastal Bend.
"We are in the fall migration season for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds from all across north America and they funnel themselves down", said Executive Director of the South Texas Botanical Gardens Michael Womack.
According to Womack, the humming birds use flight paths like California, Florida, and even the Coastal Bend as they make their way south for the winter, but they are just stopping by.
"They stop in the Coastal Bend for several weeks so that they can fatten themselves up before they make the long trek over the gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan," Womack said.
If residents want to help them with that mission, all you need is four cups of water and one cup of sugar and you can make homemade nectar. However, Womack said that residents should still be cautious when trying to attract humming birds.
"The other thing is if you have feeders clean them every day or every other day. As hot as it is you can get bacteria and fungus growing on them that can harm them," Womack said.
Padre Island resident said Sonya Becker said keeps three feeders out at a time, and it has become a hit for the nectar seekers who can be territorial.
"We enjoyed them as soon as we saw the first one buzz by looking for my feeder. I was out there had them all full and ready," Becker said.
Womack said these amazing birds can travel across the Gulf of Mexico in just 24 hours thanks to the help of flying high into the trade winds. He said each year is different, but they typically hang out until the first week of October and return once again in the spring.
"Seeing them come back is exciting because it’s something to watch, they are actually quite amusing to watch," Becker said.
According to Womack they are attracted to red and orange so if you find a hummingbird putting its nose where it doesn’t belong, you can lure them out that way.
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