Just started a show on hummingbirds here. Look at your listings for Nature program on PBS.
Nature on PBS
Yes, I'm watching it - really informative!
Beautiful and amazing....beyond belief! And so frustrating because I'll have to wait until spring to see those little guys again!
An excellent program.
I saw this as well. I was lucky enough to stumble upon it, actually.
I did not know that some hummingbirds actually fly over the Gulf of Mexico (from Central America) on there way back to the NE part of the U.S. Something like 500 miles, non-stop. That's crazy, I should have "re-played" that part just to make sure I heard correctly. Amazing.
The show also mentioned how the gulfcoast (TX,LA mostly) was becoming a new over-winter destination for the birds.
I agree, it was very informative.
I hope they aren't there this year! Too cold!
Went to that site and watched the video too. That is some great photography and each bird is so different.
I had the show marked on my calendar and I still managed to miss it - I was so disappointed!
I was happy to find out I could watch it on-line: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/category/video/watch-full-episodes/
I found the part about Black-chinned nesting near Cooper's hawk interesting. Broad-tailed are the most common Hummingbird in this area, but Black-chinned are the ones that nest in/near my yard. I have never actually found a nest, but the male is the first and last bird at the feeder every day in the Twilight - and I have seen the female gathering spiderwebs.
I don't know if there is a Cooper's hawk nest nearby, now I will have to look around the neighborhood - unlike the Hummingbird nest, I am assuming it would be big enough to see.
PBS is airing a MONARCH special on Tuesday 26 at 7pm Texas time.
Thanks for the heads up, Sheila - I'll put it on my calendar!!!!
It is coming on opposite a show I watch weekly so I plan to tape it. Plus that way I can show it to my great Niece and Nephew.
Well, I missed it - will try to catch it online.
I watched it last night since I had DH DVR it. I will be holding on to that one for a while. It was georgeous photography and video. They had such great close upaction shots.
One thing I noticed that I hadn't seen before is that when the chrysalis is forming and the skin is almost off, the cremester point appeared to come from inside the skin and pushed up to attach to the silk. That is how the skin is able to detatch I guess. I watched it a couple times to be sure I wasn't seeing things.
The navigation abilities of Monarchs is amazing - I wonder if we will ever figure out how they do it. Of course, any Monarch that doesn't make it doesn't get to pass on the "goof-up" gene, I imagine a millennia of that helps.
Took me a re-read but then I got it! LOL! My goof-up gene was passed on!!