My goodness, but that was quick. I recently asked my readers to let me know if they were fortunate enough to see early-arriving hummingbirds in the month of February.
I gave my phone number and the column had barely seen print when I received a call from Bill Mitchell. Bill lives on Flite Acres Road in Wimberley and he wanted me to know he currently has a hummingbird visiting his home.
“I see it mostly in late evening and early morning,” he reported. He wasn’t sure of the species, but said it was grayish black and green.
“I read an article about five years ago and decided to leave my feeders up year round,” he said. “It’s even up when the temperatures get down to freezing.” He has been rewarded by having hummingbirds at his place throughout the year.
Hummingbirds are known to enter a state of torpor on really cold nights, shutting down their metabolism to the minimum required to maintain life.
I still would like to hear from folks who have hummingbirds show up in February – just call me at 512 847-3730. Good luck.
