I received a Birdbuddy Smart Hummingbird Feeder for my birthday. My granddaughters helped me install the feeder on July 25th.  We placed some real and fake red flowers near the feeder to attract any hummingbirds that might fly by. The feeder’s camera was linked to an app on my iPhone and then we waited – and waited. Nothing. 

After relocating the feeder a couple of times, a wannabe hummingbird (a small finch) showed up long enough to trip the camera, but its beak didn’t work, and it moved on. 

And then, on August 13th, Ruby appeared on my iPhone. Ruby is a male; the female version of the ruby-throated hummingbird does not have the cool iridescent red throat that the males do. Ruby hovered around for a few seconds; his wings humming away. His wings were flapping so fast that they all but disappeared from the videos and photographs taken. And good news, Ruby has returned many times since.

These little birds fascinate me. Their ability to hover and quickly change directions is impressive. They apparently can fly continuously for 500 miles (e.g., over the Gulf of Mexico America). They are solitary birds, mate quickly, and then move on; see Wikipedia for details. Hummingbirds are restricted to the Americas and are somewhat rare in Nebraska (both number and species). Welcome to Nebraska and our feeder Ruby! If you have any friends, bring them over for a drink.