On 9/8/2016 6:55 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2016-09-08 6:45 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>>>
>> I see them perch on my feeder all the time. It must be exhausting to be
>> a hummingbird.
>
> A few years ago we were walking through a friend's garage and there was
> a humming bid sitting on an electrical cable. We sat down and watched
> it for a while because it was such a rare sight. He stayed for quite a
> while. I have lots of flowers and flowering shrubs around my patio and
> attract lots of humming birds, but they all fly, hover and leave. That
> was the only time I ever saw one perched.
>
I was sitting outside reading a book a couple of weeks ago when it was
relatively cool (heh). I was wearing a bright red shirt. A hummingbird
flew up and hovered right in front of me! (They really are attracted to
red.) Silly bird, the feeder is over there.

I know a bit about hummingbirds. They pretty much have to eat
constantly because they have extremely high metabolisms. They also have
to sleep. So at night (and when it's cold) they go into a state of
torpor. Their metabolism drops drastically and their heart rate slows
waaaay down. When it starts to warm up in the morning their bodies
reverse the process and they gradually wake up. Then they're off for
another day of flying around, eating.

Jill