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#1 | |
WG Staff
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Get Into Nature: The truth about 'baby hummingbirds'
Sunday, August 09, 2009 By Scott Shalaway Get Into Nature: The truth about 'baby hummingbirds' excerpt from above: Quote:
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The tendency of man's nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. -Mencius |
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#2 |
Heron
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Michigan/detroit
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Seems these Sphinx Moths are quite interesting: Some gather nectar during the day and others prefer to pollinate at night. While the Article named five or so of the family there are literally dozens.
So I'll be building a trellis for Virginia Creeper which if the Moths don't find it then it will serve as a stop for bees and supply berries through the winter.
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Prairie Plants ![]() First year they sleep ![]() Second year they creep ![]() Third year they leap; So plant some today ![]() |
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#3 | |
WG Prize & Gift Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
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If you ever see one flitting about and wish to take photos of it.... Take note of the flowers they're visiting and move into position by one not so close to it with your camera "also" near your face (if you look through a view finder). If you're lucky, and don't move..... it just might continue its way over and feed right in front of you!
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The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer |
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#4 |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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I remember seeing them (possibly for the first time) at a nursery where I used to work. I'd love to have a population of them here in the yard.
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"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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#5 |
Heron
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Michigan/detroit
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Seems the Sphinx Moths are in kind of a Jam: They come out at night and are distracted by the many lights we burn till dawn. That may be why you saw one at the nursery.
Some lay their eggs on Elms and Cherry Another favorite is the Black Haw Viburnum Of course there's one that visits the nightshade family and I've seen the Horn worm cats on tomato plants which is considered the Northern type and the Horn worm found on Tobacco plants is considered the Southern variety. One Sphinx Moth even lays it's eggs on the Paw Paw tree. I wonder if the adult can pollinate the Paw Paw too?
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Prairie Plants ![]() First year they sleep ![]() Second year they creep ![]() Third year they leap; So plant some today ![]() |
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#6 |
Offical Silphium Abuser
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeast Ohio
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We've been fortunate enough to get quite a few "hummingbird moths" every year. Like the hummers themselves, they like lonicera sempervirens (and buddleia, which I have to confess we've not gotten around to taking out because the one in front of the window is so lively every summer).
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"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." --Cicero ~http://rebeccas-window.blogspot.com/~ |
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#7 |
WG Fundraising Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Kentucky
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I've never seen a hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe) but the Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) is a common visitor. Here's one nectaring on rose verbena in the terrace garden. The larger hummingbird moth would be very cool to see!
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#8 |
Alternate POM Judge
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Maryland
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I get hummingbird moths on butterfly bushes.
sprucetree Do moths like Virginia creeper? I have seen virginia creeper mentioned in this forum several times. I have lots of it that just grew here. I let it grow on my pasture fence. It grows frequently with poison ivy. sphinx moths are so beautiful. Every once in a while I will see a pink and brown one in the evening. I read that lights are bad for lightening bugs too. This is a good reminder for me. I have a motion light to stay on for 6 hours at night. I need to set it so it will stay off I think.
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In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle |
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#9 |
WG Fundraising Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Kentucky
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Good point on lights EllenW. While we live in an "subrural" area (not really exurb or suburb but not truly rural either I think) we don't use exterior lights at all unless we are grilling out in the short days of winter or waiting for our late night wandering children to come home. Some of our neighbors seem to like those big bright barn lights to burn all night as if they are afraid of the dark. They don't own any livestock so I don't know why they use them. We used to use those low voltage landscape lights along our front sidewalk between the front door and the driveway but gave those up as well. Just a front porch light when we go out at night serves the purpose.
We get to see some lovely starry skies on a clear night and appreciate the fireflies too! Light pollution is a serious problem that I've come to be more attuned to. |
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#10 |
Alternate POM Judge
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Maryland
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People have those big spotlights on their garages here. I have motion lights all around My house for security. If the wind or animals turn them on too much I turn them off. They built a development of big homes behind me. They leave lots of lights on outside their houses
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In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle |
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Tags |
baby, hummingbirds, nature, truth |
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