Spring has definitely sprung with birds coming and going.

Many bird species visit for a specific period of time each year. The slate-colored juncos arrive in November, stay for the winter and head north in April.The juncos leave about the same time as when the ruby-throated hummingbirds come from the south to spend spring, summer and early fall here. The final day we saw juncos in our yard was April 25. White-throated sparrows are also winter visitors that head north in early spring.The first hummingbird arrived on April 27. Hummingbirds are the smallest of all birds. Some weigh a mere one-tenth to three-tenth of an ounce. Although tiny and fragile in appearance, they will vigorously defend their individual breeding and feeding territories. Some parent hummingbirds actually buzz their own offspring away from our feeders.The ruby-throat is the only common hummingbird found in this area. They are about 3 inches long from beak to tail and weigh less than a penny. They spend most of their time feeding to fuel their high-energy metabolism.Hummingbirds have the ability to double their weight in seven to 10 days preparing for migration. They spend approximately two weeks traveling from their winter homes in Central America, Mexico and Florida to their summer-breeding territories.Males usually arrive about two weeks before the females. Breeding takes place in June. Males choose territories based on ample food supplies. They may mate with several females during the breeding period.Hummingbirds in the Lehigh Valley set up housekeeping and raise two babies in a tiny nest. Despite many tries, I haven't found a hummingbird nest. These tiny flying jewels travel so fast I've not been able to follow them to a nest.Females choose breeding territories by the quality of good nesting sites. I guess we have good territory because a pair resides somewhere in our backyard every year.A male chooses a perch at the center of his territory using a series of chirping calls to begin his courting. If a female shows interest and lands in the area, then he takes flight performing a number of U-shaped dives accompanied by bright flashes of his red iridescent throat feathers.These midair movements take place within inches of the perched female. Males often lose as much as 20 percent of their body weight during breeding season. Seems like a lot of work.Male hummingbirds are not involved in nest-building or raising the young. The female builds a cup-shaped nest, using dandelion silk, thin bark strips, hair, thistle down and other soft materials. Spider webs and pine resins are used to hold the building materials together. Small bits of bark, bud scales and lichens are attached to the outside of the nest for camouflage.The soft flexible nest is barely large enough to hold a golf ball. No wonder I can't find their nest. It's difficult to believe that the female, as with most female birds, builds the beautiful and well-constructed nest using only her feet and beak.The female generally lays two pure-white eggs. The eggs hatch after an average incubation period of 13 to 19 days. Offspring are fed a combination of nectar and insects. The mother bird regurgitates predigested food directly into the baby birds' gullets.Young ruby-throats fledge anywhere from 19 to 30 days after hatching. They leave the nest weighing more than their mother. Ruby-throats commonly raise two broods a year.Our local hummingbirds feed on nectar, insect eggs, fruit flies, gnats, mosquitoes, aphids, caterpillars or any other tasty morsels small enough to swallow. So, you see why it is important to attract a hummingbird pair to your yard.Hummingbirds use hawking and gleaning to catch food.Hawking is a method by which the bird waits for an insect to fly by and the hummingbird either catches the prey while sitting on its perch or by taking flight and snatching the insect in midair. They also take advantage of insect swarms in which they can consume many insects in a short period of time.Gleaning involves searching for insects on live foliage, in bark crevices and under fallen leaf litter.This is the perfect time to put out nectar feeders. The hummingbirds are returning to the area. You might not think there are any in your area, but they might surprise you.If you go to purchase a hummingbird feeder, I suggest one with perches at the feeder openings. Hummingbirds hover to take nectar from flowers, but a perch feeder allows them to sit and sip. Plus, it gives you more time to observe them.Our new feeder has a shallow, cup-shaped lid that holds water. The water in the lid prevents ants and other walking bugs from crawling down the hanging wire-cord to the feeder openings.We have three feeders hanging outside separate windows. Bev enjoys watching the hummingbird visiting the feeder outside our kitchen window. I like the one outside the patio window adjacent to my swivel recliner. They don't stay long but they stop us in our tracks each time they appear.You can make your own nectar. Use four parts water and mix in one-part sugar. This ratio of 4 to 1 works out well. We usually boil a cup of water (8 ounces) and dissolve 2 ounces of sugar in the boiling water. If you make more nectar it often spoils before it is consumed, especially in hot weather. Allow the mixture to reach room temperature before filling a feeder.Making your own nectar is safe and also a big savings. Some people add red food coloring, but the red feeders have enough red to attract the hummingbird.Be sure to change the nectar mixture often, especially in hot weather. If the clear liquid appears cloudy, take down the feeder, clean it and refill with a new batch of nectar.I hope you have a chance to enjoy this natural reality show performed by these tiny emerald jewels.