…or at least that’s what I’ve been doing lately, seeing all the hummingbird feeders at friends’ houses this spring. When I see (or hear) one of those tiny creatures buzz past, my aesthetic senses say, “Aw, a hummingbird. How beautiful. How awe-inspiring. How sweet.”
But my brain is saying, “Whoa now. Those lil’ guys are sure sucking down that sugar water! They couldn’t possibly get that much sugar from natural flowers, could they? So aren’t they kind of bingeing? Are we loving hummingbirds to an early death by obesity or diabetes?”
Turns out I have a lot of company in this ponderous ponder. Luckily for us, the internet contains useful sites like The Straight Dope (“Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 (It’s Taking Longer Than We Thought”). Its take on hummingbird nutrition is full of earnest questions and myth-busting answers, most of which appear to be authoritative enough to pass the smell test (i.e., referencing articles from the Smithsonian).
(orig. image courtesy Wikimedia)
So, still worrying about whether or not you might be contributing to your neighborhood hummingbirds’ physical deterioration? Click on The Straight Dope link and find out. Then take a moment to marvel at the Information Age, which heedeth even the fall of a hummingbird.
Meanwhile, do you have your own bird-related idiotic questions to ponder publicly? Don’t worry–on the internet, for better or for worse, you are never alone.
Wing's World 
Whew! No sugar buzz for the birds. That’s a relief! Now I can complacently go back to doing what i was doing this morning…watching hummers hover at the sugar water fountain.
🙂 I just think it’s funny that I’ve never thought, all these years, about whether or not it was good for them…and just a few minutes’ “research” put those short-lived fears to rest. Such is our age!
I prefer watching them come to my morning glories – such a perfect fit! I’ll have a bit about hummingbirds on my “O” day, which is Friday.
This morning, I was awaken to the sounds of a bird flying around my bedroom. I called my Hero-Accomplice, because I had to use the facilities, and the bird followed me! H-A caught it up in a towel and released it. Still not exactly sure where it came from, but I’m happy that you got your answers!
I often marvel at how amazing a tool and a resource the Internet can be, =)
Ooh, looking forward to the hummingbird post. [Interesting icebreaker question: which is more miraculous: hummingbirds or the internet?]