Last week, on a very warm and sunny afternoon, I watered the wilting zinnia and cosmos plants with a garden hose, creating a gentle spray with my thumb. Seeing movement from the corner of my eye, I turned and spotted a hesitant, hovering hummingbird. I moved the hose a bit and through the spray it flew, around and back and forth. I have read that hummingbirds enjoy the spray from a hose, but never before had I seen one taking a “shower.” The wee bird flew to a nearby dogwood and perched on a tiny branch, preening its feathers, fanning its white-tipped tail and spreading its gossamer wings. It returned to the spray several times, then left for different landing spots. Once the bird sipped water from a broad rhododendron leaf. Returning to the spray, it flew within four feet of me, then soared up, up and away over the tall tulip tree. I wondered if the hummingbird would return and it did, momentarily, twice more. I will treasure this very special experience. Members of the Hummingbird Family range from the smallest bird in the world, the 2.25-inch Cuban bee hummingbird, to the 8.5-inch giant hummingbird of the South American Andes. The birds are found only in the Western Hemisphere. Of at least 319 hummingbird species, 21 can be found in the United States. Seven species nest in the Far West and four — the black-chinned, calliope, ruby-throated and rufous — nest in Canada. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only one regularly found in the eastern United States; the rufous reaches Alaska. The main distribution of the family is found near the equator. Almost everything about hummingbirds is unusual. With bills like needles and wings like silk, our ruby-throated hummingbirds spend their days among the flowers. We delight at the dazzling sight of these winged jewels. A hummingbird’s daily food intake amounts to half of its weight, so the little power plant must refuel often. Hummingbirds pass nectar through their digestive tracts rapidly. They forage for food as often as required to keep up with the rate at which the crop can pass nectar into the rest of the digestive system; more frequent foraging would carry a high energy cost but provide no further benefit. While the bird is emptying its crop, it conserves energy by remaining immobile. Weighing about as much as a penny, except at migration time, the tiny bird carries nothing but the essentials. The hummingbird lives on the brink of survival, and always must guard its food supply. I believed its swordlike bill was the bird’s most effective weapon, but in “Hummingbirds: Their Life and Behavior” by Esther and Robert Tyrell I learned something new. “In battle the hummer’s greatest weapon is its elongated, protruding breastbone, which is used to ram another bird,” the authors say. “Contrary to popular belief, hummers do not suck nectar from flowers,” they add. “They lick it out just like a cat. Their tongues go in and out about 13 times per second.” If you have been feeding hummingbirds throughout the season, do not stop filling the feeders. Ruby-throats arrived in Pennsylvania in early April, and they begin to depart in September. Some, however, leave as late as the last of October, so if you notice your feeder is still being used, keep it filled. Migrants passing through also will welcome the nectar, a source of energy for the long flight ahead. Incredibly, this includes a 500-mile nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico.

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