Passage II

A Haven in Hummingbird Heaven

[1]

Since the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve in southeastern Arizona has a diversity of vegetation—valley, desert, and mountain—and provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife that includes: mountain lions, coyotes, tortoises, rare fish, and some 300 species of birds. [A] Among the bird species that frequent the Patagonia area are fifteen kinds of hummingbirds. In fact, this small corner of Arizona, one of the busiest hummingbird rest stops in North America, that is known as Hummingbird Heaven. [B]

[2]

Each fall, as they travel to their winter homes, tens of thousands of these tiny fliers stop in Patagonia to fatten up on their way to Mexico for the winter. In spring, they will visit again as they head north to their summer homes.[C] Hummingbirds weigh only 2 to 19 grams, the equivalent of a few dimes, but they have the fastest wing beat of any bird, up to 80 beats per second, and require constant refueling.

[3]

(20)Paton, a retired school cafeteria manager, created a 2.5-acre hummingbird oasis behind her small rural house several years ago. Her yard gives human visitors a chance to observe the resplendence hummingbirds up close. However, bird watchers can find Paton’s yard by looking for the handmade “Birder’s Haven” sign on her chain-link fence. If the gate is open, all are welcome to enter. In return, Paton asks for a small donation to help her buy sugar water for the birds. Her affectionately jokes that tending to the hungry birds, which often consume several quarts of sugar water a day is like running a boarding house.

[4]

In spring and fall, Paton refills rows of hummingbird feeders with sugar water, she does so throughout the day as she talks with visitors, telling them about the types of hummingbirds that may be spotted in her yard. [D] Lucky birders might see a broad-billed, a black-chinned, or someone watching the birds could indeed sight a striking violet-crowned hummingbird. Occasionally, representatives of almost all North American hummingbird species can be seen together, feeding in Paton’s backyard haven.