The Sentinel

Zippy was playing the tough guy this morning, defending his territory, as more and more hummingbirds (or maybe the same one over and over) try to quench their thirsts in this blazing heat at the feeder in my backyard. The little guys need the energy provided by the nectar in the feeder.

The large amount of sucrose in nectar gives hummingbirds that necessary energy for their high metabolism and energetic lives. Because nectar is liquid, it also supplies the birds’ necessary water, and hummingbirds do not typically drink from other water sources, though they will use water for preening and bathing.