The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only regular hummer species east of the Rockies in North America. I wouldn't mind more variety, but when one realizes that hummingbirds are only present in the Western Hemisphere, I'm lucky to be here and to see them.
Hummingbird migration kicked off in mid-August, and at first I only saw females and immatures. This page then covers females (who don't have a ruby throat); my parallel page has the males (who do have a ruby throat).
In our second year of living in State College, Pennsylvania, my wife and I planted a small rose of sharon, which was less than 3 feet tall. Six years later, and the rose of sharon is over 9 feet high and broad in all directions.
The blossoms from the rose of sharon are a hummingbird magnet. Following is a sequence of a female ruby-throated hummer planning to enjoy a little nectar. First, she sizes up her choice blossom.
