We were sitting in our breakfast room, minding our own business, when suddenly an iridescent object caught our eye. Suddenly it stopped, hovering in midair and wavering above the hanging basket of Purple Wave petunias.

It seemed too large to be a bee, too small to be a bird -- or so we thought. Its iridescent coloring, and ability to hover soon told us it was a hummingbird. Since they are so scarce in our new area with no trees for protection and no water to drink, we were indeed surprised. Also, we were surprised the next evening when he made a return visit not only to the petunias but to rosy-red Red Riding Hood dipladenia (mandevilla) in the next hanging basket. Hope he makes a mental note of where he found the good nectar and returns early next May.

Their iridescent colors, small size and ability to hover has endeared hummingbirds to humans for generations. There have been written records as far back as 1558 by French explorers, who described their swift flight and beauty, and that the Portuguese referred to them as "flower kissers" and Mexicans called them "rose kissers."

A philosopher in 1693, whose name was Nehemiash Grew, called them "hum Bird" because they make noise like a spinning wheel when they fly (hence, Humming Bird).

Indigenous to the Americas, they are the smallest of all birds, yet they are members of one of the largest bird families. Of the more than 300 species, only eight commonly summer north of the Mexican border.

Here in Missouri, the Ruby-Throated hummingbird is the most often seen. The mountainous western states are home to seven species, including the Anna, calliope, costa and broad-tailed hummingbirds.

The male Ruby Throated is iridescent but the color you see may depend upon your angle of vision. Reflected light may reveal the fiery red throat and brilliant green back. At certain angles in the shade it may appear black. The female is similarly colored, but its throat is white and its outer tail feathers are tipped with white.

With a voice to match its size, the Ruby-Throated's song is a series of high-pitched squeaks uttered in rapid succession. In flight the beating wings create a dull buzzing sound.

Hummingbirds can turn their wings 180 degrees up, down, forward and back, allowing the bird to hover, fly backward and ascend vertically. When perched, they begin wing movement prior to leaving so when leaving and becoming airborne, they have already reached top speed.

They can change gears quickly, from forward flight to rise backwards by merely slanting the angle of their wings. When frightened suddenly, they can make a fast getaway by flying upside down. Also, they can hover motionless in the air while feeding. This type of aerial suspension requires the most energy.

Despite its small size, a Ruby-Throated is a strong and fast flier, and has been timed up to 60 miles an hour. In forward flight their wings beat about 75 times per second and appear as blurs to the human eye. During courtship, a male's wings beat up to 200 times per second as he puts on his best moves for the female.

So rapid is a hummingbird's metabolism that if the bird were the size of a man, it would need to consume 155,000 calories a day to survive.

The male's devotion is short-lived. It leaves the female the entire responsibility of building the nest, incubating the eggs and caring for the young.

Her favorite nesting site is the limb of a tree, using bits of bark, lichens and other organic matter, making a nest no larger than a walnut, where she lays two pea-sized, pure white eggs, where she incubates them for 14 to 16 days. (So it was with the one we saw at the Norman Weiss' farm a couple of years ago.)

A good mama, she can care of two nests at a time. In one she watches and feeds her babies and keeps intruders, such as blue jays, hawks, crows, yellow jackets and other enemies away. She is fearless when defending her nest or food supplies, using her claws and sharp bill. they build a new nest or nests each year.

At Rockbridge, a Trout Fishing Farm south of Willow Springs, those who do not fish like to watch the hummers at the many feeders in the windows of the lodge. They are ruthless in defending their territories at the feeding stations. Some bullies drive others away and will not let them return to "their filling stations."

Hummingbirds can be attracted to gardens by a combination of growing nectar rich flowers and setting out feeders. Select a feeder with some red on it or tie a red ribbon near.

Hummingbirds' nourishment consists of small insects and spiders. Tubular or trumpet-shaped blossoms are some favorite flowers. they avoid double or many petaled blooms. Some of their favorite flowers are columbine, red salvia, hollyhocks, hibiscus, cardinal flower and bee balm. A Marble Hill friend has both feeders and flowers and says those they have observed the flowers to the sugar-water. They especially like red flowers of the Cypress Vine.

In the fall, they migrate south -- a 2,000-mile journey -- which includes 500 miles of non-stop flight across the Gulf of Mexico for which they store up to 40 to 50 percent of body weight. The males leave first, about this time of year and the females and the young when mama feels her younguns are strong enough for the long flight. This is one reason they need a good supply of food in the fall.

Some homeowners are concerned that if they leave feeders out too long the birds will delay their long trip south. Like most migratory species, however, they have enough intuition to know when to leave us, especially the older ones, who may live to be 10 years old.

It is known they return to the same feeders year after year, and we hope our little visitor will remember the Purple Wave petunias at the Blue house next year.

~Mary Blue is a resident of Cape Girardeau and an avid gardener.