Hummingbird Diets and Behaviors

A New Look at Hummingbirds

• People enjoy watching hummingbirds for many reasons.
• Hummingbirds are expert fliers and constantly in motion.
• They hover steadily to reach nectar deep inside flowers with their long, pointy beaks
• They uses its tongue to lap up the sugary nectar.
• Hummingbird is referred to as “Nature’s Top Athlete” due to its ability to sustain activity all day.
• They need to constantly search for nectar due to the high energy demand of their activity.
• While sugar provides energy, protein is required to repair muscles and tissues.
• Hummingbirds supplement their diet with tiny insects caught mid-flight.
• Observed catching insects between flower visits, like "snatching meat while eating dessert."
• Hummingbirds sometimes find insects in swarms and were observed diving through them repeatedly.
• It was observed how they could catch insects with a long pointy beak.
• Insect-eating birds usually have wide mouths suited for catching insects while flying.
• Scientists used moving pictures of a hummingbird catching a fruit fly.
• The pictures show the beak opens widely, making the mouth extra wide.
• The base of a hummingbird's beak is bendy and also opens extra wide.
• Most insects got caught at the base of the beak, not the thin parts.
• The hummingbird beak is shaped for reaching nectar and has a way to open wide for catching insects.

Open Wide and Say “Roar!”

• The text introduces Dr. David Sullivan, a pediatric dentist with wild patients, literally zoo animals.
• Dr. Sullivan treats human patients, teaching them dental hygiene.
• He also volunteers at the Cincinnati Zoo, performing dental surgery since 1982.
• His zoo work ranges from pulling tiger teeth to repairing elephant tusks and performing root canals on gorillas.
• Dr. Sullivan admits he is not afraid of the animals because he is used to them.
• He wanted to be a veterinarian but had to quit due to allergy symptoms.
• Dr. Sullivan then tried pediatric dentistry and loved it.
• He previously worked at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital, assisting with animals in the research lab.
• His animal dental work became known, leading to calls from King's Island Amusement Park and the Cincinnati Zoo.
• He once treated animal actors from Los Angeles for movies and television.
• Dr. Sullivan has also worked on the white tigers of performers Siegfried and Roy, whose smiles are important.
• He fixed an African hornbill's broken bill with metal posts, enabling it to eat.
• X-rays and measurements from museum tiger skulls aided their treatment process.
• He assisted a vet with putting braces on a poodle, which he considered unusual.
• Dr. Sullivan is likely getting good practice working on dangerous animals even though most of patients do know.

From By Pond and River

• The waterbugs detailed are commonly found in ponds.
• The first water-bug is long, thin, and black, resembling a needle on legs.
• It walks on the water's surface and is known as a "needle-bug" or "water-measurer".
• This insect has fine hairs that trap air, preventing it from drowning.
• It has two long feelers, a thin beak, reddish legs, and glossy black wings.
• It catches water-flies, holding them in its front claws to suck their juice.
• The water-measurer rarely flies, despite having wings.
• The next water-bug is about an inch long with a flat body and grey wings.
• It is called the "water-scorpion" for its thick, strong front legs with pincers.
• It uses pincers to seize insects, sucking them dry through its sharp beak.
• The water-scorpion swims slowly or crawls in mud and is easily caught when coming up for air.
• It uses two bristles at the end of its tail to create a breathing tube.
• The eggs of the water-scorpion attach to water plants and look like seeds.
• The last water-bug is like a beetle, with six legs, two of which are long.
• The water-boatman swims upside down, using its long legs like oars, and it has a long, sucking beak.
• It bends its head down, hiding its beak between its legs while swimming.
• Large eyes help it see both up and down while hunting tadpoles and grubs.
• It catches prey in its claws, bites with its sharp beak, and sucks out the soft body.
• The mother water-boatman lays small, long, white eggs on stems and leaves.
• These bugs can be observed swimming upside down like their parents in April and March.

The Power of Nature

• Melissa, Lila, and Josh will give speeches on their science projects at the science fair.
• The fifth-grade students are setting up their tables at the science fair in the school gymnasium.
• Melissa presents compost or natural materials that decomposes, helping grow plants.
• Composting recycles waste and gives nutrients to plants.
• Melissa cannot find her note cards so Josh suggests that he will go back home to get it.
• Melissa asks Mr. Marx, a teacher, for permission to go home for her cards.
• Mr. Marx calls Melissa’s dad to get permission for Melissa.
• Melissa finds a metal paper clip and puts into her pocket for a good idea.
• She arrives at her apartment, climbs to her 4th floor apartment and comes into the kitchen.
• She forgot the note cards so she could speak so she tells this to her Dad so replies.
• Her dad places a banana peel in a plastic bag.
• Melissa will add what she needs to her project, Melissa said.
• Melissa runs backs, presents paper clip and a banana peel.
• Josh practices with Melissa to get ready.
• She has a banana peel, a living material and is starts to decompose, She states.
• Josh agrees, giving her a thumbs-up.
• The paper clip in nonliving and takes a long time to decay.
• Mr. Marx is ready to begin with Melissa at the table.
• Melissa is ready with a smile.

Nasbah's Rescue

• Nasbah sees the wash¹ that sparkled and green grass.
• Grandfather waits to move sheep down to the mesa, usually Saturday, and asks his grandchildren for help.
• Nasbah wants to help grandfather and work with older brothers.
• The flock approaches with ringing for the sheep bells.
• Sheepdogs are running beside the sheep to turn back stragglers.
• Nasbah wants to make sure her lambs will make it down the steep trail to the canyon’s bottom and mother agreed.
• Grandfather is singing in Navajo, which knows a lot about nature.
• When she is in school at Chinle, he is scared she will fall.
• Nasbah could hear frantic bleating; the sheep lose footing on the rocks and fall off.
• Nasbah also freed one of lamb’s front hoof from the rocky trail
• Nasbah helps to move sheep to the corral to show their family, helped move down from summer area.
• Grandfather and brothers walk as a group with grandmother, which means they are ready for fry bread.
• One, two, three, and there were the twins, six, seven, eight, nine, ten were the lambs now.
• Mesa has 11 lambs on it.
• The hogan² that only has already 10.
• Nasbah retraced the rocky area in order to seek a sign.
• He could teach carefully what grandfather had told her, in order to listen.
• Nasbah also carefully searched for the birds and insects, she was able to hear the cry.
• Nasbah could also hear another sound that had bleating for lamb sounds.
• She also noticed something in which Crevasse also gave the missing lamb to the bottom, it was unable.
• She had lowered herself into the crevices until they were smooth and enough to reach one another.
• She pulled the jacket and used it around her chest to measure.
• "You'll be all right, little lamb," she also felt his heart beat and the sweet lamb that was there.
• Nasbah was pulled from the Crevasse but failed when she pushed.
• Nasbah pulled herself up and sat for a minute to rest.
• Parents, grandparents, all wanted what happened from the rocky trail.
• Mother knew from Nasbah she had rescued the lost lamb.
• One of the washes that was used was a creek, where some of them are native american/Navajo logs traditionally.

A Fair Start

• The coachman is John Manley, who has lived in the cottage nearby with his wife and child.
• John gives a good grooming for the next morning.
• The squire¹ entered pleased, and has said “John, you may as well take him around as you are also at breakfast,” and says “I meant to try other horse."
• The squire wants help named John that knows what to do with the horse.
• John fitted with the bridle.
• The saddle wasn’t enough on my back to be broadened.
• John rode himself first.
• Mrs. Gordon stopped and the squire met her.
• The squire has Mrs. Gordon which the squire wants to talk to.
• John also jumped off and they met squire and Mrs. Gordon.
• “The lightest touch of the rein will do him.” John states.
• “You should be very quiet and pleasant down as could be," squire states.
• “I will try him myself tomorrow,”
• The master was a good rider and thoughtful too.
• John does is work better when he is around the horse.
• Ebony is black as a color to call it.
• Black Beauty-why, yes, is a good name.
• Mistress and master are what caused something.
• John makes a good sensible with the name and the english language, but never stated.
• John makes the mane and tail almost as smooth as a lady’s hair.
• John learns to also know what and know the horse is also trying to tell him.
• John is gentle what the horse feels that made ill-temper.
• Canter² is slower.
• Squire¹ is also an area where the landowner is at.