Newspaper Page Text
Page 8B
^Reporter
September 7, 2022
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Research unlocks how hummingbirds prepare for migration
From late August into September hummingbirds leave
nesting areas in eastern North America to migrate up to
1,000 miles to Mexico, Panama and points south.(Photo/
Terry Johnson)
T hose of us that
host ruby-throat
ed hummingbirds
in our yards each
summer realize that the fall
ruby-throated migration is
in full swing. While we do
not actually see the birds
migrate, in the latter part
of August into
September, when
the number of
hummingbirds
visiting our feed
ers plummets, we
know something
is going on.
Nevertheless,
while we realize
it is happening,
biologists and
hummingbird
fanciers alike do
not fully under
stand how these tiny birds
are capable of migrating up
to 1,000 miles from nest
ing areas scattered across
eastern North America to
their wintering grounds in
southern Mexico, Panama,
and points south.
However, recent research
has unlocked one of the
secrets regarding how some
ruby-throated humming
birds prepare for this epic
journey.
Currently the popular
belief is that prior to their
migration rubythroats go
on a feeding binge. This is
done in an effort to store
enough fat (3/40th of an
ounce) to provide energy
to fuel their fall migration.
Those birds that reach
their winter home by flying
across a minimum of 500
miles of the Gulf of Mexico
will need enough fuel stay
aloft for 18-20 hours.
Such a flight
requires a tiny
humming
bird to beat
its wings 2.7
million times.
The larger
females can
carry enough
fuel to make
a 24.3-hour
flight and
can travel
645 miles. In
comparison,
the smaller males can stay
aloft 26 hours and fly some
604 miles.
Researchers at the Uni
versity of Toronto’s Welch
Lab have found that the
strategy used by ruby-
throated hummingbirds to
prepare for their impend
ing fall migration flight
is not the same for ruby-
throats of all ages.
In order to determine if
hummingbirds of all ages
use the same feeding ap
proach, researcher Erich
Eberts and his colleagues
monitored the daily
changes in the fat and lean
body masses of 16 ruby-
throats during the breeding
season, late summer when
the birds were preparing to
migrate, and throughout
the migration period. They
also recorded the num
ber and duration of visits
each bird made to feeders
during each of the three
periods.
When the data was
analyzed, researchers found
that whereas humming
birds typically do not feed
as often during the middle
of the day, during the
premigration phase, their
behavior changes. At this
time, the birds increase
feeding activities through
out the middle of the day
and into the evening too.
The research also revealed
that although feeding activ
ity increases at these times
of day, it does not affect
how often they visit feed
ers. Instead, the hummers
simply increase how long
they eat during each visit.
The research findings
suggest that juvenile birds
do not gain weight before
migration. The study also
revealed that some of the
adult hummingbirds gain
body weight very rapidly
during the four days prior
to migration. For some
unexplained reason, other
mature hummingbirds fail
to do so.
What is perhaps one of
the most surprising discov
eries is that torpor plays a
key role in how some birds
are able to gain weight so
rapidly.
Torpor is a state of
reduced body activity and
temperature. When in
torpor ruby-throated hum
mingbirds drop their body
temperature by 20° F or
more and metabolic activ
ity 95 percent. This allows
a bird with extremely high
metabolic rate to conserve
energy while it is sleeping.
It was once believed that
rubythroats and many oth
er hummers would enter a
state of torpor to conserve
energy only during cold
weather. However, in this
study the researchers found
that hummers use a state of
torpor quite often.
According to the study
lead researcher Erich Ebert,
“About halfway through
that first summer, he was
getting birds going into
torpor almost every night.”
What research found was
the birds used torpor when
their fat levels dropped to
the five-percent threshold.
All of this dramatically
changed for some birds
during a four-day win
dow when the birds were
preparing to migrate.
During this period, they
were rapidly gaining weight
by some 20-percent. The
rubythroats that went into
torpor actually lost less
body fat than those that
did not enter torpor. As
a result, they were able to
store the fat needed for
migration quicker than the
hummers that did not go
into torpor.
As is always the case,
whenever research unlocks
one of natures secrets, new
questions arise. I can
not wait to see what the
researchers will learn next
about the secret lives of the
dazzling flying jewels that
patrol our yards through
out the spring and summer.
Terry Johnson is retired Pro
gram Manager of the Georgia
Nongame-Endangered Wildlife
Program. He has written the
informative column Monroe
Outdoors’for the Reporter
for many years. His book, “A
Journey to Discovery,” is
available at The Reporter.
Email him at tjwoodduck@
bellsouth.net.
W\
TERRY W. JOHNSON
Monroe County Library celebrates 100 years
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Li
brary celebrated its 100th
birthday with speakers,
proclamation, dedica
tion to past librarians,
time capsule, balloon arc,
cupcakes and a showcase
of some of its newest
resources on Wednesday,
Aug. 31. In August 1922
the Forsyth Womans Club
acted on the need it saw
for a public library and
brought together resources
in the community to open
the library in a room on the
first floor of the Masonic
Lodge on North Jackson
Street, a couple of blocks
off the square.
There were books from
the Carnegie Library, a
bookcase from the D.A.R.,
magazines from the Lions
Club, and books and fur
nishings donated in honor
or in memory of family
and friends. Over the years,
Monroe County Library
has continued through the
efforts of various entities in
the community to offer ser
vices for anyone who wants
them, especially children
and youth. It has changed
as methods of communi
cating and disseminating
information have changed,
keeping some traditions
like the Summer Reading
Program, and adding new
essentials, like computers
and wifi hot spots.
Current Monroe County
Library manager Kim
berly Clayton organized
the centennial celebration
with assistance from the
library staff, which now
numbers seven people.
She welcomed those at the
event saying that the library
continually stands as a cen
terpiece to the community
and that she and her staff
feel very fortunate to serve
the Monroe County com
munity and be a part of it.
“If you’re here, you
obviously appreciate our
library’ said Monroe
County Library Board
chair Taylor Bittick. “We all
benefit from an informed
and literate society/’
David Barbee of the
left, BOC chair Greg Tapley reads a proclamation from Monroe County for the library's
100th birthday. Pictured, left to right are library manager Kimberly Clayton, Tapley, and
library Board members Dr. Margie Bryant, Cassandra Ogletree, Taylor Bittick, Ralph Bass.
printer and button maker;
chrome books available for
check out; five Lego kits
and the STEAM resources;
and books, DVD’s and
audio books bought with a
grant from Forsyth Monroe
County Kiwanis Club.
Clayton thanked her staff
for all of their work on
the celebration, including
a 17-minute powerpoint
presentation on the history
of Monroe County Library.
Emily Shanks, left,designed the book
mark that assistant librarian Marisha
Crowder, right, placed in Monroe
County library's centennial time capsule
library staff recapped
the history of the library,
including its move into
the former county jail on
Sept. 7,1937, where it has
remained ever since, with
major renovations in 1980
and 2013. Barbee said the
library is part of his early
memories from when his
family moved to Forsyth
when he was 5.
Clayton, who has been
library manager since 2017,
insisted that there have
been no supernatural expe
riences at the library, even
though being at the site
of the former jail, includ
ing the site of the gallows,
provides lots of fodder for
imagination.
Natalie Marshall, director
of the Flint River Regional
Library System, of which
Monroe County Library
is a part, spoke of how
special it is to celebrate a
place when people have
been able to get trusted
information for 100 years.
She noted that the library
has also provided people a
place to meet, whether as
part of community orga
nizations, about issues, or
children coming together
for story time or summer
activities.
“Everyone who walks in
the library has their own
story’ said Marshall. “Li
braries are both universal
and personal.”
The Flint River Regional
Library System includes
nine libraries serving a
population of
280,000 people.
Board of
Commission
ers chair Greg
Tapley read
the proclama
tion of Mon
roe County’s
appreciation for
the library’s 100
years of service
and the people
who have con
tributed to its
success.
Clayton
unveiled a
plaque recog
nizing the nine
librarians, plus
two interim
librarians, who
proceeded her at Mon
roe County Library: Mrs.
Charles T. Brown (1922-
1954), Miss Vivian Pettis
and Miss Louise Anderson
(interim librarians), Mis
Martha Worsham, Mrs.
George L. Stegall, Mrs.
Lewis Smith, Mrs. Albert
Wyatt, Mrs. Jean Jackson,
Mrs. Marilyn Smith, Mrs.
Debbie Melton, Miss Lau
ren Mullins.
Assistant librarian
Marisha Crowder took
on the task of organizing
a time capsule and de
posited some significant
items in it at the centen
nial celebration. It will be
buried outside the library
near the bench and the
Fox Hunt statue and will
be unearthed in 25 years. It
includes some items made
by the library’s 3D printer,
a centennial logo but
ton made by the library’s
button maker, a children’s
library card, an item
related to the television
series “Stranger Things,” a
face mask and the library
bookmark designed by
Emily Shanks.
Clayton invited everyone
to visit stations with new
library resources, including
“giant” games, from Con
nect 4 to checkers, acquired
with grant funds; a section
of box books for the young
est visitors to the library
that Clayton was able to
buy for a small percentage
of their value at the Ameri
can Library Association
annual meeting; the 3D
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293 TIFT COLLEGE DRIVE • FORSYTH, GA 31029
HOURS: WEDNESDAY - MONDAY 11:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.