The Sedona Hummingbird Festival

Mark your calendars, tickets go on sale April 1, 2022!

Festival dates are July 29, 30, and 31st

"Sometimes," said Pooh,

"the smallest things

take up the most room in your heart."

Do you remember how you felt when you saw your first hummingbird? Was it love at first sight?

Tufted Coquette Hummingbird

Courtesy of: Beth Kingsley Hawkins taken in Trinidad, West Indies

Heart Medicine:

Cupid’s Arrow

__One June day, Kelly, a young woman with a lovely English accent, came into the Sedona Hummingbird Gallery. She recognized my picture of the Tufted Coquette, a tiny hummingbird I photographed in Trinidad in the West Indies.

__"My husband is from Trinidad,” she said. “The hummingbird is very important in our lives”, and then she told me her story.

__“Callum was visiting California and came over to see me. We had been close friends for a while. As we sat on the porch of a friend’s house, suddenly a star-throated hummingbird turned in front of us and flashed bright pink.

__I remember looking at Callum and realizing suddenly that something had shifted. When he looked back at me, everything was different.

__Beginning at that moment, our friendship developed into a love relationship. I will never forget it!

I guess that little hummingbird was the cupid’s arrow that brought us together.

__Three weeks later Callum returned to Trinidad, but soon called in distress, saying he couldn’t get me out of his mind. For my part, I was really focused on learning Spanish and had already made plans to go to Colombia and had even bought my ticket. But, I was missing him, too. Five days later, I cancelled my flight and booked a flight for Trinidad. He was ecstatic when I arrived!

__We got married a month later. So, the hummingbird was the catalyst that brought us together.

I understand now that the hummingbird is truly heart medicine.”

KK, CA

Love is in the Air

Hummingbird Courtship Facts

After the female has her nest started she will look for a mate

The courtship of hummingbirds usually begins in spring, but the hardy Anna's has been known to nest as early as January in Arizona

The male Annas can climb as high as 150 feet in the air in his love display

Females may occasionally find a mate of another species, which can result in hybrid hummingbirds

The female is usually attracted by the male's courtship display and the amount of food in her territory

The female is in charge of choosing the male depending on how well he performs his dance. Thus, she is in charge of propelling genetic changes.

Costas Hummingbird

Image courtesy of - Lisa Meyers Swanson "The Hummingbird Whisperer"

See More of Her Amazing Photos, Here!

__In this season of love, we wish to recognize and honor our charter members who have been there since its beginning.

An historical perspective as Beth tells it...

__The year must have been 1996. We were flying to San Diego to a North American Nature Photographer’s Association Summit.* We were soaring along at 33,000 feet. Ross was seated on the aisle and took out an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper and folded it into thirds to begin designing the first brochure for the Hummingbird Society.

__He was sketching the outline of a hummingbird on the top of the page, when the stewardess walked by. She noticed the hummer and it piqued her interest. She asked what he was doing. “I’m founding the Hummingbird Society to make sure hummingbirds thrive,” Ross replied. Intrigued, she responded “Oh, that’s wonderful. How much is membership?” Without skipping a beat, Ross responded, “Twenty dollars.” “Great, I’d like to join. Just a minute, I’ll bring you a check.”

__My jaw dropped open, “I didn’t know you were accepting members already?” Ross gave me a wink and grinned, “Neither did I!” And as Ross loved to tell the story,

“I never saw Beth pull out her checkbook so fast!” while at the same time she retorted, "Hey, I want to be the first member’, and indeed, she became enthusiastic member # 1 right then and there.

__Although, the stewardess returned promptly with her check, she became enthusiastic member # 2, and that’s how it all began up there in the sky. That was the confirmation Ross needed to know that the Society would take off and fly... and it did!

*(We were charter members of NANPA. Ornithologist, Roger Tory Petersen, was instrumental in its founding.)

First 25 Charter Members

1. June 8, 1996 Beth K. Hawkins

2. June 8 1996 Nancy J. Ustick

3. June 25,1996 Sarah Wellborn

4. July 18, 1996 Ellie Womack

5. July 12, 1996 Nancy L. Newfield

6. August 27 1996 Sandra A. True

7. August 26 1996 Dr. Robert and Dr. Susan Gel

8. August 26, 1996 Lisa A. Julian

9. August 22. 1996 Arnette Heidcamp.

10. August 22, 1996Kristine Saunders

11. August 27, 1996 Richard Cachor Taylor

12. September 2,1996 Sandra Dunn West

13. September 2, 1996 Shirlene DeSantis

14. September 20, 1996 Charles and Anne Lee

15. September 1, 1996 Paul H. Stuetze

16. September 14, 1996 Virginia and David Fischer

17. October 9, 1996 Gary A. Griffith

18. October 31, 1996 H. Ross Hawkins

19. October 31, 1996 Peter E. Scott

20. October 31, 1996 Frances Hamilton Oates

21. August 7, 1996 Bob and Martha Sargent

22. October 1,1996 Anita Hawkins

23/ August 11, 1996 Patricia L. Hudson

24. July 31, 1996 Perky Pet Products Co.

25. July 31, 1996 Judy Hoysak

___The Hummingbird Society officially adopts the assumed name, “The International Hummingbird Society”.

___There are and have been no endangered species in North America. Most hummingbird species, the 10% of endangered hummingbirds are found in Central and South America in Portuguese and other Spanish speaking countries. We have for some time, unofficially, included “International” in our name.

___Our board decided that we should make it official, so we have registered, “The International Hummingbird Society”. It is an assumed name of the Society in both Delaware and Arizona, because we were incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Arizona.

___Now we can use both the names “Hummingbird Society” and “International Hummingbird Society” interchangeably.

Photo Courtesy of - Bernadette Price

Columbia River Gorge

Winter Feeding?

If you are East of the Mississippi, your Ruby-throated hummingbird has flown the coop to warmer climates in Mexico. Here in the West and Southwest, our hardy Anna's hummingbird sticks it out even in the snow! If you are still experiencing freezing weather, we have discovered an innovative feeder with a light bulb in the bottom which keeps the sugar solution from freezing. (If you are local we do have a few for sale in the society office.)

Hummers Heated Delight