The Adventures of Ruby, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

by David Crossler

Hi! My name is Ruby, the ruby-throated hummingbird. I live in Washington DC in the spring and summer. I like living in Washington DC, the capital of the USA. There are lots of trees and flowers that are so pretty. I live in the Washington Monument. It looks like a giant toothpick. I have a very, very good view of DC from my nest. In one direction, I can see the Lincoln Memorial, and in another, I can see the Jefferson Monument. And in yet another, I can see the Capital Building. It is a great place to live.

Right now, the month is October. It is time for me to migrate to the Gulf of Mexico, my winter home. I make this journey every year. It takes several weeks to get there. I don’t drive, swim, take an airplane or a train like people do. I fly! I am excited to go to my winter home every year. It is a very thrilling journey, and good because I am going to where the weather is warm, but all of that flying makes me tired!

My first stop on my journey is West Virginia, somewhere near Beckley. I saw the New River Gorge Bridge. I made it just in time for bridge day. There were people parachuting off of the bridge. I thought they were being silly. If people were meant to fly, they would be born with wings! The leaves on the trees in the mountains looked so pretty, I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. The colors were so magnificent. My next stop was in Tennessee, somewhere around Nashville. I heard different kinds of music. My favorite kind of music was the country music I heard played there. Some other places I stopped at along the way were: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and my last stop was Texas. My final destination was South Padre Island--my winter home at last.

I am excited to be at my winter home, and am also glad that I made it safely. I may be tired from all the flying, but there is good food to eat down here and the weather is warm. I think I will enjoy it down here. Maybe I will get to relax for once, or at least until I have to migrate north next spring.

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