Big Bear's Hummingbirds
Can you imagine a concert by over a million traveling singers? Catch a performance any spring or summer morning in the National Forest surrounding Big Bear CA. Migrating songbirds stop here and rest in our trees, meadows, and stream banks. Some stay to nest and spend the summer, while others continue north. These migrants return to Mexico, Central and South America in the fall. This group includes orioles, hummingbirds, swallows, thrushes, warblers, vireos and tanagers.
Recently, spring has grown noticeably quieter. The number of migrating birds has declined, due to the destruction of natural habitat and breeding grounds, along migratory routes, and in wintering areas. This National Forest in Big Bear is just one stop on the world tour. It’s important to identify and protect those areas used by birds.
The best place to watch the migrating birds is along streams and other areas with lots of plants and insects. Thurman Flats Picnic Area is a well known resting area. Refer to the Birds of the San Bernardino National Forest for lists of commonly found species. Bird walks are given throughout the year by the San Bernardino Audubon Society.
Thurman Flats Directions: Take Highway 38 out of Big Bear. Thurman Flats is on the left once you get to the bottom of the mountain.
More About Hummingbirds:
- USDA Blog » Annual Hummingbird Festival returns to Land … – “A large number of hummingbirds stop here on their journey south to Mexico and Central America. During this time, up to 200 hummingbirds visit our feeders in a single day.” Highlights of the weekend included hummingbird …
- KLRU > klru blog > September 2011: Nature “Hummingbirds…”- Hummingbirds represent one of nature’s most interesting paradoxes — they are the tiniest of birds, yet they qualify as some of the toughest and most energetic creatures on the planet. New knowledge gained from scientists …
- Big Bear Real Estate Blog > “Hummingbird Watching” – Part of Big Bear’s outdoor charm is enjoying the local “wildlife”. You’ll find hummingbirds to be abundant across the San Bernardino Mountains. They love alpine trees and meadows and have been found at altitudes as high as 17,000 feet. Watching them is as easy as setting up a feeder…
San Bernardino National Forest
