MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Nestled in the hills south of Twin Falls, two friends run a 30-year-old treasure at the Brockman-White Hummingbird Feeding Station.
"It's just so quiet, peaceful, and of course, there's a lot of hummingbirds. And they're so little, quick, they can dart, stop on a dime," said Robert Bird, co-operator of Brockman-White Hummingbird Feeding station. "And they've been measured to fly up to 50 miles an hour. They really are amazing birds."
Altogether, Bird and his feeding partner John McManus have nearly 50 feeders. Each day, the two clean out the feeders, refill them with sugar water- which aids in their digestion- and hang them for the hummingbirds to enjoy.
The stations were originally operated by Virgil Brockman. According to Bird, Brockman operated the stations for years before Bird and McManus took over.
Bird and McManus have been at the helm of the feeding station for the last seven years. The two used to work at Amalgamated Sugar Company years ago. Now, the company donates the sugar they use to feed the hummingbirds.
Bird added that this is an effort of love for him and McManus.
"Their lifespan is about three to five years. And they migrate to southern Mexico and Central America, through the winter months. So they travel a long way," Bird said. "People in the area enjoy visiting. Kids love it. I just hope they get the peace and the joy of the birds. It's just a nice place to get away for a few minutes. You see them buzzing around a very serene place, peaceful, that's why I just love coming up here."
This is not the first time an IDahaon has shown interest in hummingbirds, however. In 2004, KTVB spoke with a single father from Mountain Home who spent his days tracking hummingbirds. Stacey Peterson spent his days tracking the birds as part of population research for a national database.
You can watch the whole video on the latest edition of The 208 Redial.
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