Things are humming at Frank and Jackie Janzen's place

By:JOHN HUNNEMAN - Staff Writer | Monday, August 25, 2003 6:09 AM PDT ∞

MOUNTAIN CENTER ---- When they retired several years ago, Frank and Jackie Janzen decided they'd had enough of Oceanside.

Both agreed the city had become too crowded, and they moved to this quiet mountain community in the San Bernardino National Forest.

These days, even though hundreds of visitors drop in unannounced each year to their new home---- most of them named Rufous ---- both say they love the traffic and enjoy the company.

Perched on a hillside overlooking the intersection of State Highways 74 and 371, about 42 miles east of Temecula, the Janzens' house is located on a migratory route of the rufous hummingbird.

During the early spring and late summer, the second-floor porch of the home is a popular dining spot for hundreds of the hummingbirds as they head north or south.

"It's almost like a swarm of bees," Frank said. "They'll fly right up to you and look you right in the face."

A longtime hobby

Watching hummingbirds has been a favorite hobby for many years for the couple, both of whom retired from Pacific Bell.

Growing up in Kansas, Frank's family kept a small feeder in the yard that attracted "one or two birds," he said.

The couple also maintained a hummingbird feeder at their Oceanside address.

"We had about five or six regular visitors there," Jackie said.

When they moved into their mountain retreat in April 2001, a small hummingbird feeder was hanging on the porch.

"I filled it and noticed there always seemed to be plenty of hummingbirds," Frank said.

The couple dug out the feeder they'd used in Oceanside and hung it alongside the other.

"Pretty soon I couldn't get to the store fast enough to buy more food," he said.

Now, with six large feeders, each with eight eating stations, the porch often resembles a gas station that has slashed prices in half.

Wednesday each of the 48 "filling" locations were in use and the air around the home was thick with hundreds of "motorists" waiting to top off their tanks and be on their way.

"We had no idea when we started that it would ever grow to this," Frank said.

The feeders are filled with 96 ounces of clear fluid ---- one part sugar/four parts water.

The average hummingbird consumes half its weight in nectar each day.

"Right now we're going through a 50-pound bag of sugar each week," Frank said. "Nobody goes hungry at our house."

During peak migration periods, each of the feeders is refilled every other day.

Hummingbird haven

Most of the travelers visiting the Janzen home are rufous hummingbirds, which are found across the country and migrate each year between Mexico and Canada.

"In the west, rufous hummingbirds have two primary migratory routes ---- along the Rocky Mountains and through California," said Russ Hawkins, founder and president of The Hummingbird Society.

Hawkins founded the nonprofit society ---- www.hummingbird.org ----- in 1996. The group has about 2,600 members in 27 countries and hosts an annual hummingbird festival in Tucson.

"I saw that other birds had societies ---- blue birds, whooping cranes and even turkey vultures, but the hummingbird had none," said Hawkins, whose hobby is wildlife photography.

Hummingbirds ---- the smallest of all birds ---- are the second-largest family of birds with about 328 members. About 10 percent of those are endangered.

Most hummingbirds live close to the equator, Hawkins said, adding that the farther you get from the equator the fewer of the birds you'll find.

The United States is home to 16 species, he said.

"Hummingbirds live in the driest deserts, in rain forests, in the highest mountains and at sea level, said Hawkins, who retired from Morgan Stanley after forming the society.

"They can be found in back yards all across the country," Hawkins said. "Just put a feeder in your yard and the chances are good you'll have hummingbirds."

Rufous and Anna

Anna's hummingbirds, which are year-round diners at the Janzen residence, are the most common of the birds found in California, Hawkins said.

Unlike cousin Rufous, Anna's hummingbirds do not normally travel far from home, Hawkins said.

"But the rufous hummingbird flies up to 3,000 miles when it migrates," he said "That's unbelievable when you realize how small they are."

A hummingbird can reach speeds of up to 60 mph. Their wings beat up to 78 times per second during regular flight and can beat as fast as 2,000 times each second during a dive.

Asked to explain people's fascination with the diminuitive creatures, Hawkins replied, "Hummingbirds are unique in the bird world because they can fly up, down, sideways and backward. No other family of birds can do that."

While admittedly hard to estimate, experts have told the Janzens that they feed tens of 1,000s of both the stay-at-home and migratory hummingbirds who use their porch for a quick energy boost before flying off.

"Who would have thought we'd have all these little guys," laughed Frank. "We really enjoy it. To me this is the best part of living here."

Contact John Hunneman at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2603, or hunneman@californian.com.

8/25/03

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.