There are some 330 hummingbird species in the world, but across much of south-central and eastern Canada, we see just one. Each spring and summer, the ruby-throated hummingbird, as if through some rare serendipity, arrives in our backyards and at our cottages after a mammoth migration from its Central American wintering grounds. One of the tiniest warm-blooded animals, the hummer must fuel a metabolism that runs at 40 degrees C, a heart that pumps up to 1,260 beats per minute and wings that whirr 50 and 200 times a second. To do so, this little bird eats half its weight each day, whizzing around from plant to plant at speeds that would break your city’s speed limit.

On the weekend of July 12-14, you can learn more about this efficient little flying machine at the Ontario Hummingbird Festival. The festival is hosted by the Wye Marsh, a not-for-profit year-round environmental awareness facility located on roughly 1,215 hectares of wetlands, fen and forest in Midland, Ont., near Georgian Bay. With canoe/kayak routes, trails, an observation tower and boardwalks, the facility is built to bring visitors and nature together. There’s even a residential facility for those who want to plan an overnight visit.