BROWNSVILLE – Birds weighing only ounces are currently occupying people’s backyards, and one local man is making sure his feeders are stocked.

Hummingbirds swoop into yards hungry and fly directly toward the colorful feeders. Jesse Gaspar, of Brownsville, has been feeding birds for 10 years. He started with one feeder.

“This time I have five because now there’s like 50 of them that come each year. They migrate going south to Central and South America. And they’re hungry, they’re real hungry,” he said. “They’re real thirsty for that nectar.”

The little birds are good at remembering whose backyard has the feeders. They have two seasons, Gaspar said. In the fall, it’s August and September and in the spring it’s April and May.

“The males come first and that’s when I first notice, the males are here. And then the females come in,” he said.

Some of the hummingbirds can feed quietly and others pick at the feeders, moving quickly to the next. A few birds can also be very possessive.

“And they fight with each other. They’re very aggressive when it comes to feeding,” Gaspar said. “You’ll hear when they bump each other in the chest or their beak.”

If people stay still, the little birds don’t see them as a danger and they will continue to come around. They have their own distinct sound.

Gaspar is a real enthusiast and arranges his schedule around their seasons.

“I’m always conscious of when they’re supposed to be here. And I try not to go anywhere so I can feed the hummingbirds,” he said.

Hummingbirds may only weigh a few ounces, but they are a big part of the birding world.