Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, May 11, 2002, Image 49

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    UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) By putting up feeders and
planting tempting flowers, you
can draw hummingbirds to your
garden year after year, says a
wildlife biologist in Penn State’s
College of Agricultural Sciences.
“If you have the right flowers
and feeder, you even can draw
hummingbirds into a suburban
environment,” says Margaret
Brittingham, associate professor
of wildlife resources.
“People love hummingbirds
because they’re so extreme in
their looks, size and beauty,” she
says. “They’re the smallest bird
in Pennsylvania, and they have
very iridescent feathers. They’re
also very tame around people.
You can attract them right to
your kitchen window.”
Hummingbirds are fun to
watch for their unusual flight.
“They move their wings in a fig
ure eight pattern,” Brittingham
says. “They can fly both forwards
and backwards and hover in mid
air. You’ll often know a hum
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FARMERS EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLY
Airville, Pa.
717-862-3967
B.H.M. FARM
EQUIP., INC.
Annville, Pa.
717-867-2211
FARM & POWER
MILLER EQUIPMENT CO. EQUIPMENT, INC.
Bechtelsville, Pa PA Rt. 51 6
610-845-2911 G i en Rock, p a
717-235-0111
Right Flowers, Feeders Attracts Hummingbirds
mingbird is near by the humming
sound made by their wings.” This
hovering flight allows humming
birds to maneuver around flowers
like bees.
“You’ll also see them do an
aerial ‘pendulum display,”’ Brit
tingham says. “The male flies up
and down like a pendulum to at
tract a female, or to defend a
feeding site. Hummingbirds also
will chase each other they’re
fairly aggressive for such tiny
birds.”
Although 16 hummingbird
species are native to the United
States, only the ruby-throated
hummingbird is found east of the
Mississippi River.
Each September, the birds mi
grate to Mexico and Central
America, flying nonstop 600
miles across the Gulf of Mexico.
In the spring, the birds return,
following the blooming of early
season flowers, such as azaleas,
rhododendrons and columbine.
They arrive in Pennsylvania from
mid-April to early May.
WITMER’S INC.
Columbiana, OH
330-427-2147
HERNLEY’S FARM
EQUIP., INC.
Elizabethtown, Pa.
717-367-8867
WERTZ
To attract hummingbirds to
your yard, Brittingham suggests
planting masses of flowers.
“Hummingbirds like tubular
flowers that are orange, red and
pink,” she says. “You should
have a variety of flowers bloom
ing from mid- to late-April
through the summer season.
“Early in the season, azaleas
and rhododendrons are good
choices. For early summer, plant
bleeding hearts and columbines.
During late summer, humming
birds come to bergamot and the
late summer wildflowers. You
also may want to purchase hang
ing plants, such as fuschia.”
Other early summer flowers
that attract hummingbirds in
clude fly-honeysuckle, fire pink,
tulip poplar, weigala and trum
pet honeysuckle.
Mid- to late-summer flowers
that attract hummingbirds also
include spotted touch-me-knot,
trumpet vine, cardinal-flower,
garden phlox, coralberry, holly
hock, Turk’s cap lily, rose of Sha-
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STANLEY’S
FARM SERVICE
Klmgerstown, Pa.
570-648-2088
MANOR MOTORS
On Rte. 553
Penn Run, Pa.
724-254-4753
_ .mci . . LEBANON VALLEY
IMPLEMENT CO., INC,
FARM SERVICE Richland, Pa!
Quarryville, Pa, 717-BC6-7518
717-786-7318
ron, butterfly milkweed, butterfly
bush, bee-balm and impatiens.
Hummingbirds play a major
role in pollination. Tubular flow
ers with long stamens are special
ly adapted to be pollinated by
hummingbirds.
Using long beaks and long
tongues, the birds feed on the
flowers’ nectar. As they brush
against the flowers, pollen sticks
to their bodies, then transfers to
the next flower they visit.
Homeowners also can hang a
feeder to draw hummingbirds to
a specific location, like a kitchen
window. Hummingbird feeders
can be purchased at garden sup
ply centers. “Hummingbirds will
return to the same feeder each
year,” Brittingham says. “Many
times they’ll hover at the window
before you even put the feeder
up.”
Brittingham suggests filling
feeders with a nectar of one part
sugar to four parts water. “A
stronger solution can be harmful
to their kidneys, while a weaker
one may not
attract them.
You don’t
need to pur
chase com
mercial nec
tar it’s no
better than
what you can
make at
home.
“You
should avoid
honey and
water mix
tures,” she
C.J. WONSIDLER
BROS.
Quakertown, Pa.
215-536-7523
New Tripoli, Pa.
215-767-7611
Oley, Pa.
215-987-6257
B. EQUIP, INC.
Waynesboro, Pa
717-762-3193
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 11,2002-B5
says. “Some people think honey
and water is healthier. But it fer
ments and grows a mold that can
be very harmful to humming
birds.”
Although some people have
recommended adding red food
coloring to the nectar, Britting
ham says it adds no benefit. “The
birds will be attracted to the red
plastic on the feeder,” she says.
You also can entice humming
birds by purchasing a misting at
tachment for a birdbath, avail
able at some garden supply
stores. “Hummingbirds like to fly
through the mist to bathe,” Brit
tingham says.
Finally, make sure the feeder
and birdbath are out of reach of
cats. “Cats are extremely profi
cient hunters and they hunt
whether they’re hungry or not,”
Brittingham says. “You also
should minimize your use of pes
ticides. Pesticides may harm the
flowers hummingbirds feed on, as
well as the hummingbirds them
selves.”
For more information about
hummingbirds, see the Penn
State College of Agricultural Sci
ences publication, “Pennsylvania
Wildlife No. 6: Attracting Hum
mingbirds.” Single copies are
available free of charge from
your county Penn State Coopera
tive Extension office, or from the
College of Agricultural Sciences
Publications Distribution Center
(call 814-865-6713).