female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at Schuylkill Nature Center The hummingbirds should be migrating. Originally published October 2015,dates still apply. I spotted this female Ruby-Throat at the Schuylkill Nature Center in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia last Wednesday. At first I heard a squeaking noise and then I realized it was a hummingbird. She flew right by […]
hummingbirds
Spring Blooming Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds
These spring-blooming nectar flowers are for attracting hummingbirds to your backyard, garden or balcony. Planting several flowers for each season creates your own hummingbird garden. Hummingbirds arrive in the spring months of March, April, and May in much of the northeast. And the flowers listed here will be in bloom when they arrive. All of […]
A Naturalist's Garden: An Overview
Attracting birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and other animals to your garden is a rewarding pastime. I like the convenience of walking into my garden and seeing butterflies sipping nectar at my flowers and birds eating seeds at the feeders. I have what is called a naturalist’s garden or a backyard habitat. You can see some photos […]
It's 52 degrees and a hummer is at the feeder.
I took this photo yesterday, Sunday October 2, 2011 at Fort Washington State Park. I went to Fort Washington State Park to watch the hawk migration (more about that Wednesday). It was chilly and rainy. The wind clocked at about 5 mph and it would drizzle and then stop just long enough to make you think […]
Clearwing Hummingbird Moth and Its Life Cycle
Stocky and fuzzy with a tail like a lobster, the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth sipped nectar from the purple flowers of the New York Ironweed.
Hummingbird Migration Dates
The Hummers are on the move. Yes, The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have arrived back in North America and are making their way north to the good old Delaware Valley.
Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis L.)
Common name: Red Columbine, Wild Columbine, Canada Columbine Scientific name: Aquilegia canadensis L. Family name: Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae) Attracts: hummingbirds, butterflies, bees Host plant to: Columbine Dusky (Erynnis lucilius) – the only food source for this butterfly. Native range: Eastern and Central North America from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, south to northern Florida, western Oklahoma […]
The Hummingbirds are back.
Several people have seen hummingbirds here in the Philadelphia area. These tiny fast fliers often whizz by so quickly, you might think they are insects or bees. The only hummingbirds that breed in this area are the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. Last year was my first successful year attracting hummingbirds to my garden. I have planted hummingbird […]
Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis L.)
Common name: Common Buttonbush Scientific name: Cephalanthus occidentalis L. Family: Madder Family (Rubiaceae) Attracts: Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds for its nectar. Bees use it to produce honey. Wildlife: It has exceptional wildlife benefits. The seed is eaten by eight species of waterfowl and the twigs by three species of mammals. Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the […]
Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
The Red Columbine is so graceful and so lovely. I took this photograph in my garden. The late afternoon sun was sinking in the sky and the soft light illuminated the form of the blossom. I was first attracted to this plant when I saw a stand of yellow Columbine growing in the shade of […]
