{"id":447,"date":"2013-02-27T03:42:38","date_gmt":"2013-02-27T03:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/?p=447"},"modified":"2013-02-27T03:42:38","modified_gmt":"2013-02-27T03:42:38","slug":"hummingbirds-wintering-in-pennsylvania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/?p=447","title":{"rendered":"Hummingbirds Wintering in Pennsylvania!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Barb Elliot<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a record-setting fall and winter for hummingbirds in Pennsylvania.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 According to hummingbird bander and expert Scott Weidensaul, as of February 22nd<\/sup>, 92 hummingbirds have been reported in PA since last fall.\u00a0 Five or six are still present, including a few in southeastern PA.\u00a0 These visitors are not the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that visit our feeders and breed here during summer.\u00a0 They were gone by early October.\u00a0 These are vagrants, species that breed in the Pacific northwest, northern Rocky Mountains, or Alaska, and normally migrate to Mexico in fall.\u00a0 Some of them fly east for reasons not yet understood.\u00a0 Though this is not a new\u00a0phenomenon, the number of reports for this fall and winter has been extraordinary.\u00a0 Are these numbers the beginning of a trend or just an aberration?\u00a0 Weidensaul and other ornithologists don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\"Calliope<\/a>

Calliope Hummingbird, Nov. 2, 2012, Devon, Chester County, PA.\u00a0 Photo \u00a9 Barb Elliot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Whatever the reason, it\u2019s been an exciting time for birders and hummingbird enthusiasts!\u00a0 I was
\nprivileged to see two of these birds.\u00a0One was a tiny, pot-bellied Calliope Hummingbird that spent several weeks during October and November in a yard in Devon, Chester County — just
\nthe second one ever recorded in PA.\u00a0\u00a0 At about two-thirds the size of the familiar eastern Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Calliope is the smallest bird species in the U.S. and the<\/p>\n

smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Allen's<\/a>

Allen’s Hummingbird – immature male. Nov 26, 2012. Photo \u00a9 Barb Elliot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Another that I got to see was a beautiful immature male Allen\u2019s Hummingbird that visited a feeder at a home in Pipersville, Bucks County from November through early January.\u00a0 This bird was only the third Allen\u2019s ever recorded in the state.<\/p>\n

Other western species to visit PA have been Rufous Hummingbird, the most common and numerous western visitors to the east, and a single Black-chinned Hummingbird — the very first record of this species in PA.\u00a0 This bird was seen briefly on just one day, but the Bucks County homeowner\u2019s clear photos allowed experts to verify the record. Most western hummingbirds that fly east in the fall head south to the Gulf region by early January.\u00a0As of this writing, however, two Rufous Hummingbirds linger in
\nMontgomery County and one in Chester County.\u00a0All three birds first appeared at residents\u2019 feeders in October and have stayed through the winter.<\/p>\n

\"Black-chinned<\/a>

Black-chinned Hummingbird – first record in PA! \u00a0Nov 11, 2012. Morrisville, Bucks County, PA. Photo courtesy of and \u00a9 Rich Dulay.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

How do these birds endure PA\u2019s cold winter temperatures?\u00a0 At night, they enter a
\ndeep sleep-like state called torpor, in which they lower their body temperature and slow their metabolic rate by as much as 50%.\u00a0 This allows them to conserve energy and
\nsurvive with enough remaining to fuel their first few feeding trips of the morning.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s too late to attract a western hummer this winter, but perhaps you\u2019d like to try next fall.\u00a0 According to Weidensaul, in addition to keeping hummingbird feeders up well into autumn, many successful hummingbird hosts have late-blooming fall plants.\u00a0 There are several native plants that bloom until frost, but some homeowners also use non-native Salvia<\/i> species, planted either in pots or in the ground.\u00a0 I recommend that you confine non-natives to containers and reserve in-ground space for natives.\u00a0 After all, natives contribute more fully to our local web-of-life.\u00a0 Also, if your non-natives are in pots, you can move them inside or into your garage if overnight freezing temperatures are forecast.\u00a0 The table below has some recommended late fall blooming natives as well as some non-natives that host western hummingbirds.<\/p>\n

Though hummingbirds feed from any color flower, they are attracted to the colorred. To catch the eye of a passing hummingbird, some homeowners put out red ribbon, surveyors tape, or other red objects.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Large<\/a><\/dt>\n
Large felt flower in Pipersville, PA yard that attracted Allen’s Hummingbird. Nov, 2012. Photo \u00a9 Barb Elliot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Click to enlarge.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

The homeowner who attracted the Allen\u2019s Hummingbird in Bucks County had made a two- to three-foot red \u201cflower\u201d of felt material and placed it on the ground near her feeder. I thought this was a great idea and made one for my yard.<\/p>\n

If you are lucky enough to host a western hummingbird, it\u2019s important to keep your feeder\u2019s sugar water from freezing so the bird can eat first thing in the morning.\u00a0 Some homeowners erect a heat lamp near the feeder or wrap electrical wire around it.\u00a0 Others use two feeders, leaving one up overnight and just before dawn trading it for one kept in the house overnight.<\/p>\n

If you host one of these rarities you can contribute to scientific knowledge.\u00a0 You should
\nhave your hummingbird banded. The bander will record the bird\u2019s location and
\ndetermine its species and age.\u00a0 If the bird is re-captured or found in another location, it yields very valuable information about its migratory patterns.\u00a0 Hummingbird banders are certified experts who trap, examine, and band these tiny creatures without harming them.\u00a0 Any hummingbird seen in PA after October 15th<\/sup> is likely a western rarity. Report it to the local Audubon Society or bird club so they can contact a bander.\u00a0 If possible, take some good photos of the bird as these can help with identification.<\/p>\n

\"Male<\/a>

Male Rufous Hummingbird just after banding. Nov 28, 2012. Chester Springs, Chester County, PA. Photo courtesy of and \u00a9 Nick Pulcinella.\u00a0\u00a0 Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Leaving feeders up into fall won\u2019t prevent hummingbirds from migrating. They know when to move on. Your fall feeder may help the survival of late-migrating Ruby-throats or western hummers venturing east from the usual migration routes.<\/p>\n

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will begin returning to our area in late April and early May.\u00a0 I will be putting my feeders out by mid-April so I don\u2019t miss any that might be flying over my neighborhood.\u00a0 Since hummingbirds are known to return to the same yards, I\u2019m hoping for some of my \u201cregulars\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019ll also hang some red ribbon near the feeders and place my new felt \u201cflower\u201d out on the ground.\u00a0 I\u2019ll watch my first-of-the-season native hummingbird plant, Wild Columbine.\u00a0 Other native plants in my yard will host the tiny insects that hummingbirds eat and feed their young.\u00a0 Then, come fall, I\u2019ll be sure to keep my feeders out in the hope that a passing rare western visitor will come to grace my yard for a brief, but wondrous time.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Native Fall Hummingbird Plants<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Botanical \u00a0 Name<\/b><\/td>\nCommon Name<\/b><\/td>\nBloom Color \u00a0 & Period<\/b><\/td>\nConditions, \u00a0 Comments<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chelone glabra<\/i><\/td>\nWhite \u00a0 Turtlehead<\/td>\nSpikes \u00a0 of white flowers; late summer and fall<\/td>\nPart \u00a0 shade to shade, moist soil; may bloom even after first frost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Impatiens capensis<\/i><\/td>\nJewelweed<\/td>\nGold\/orange \u00a0 flowers; July to October<\/td>\nPart \u00a0 shade to shade, moist soil;\u00a0 an annual \u00a0 that re-seeds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lonicera sempervirens<\/i><\/td>\nTrumpet \u00a0 Honeysuckle<\/td>\nRed\/orange \u00a0 flowers; Late spring to fall<\/td>\nSun, dry \u00a0 to average soil; well-behaved vine; needs a trellis or other support; may \u00a0 bloom after first frost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Non-Native Fall Hummingbird Plants (plant in containers)<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Salvia coccinea<\/i><\/td>\nTexas Sage<\/td>\nRed; \u00a0 other colors, e.g., salmon, pink, white; summer to frost<\/td>\nReadily \u00a0 available; easy to grow; native to U.S. coastal states from South Carolina to \u00a0 Texas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salvia elegans<\/i><\/td>\nPineapple \u00a0 Sage<\/td>\nRed \u00a0 flowers; September to heavy frost<\/td>\nSun; \u00a0 well-drained soil; native to Mexico & Guatemala;\u00a0 many think this is the best Salvia for late \u00a0 hummers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salvia guaranitica<\/i><\/td>\nBlack \u00a0 and Blue Sage<\/td>\nCobalt blue \u00a0 flowers in black calyx; summer to fall<\/td>\nFull sun \u00a0 to light shade; native to Brazil, Paraguay & Argentina<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salvia involucrata<\/i><\/td>\nRoseleaf \u00a0 Sage<\/td>\nRed \u00a0 flowers; late summer to early fall<\/td>\nNative to \u00a0 Mexico<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salvia splendens<\/i><\/td>\nTropical \u00a0 Salvia\/\u00a0 Scarlet Sage<\/td>\nRed \u00a0 flowers;\u00a0 summer to frost<\/td>\nFull sun \u00a0 to part shade, average, evenly moist soil; native to Brazil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Barb Elliot Yes, you read that right.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a record-setting fall and winter for hummingbirds in Pennsylvania.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 According to hummingbird bander and expert Scott Weidensaul, as of February 22nd, 92 hummingbirds have been reported in PA since last … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=447"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":507,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447\/revisions\/507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backyardsfornature.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}