Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2018 från Birds & Blooms

Each summer, ruby-throats flutter around the eastern U.S., busily sipping nectar from flowers and feeders. Rufous hummingbirds converge in the Pacific Northwest, flying through most of the western states on their way. And black-chinneds settle into valleys and towns of the West and Southwest. Seeing one of these exuberant and energetic fliers dash through your garden or drink from your feeder for the 50th time is just as exciting as the first time. To be sure, I asked our Field Editors why they are so delighted by the annual return of hummingbirds. Here’s what a few of them had to say: They interact with me by investigating my red T-shirt, playing in the stream from the hose or hovering at the window to remind me to fill the feeders.” —Pat…

If you reside in a northwestern state, like Washington or Oregon, and see a rumble break out at your backyard sugar-water feeder, a male rufous hummingbird is the likely culprit. Known for their aggressive nature, rufous males are particularly antagonistic during the late-spring breeding season when territories are being established. Female rufous hummingbirds also jump into the fray to protect nesting territories and to drive off other rufous that get too close. They’ve even been known to chase chipmunks away. Rufous are hard to miss as they zip, zoom and dive around sugar-water feeders. Male rufous hummingbirds have orange backs and bellies and iridescent red throats, while females and juveniles sport more subdued green coloring. The Allen’s hummingbird, another species of the West, is often confused for the rufous. As…

Attention-grabbing red, orange and yellow flowers add some serious pop to your summer yard. The vivid hues, strategically placed, act as exclamation points when scattered among a big yard’s greenery, and the eye-popping patches tie distant sections together. In a smaller yard, use hot shades in containers wherever you may need a burst of happiness. They look especially welcoming on a porch or deck or along a garden path. Annual Benefits To paint a sea of bright color, annuals are your best bet. They last only one season, but their constant blooms offer a big bang for your buck. For a stunning first impression, invest in several flats or seed packets of annuals and place them in wide beds. Large groupings create visual drama, especially when they consist of just…

Hummingbird Monitoring Network, Patagonia, Arizona A nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve hummingbird diversity offers a banders’ training workshop. This year’s is Sept. 1-9. hummonnet.org Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, Bisbee, Arizona Located on a major migratory route, the observatory invites the public to watch as they capture, weigh, measure and release hummingbirds. sabo.org Davis Mountains Preserve, Fort Davis, Texas One of several West Texas Avian Research banding sites, biologists here have banded 19,000 hummingbirds to track migratory patterns and hummingbird diversity. See how they do it during the Hummingbird Celebration Aug. 23-26. nature.org…

1 John James Audubon, the famous naturalist and painter, ran a general store in Henderson, Kentucky, in 1810. Today, Audubon Museum stands within the park to commemorate his life. Check out the displays of some of his original paintings and prints. 2 Twenty warbler species fill the treetops with cheery songs in spring and summer. There’s even a hiking trail at the park named for them—Warbler Road. Expect to see species such as yellow-throated, Kentucky, prothonotary and northern parula. 3 Stroll along the boardwalk to explore some of the 649 acres of gorgeous Audubon Wetlands. The boardwalk trail is easily accessible to visitors with limited mobility. When you visit, watch for the active bald eagle nest and heron rookery. ABOUT AUDUBON Why you should know this renowned birder. John James…

ANSWERS 1. GRASSHOPPER 2. HONEY BEE 3. BUMBLEBEE 4. MONARCH CATERPILLAR 5. LADYBUG OR LADY BEETLE True or False? A. PRAYING MANTISES eat only live prey, like moths, butterflies and other bugs. B. ALL SPIDERS HAVE SUPER SHARP VISION thanks to their eight eyes. C. ALTHOUGH WASPS ARE KNOWN for large hives and stingers, most of the 30,000 species are solitary and don’t sting. A. TRUE B. FALSE C. TRUE…

WATCH See amazing videos of hummingbirds sipping sugar water from a hand feeder. Go to facebook.com/birdsblooms and click on Videos at the left. Read Our newest publication, Ultimate Guide to Hummingbirds, is on a newsstand near you! It has everything you need to create a backyard for hummingbirds to love. Relax Verlene Roehl of Janesville, Wisconsin, says her grandson Gabe snatched Birds & Blooms from the mailbox, then sat down in his lawn chair to look at the pictures. Follow Gabe’s lead this summer! MAKE Mix up a batch of homemade sugar water. Bring 1 part sugar and 4 parts water to a boil. Let cool, then fill up your hummingbird feeders! SHARE What are your best hummingbird feeding tips? birdsandblooms.com/submit…

A hummingbird nest is about the size of a quarter, and one egg is roughly the size of a jelly bean! No. 1 Mom When it comes to the job of parenting, female hummingbirds do all the heavy lifting, from building the nest to raising the young. After both eggs hatch, the mother feeds her nestlings a slurry of nectar and keeps them warm. Once they’re about 15 days old, she starts bringing them small insects, continuing to care for them until about a week after they leave the nest.…

Q Is it necessary to boil the sugar-water mixture for hummingbird feeders? I just stir until the sugar is dissolved. Amy Kernes BREA, CALIFORNIA Kenn and Kimberly: Opinions differ on the importance of boiling the mixture. We always do it to neutralize some impurities that might be in the water or sugar. Besides, sugar dissolves more easily in hot water. But as soon as the feeder is outdoors, contaminants will get into the water anyway, brought by hummingbirds, insects or just a breeze. So at best, boiling the mixture keeps it fresh a little longer. If your water is good and your time is limited, washing the feeder thoroughly and often is more important than boiling the sugar-water mixture. Q I took this photo near Scottsdale, Arizona. I think it’s an…

Trumpet honeysuckle is by far the most favored hummingbird plant in my yard. It blooms all season, produces fruit that other birds enjoy and is native to the United States.Karen Dennis PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN Almost every time I look at my red canna lilies, there is a hummingbird at them.Liza Vaughn FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA My king aloe plant blooms four or five times each summer, sending up grand 4-foot stalks covered in bell-shaped flowers. Hummers sit on the branches and feed.Lorraine Smith LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA Hummingbirds love all of the salvias, but Black & Blue is a favorite in our yard.Ginny Phillips OLATHE, KANSAS Every year I place a big pot of large firecracker plant (Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’) on my deck. Hummingbirds are zipping about just inches from me all summer!Janet Doherty SCARBOROUGH,…

Find the Hummingbird In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above left. Enter to win at birdsandblooms.com/contests if you find it. Winners receive a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the April/May issue, we hid it on page 42. HIDDEN OBJECT GUIDELINES No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and possessions, or of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec). Sweepstakes begins on May 9, 2018, and ends on July 3, 2018. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contests for official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Contact Us! CUSTOMER CARE For subscriptions, renewals, gifts, payments, account info and inquiries: Email: customercare@birdsandblooms.com Visit:…

Mexican Bush Sage Salvia leucantha, annual to Zone 8; perennial in Zones 8 to 10 In cool climates, treat this shrubby perennial as an annual and plant it as soon as the threat of frost has passed. It needs a long growing season and mild winter to survive. Attracts: Light needs: Full sun. Size: 3 feet tall and wide. Grown for: Showy, nectar-rich blooms that last from summer until frost. Foliage: The leaves and flowers have a fuzzy, velvety texture. Notable characteristics: This backyard favorite is low-maintenance, drought-tolerant and container-friendly. BIRD BENEFITS Your back yard hummingbirds (and butterflies!) go crazy for the abundant nectar in the beautiful late-season purple-and-white blooms.…

1 Salvia SALVIA Also commonly known as firecracker plant, this annual variety of salvia pops in any sunny garden, producing season-long color. Depending on the cultivar, this annual reaches 8 inches to 2 feet, though newer varieties are on the compact side. Why we love it: Tons of nectar-rich tubular blooms cover the short or long stalks. Flowers may be red, orange, white, blue, pink or purple. 2 Impatiens IMPATIENS Invite winged creatures into your shady spaces with impatiens, which come in a rainbow of hues. Once planted, they don’t need much care. Even deadheading isn’t necessary! Avoid downy mildew with disease-resistant SunPatiens and New Guinea impatiens. Why we love it: Reaching 6 inches to 2 feet high, it forms mounds, making it a good choice for borders and foundation…

SAY CHEESE! Patience is key for a good hummingbird photo. Over a few hours, gradually set up your tripod and camera so the birds get used to them. Use a wireless remote control to take photos and make your subjects comfortable. What a little backyard bully! This male ruby-throat was practically strutting to show his dominance, protecting his territory from a dahlia bud near the back deck. My coming and going didn’t bother him until I got out my camera, and that’s when he darted away. I set the camera on a tripod with a remote and hid inside to get this photo. Purnell Hopson SEAFORD, VIRGINIA This black-chinned hummingbird family of three settled into a tree near our house two years ago. The nest was the size of a…

Most backyard birds love to bathe and splash around in a clean birdbath, hummingbirds included! Although they occasionally stop at a shallow bath for a dip, these tiny birds prefer to wet their feathers by flying through or sitting under a gentle spray. One of the best ways to transform your landscape into a hummingbird hub is to incorporate a moving water feature. Unlike other birds, hummingbirds want a light shower instead of a complete soak because their primary concern is simply to get their feathers clean. Most of their other hydration needs are met by all the sugar water and liquid flower nectar they slurp up. Hummingbirds rinse off in the rain, at splashing streams or in the spray of waterfalls, and you can re-create the same kind of…

6 The wingspan of sphinx moths varies by species. Big poplars spread their wings 4 to 6 inches, while smaller sphinxes, like hummingbird clearwings, open to about 2 inches. 11 A sphinx moth’s proboscis (tongue that sips nectar) may be more than 11 inches long on some large tropical species. 2 Of the four hummingbird moths in the sphinx family, only two of them are commonly seen—the hummingbird clearwing and the snowberry clearwing. 5 Five-spotted hawk moth caterpillars, also known as tomato hornworms, are driven by voracious appetites to feast on tomato, tobacco and potato plants. 30 Though not a bird (or a plane), sphinx moths move quickly. Snowberry clearwings have been clocked flying more than 30 mph. 4 Just like the fliers they resemble, sphinx moths prefer nectar-filled, tube-shaped flowers. Try…