The first hint of cooler weather touched Northern Virginia in the overnight hours, suggesting shorter days and the start of fall not too far away. It brings with it, too, not just the start of school again but awareness of the continuing migration of creatures. Those that came north are heading south again. There are […]

Yes, it’s true! People in Virginia are starting to see the beautiful Ruby-throated hummingbirds at their feeders. You can track them as they make their way north on the map here and report your own sightings.  So clean your feeders and get ready to put out the nectar – one part sugar to four parts water.   […]

Migration *must* be underway – I say that because in the last two days, I’ve had two birds fly into our garage and get confused, unable to fly out. I think our “regulars” already know the lay of the land around our house pretty well but as migrating birds come through, all things are new […]

Here’s the latest map and news from Journey North, the organization that captures sightings from people across the country and puts them on the map: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/humm_ruby_spring2012.html Southerly winds did the job of assisting ruby-throated hummingbird migration across the Gulf and into 4 new states. The map shows an amazing number of sightings covering the Gulf Coast […]

I wish I could embed this video on the blog but it’s not that kind of link so….. here’s the website: http://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination.html This is an exquisite 7-minute clip on so much more than pollination. The presenter, Louie Schwartzberg, asks the question, “What motivates the pollinators?”  Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch offered the explaination, “Nothing lasts […]

The following is a list of favorite hummingbird plants. It includes both native and non-native plants. Also check out our Gardening for Wildlife Plant List.   CommonName Latin Name Comments Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis A number 1 choice, a real beauty too Bee Balm Monarda didyma Spreads pretty quickly each year by seeds Evening Primrose Oenothera […]