THE RED COATS ARE COMING!
Well.not exactly
The Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming! Well, they're not exactly the British Red Coats invading New England; they're ruby-throated hummingbirds and it would appear to be a northern invasion!
Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are encouraging residents to be on the look-out for ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbirds regularly found in Pennsylvania or east of the Mississippi in spring and summer.
"Hummingbirds begin to trickle into Pennsylvania in April and, by May 1, they're usually well established across the state," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "They winter in Central and South America. When they head north, they fly nonstop across the massive Gulf of Mexico and then flit from flowerbed to feeder to flowerbed through the South as they work their way north to their nesting grounds."
To help Pennsylvanian's track this migration, the Game Commission has posted a "Backyard Hummingbirds" section on its website (
www.pgc.state.pa.us), which includes a link to map by Hummingbirds.net that is being updated by citizen participants.
"According to entries submitted so far, hummingbirds were first spotted in Pennsylvania this year on April 4, in the southwestern corner," Roe said. "Other sightings include the northeastern and eastern portion of the state on April 5, and southcentral region on April 6. Could your area be next?"
Pennsylvanians interested in seeing hummingbirds also can find information about what they can do in their backyards to make it more hospitable to this charismatic bird.
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=176354
