The Hummingbirds are back.

Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

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 attracting flowers and hung a nectar feeder in my garden.

Hummingbird nectar can be made at home. It is just sugar water. It mimics the nectar found at the base of flowers. Hummingbirds sip the nectar and any tiny insects floating in it. 

I make enough nectar to last a week and keep it in the refrigerator. I change the nectar every other day or so. I don’t mind doing this because the thrill of seeing hummingbirds in my garden is more than worth  the effort. 

The recipe is 1 part regular granulated sugar to 4 parts water.  Boil this mixture until the sugar crystals are dissolved. Pour it into your hummingbird feeder of choice. 

I have gone through several feeders. Some feeders are hard to clean and get moldy fast. This is one of them. 

This is my current feeder. It is very easy to keep clean.  

I look forward to maybe getting a photo of a hummingbird in my garden . The bird photos here were all taken at the hummingbird feeders in Fort Washington State Park. My empty feeder looks lonely.

Greenworks Philadelphia wins national honor | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/14/2010

Greenworks Philadelphia wins national honor | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/14/2010

This article was on the front page of the business section of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Top, front and center. How great is that?

Hometown Philly won the Siemens Sustainable Community Award beating out Dallas and Atlanta.

My hometown is a doing good thing in sustainability. I know that Philadelphia can be a walkable, livable, sustainable palace to live.

Of the goals for the city is creating park and recreation resources within 10 minutes of 75 percent of city residents. I am sure they crunched the numbers and figured out this do-able. If it wasn't it probably wouldn't be the goal.

I am looking forward to recreation center in my neighborhood being renovated and a beautiful destination place filled with native plants, butterflies and birds.

Philadelphia, my beautiful home.

The Dawn Chorus

For the past two weeks, I have opened my eyes, well before the alarm, and listened to a symphony of bird songs.

Before the sun has completely lightened the sky, the neighborhood birds are singing. This is the Dawn Chorus and it is truly magical.

The Dawn Chorus is sung by male songbirds, (often called the passerines or perching birds).

This musical performance happens only during the breeding season. The male birds are singing “ Come, be my mate”. Some mornings it can be quite loud. And with all the species singing at once it is hard to tell the songs apart. If I listen closely I can pick out a House Sparrow or a Robin.

The singing is most intense at dawn. Scientifically, sound travels clearer and farther in the cool morning air. There is seldom wind at dawn to distort the songs and diminish the range.

The singing starts while it is still dark. As the sky lightens, more birds join in. It continues for about 1/2 hour. It starts earlier on moonlight nights when the sky is bright all night into morning. The singing starts later when the morning sky is overcast and the weather dull.

By the time the sun is fully up, the chorus dies down.

This Chorus happens in the temperate parts of the world, namely in Europe and North America. I can imagine how the chorus sounds differently where the local combinations of birds sing their songs. How much fun would it be to travel around the world and wake each morning to the sounds of the local male songbirds singing their hearts out?