Category Archives: Nature Notes

Say Hello to Hummingbirds

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Rosemary

Copyright Richard ReynoldsThere are many highlights of spring bird migration, but it’s often one of the smallest birds that makes the biggest impression!

Every year in late April, early May ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Massachusetts after spending their winter in Central America.

Identifying Hummingbirds

The male ruby-throated hummingbird is unmistakable, with glossy green feathers and a stunning red “gorget” (the area below the beak) that glitters like its namesake. The females may lack the ruby throat, but they are just as easy to ID: this species is the type of hummingbird that nests in the eastern United States.

Attracting Hummingbirds

To bring these jewel-like birds to your yard, make sure there’s lots of food on hand—and we mean a lot. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they consume their own weight in sugar water or nectar every day, and that’s on top of thousands of insects.

A hummingbird feeder is a good way to start. A few tips:

  • If you haven’t put the feeder out already, do so now. Our experts note that you can put out hummingbird feeders as early as the last week in April, but early May works just as well.
  • Make your own nectar by combining 4 parts boiling water with 1 part sugar. Make sure it’s cool before you put it in the feeder; save leftovers in the fridge.
  • The color of the nectar is not important. It’s the red color of the feeding port that attracts the hummingbirds.
  • Clean your feeder at least once a week.
  • Don’t fret about ants in your feeder. The hummingbirds will eat them for lunch!

You can also grow flowers that provide nectar for hummingbirds. Two options are native bee balm (Monarda) and purple coneflowers (Echinacea). If you have the space, try to plant different flower varieties so that there are blooms throughout the warm months. Your hummingbirds will be happy, and you will be, too.

Do you attract hummingbirds to your yard? Tell us how in the comments! And be sure to report any hummingbird sightings in our Hummingbird Reporting Tool.

Need a feeder? Pick one up either at the Audubon Shop in Lincoln or order one online.

Photo © Richard Reynolds

The Myth-Busting Mourning Cloak

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Kristin S.

Mourning cloak copyright Frank ModelEvery year I wait eagerly to see my first butterfly of spring. Most likely, it will be a mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), a large butterfly with velvety brown wings and yellowish white wing edges. This beautiful “harbinger of spring” emerges on the first warm days, often before all the snow has melted.

How does the mourning cloak appear so early in the season? Hold onto your hats because this gorgeous insect contradicts everything we tend to believe about butterflies:

Myth 1: Butterflies die or head south for the winter.
Mourning cloak adults hibernate through the New England winter. Relying on “antifreeze” chemicals in their blood, mourning cloaks spend the winter in a sheltered place, such as in rock crevices, under bark, or in a woodpile. They emerge on warm days, sometimes as early as February, and treat us to visions of spring with their graceful flight. Other overwintering butterflies in New England to watch for include eastern commas, question marks, and compton tortoiseshells.

Myth 2: Adult butterflies only live for a few days.
Due to their overwintering strategy, mourning cloaks can have a lifespan of over 10 months. One of our longest-lived butterflies, mourning cloaks have been seen in flight in Massachusetts during every month of the year.

Myth 3: Butterflies nectar on flowers.
There are no blooming flowers in early spring when mourning cloaks emerge, so how do they feed? Mostly on tree sap, particularly from oaks. Mourning cloaks will also feed—brace yourself—on animal droppings and decaying things. Occasionally, if I have been hiking hard, a mourning cloak will land on my hand or head, attracted by the minerals in human sweat.

So, on the first warm day head toward a sun-dappled opening in the woods, preferably with storm-damaged trees and broken branches dripping sap, and wait for this resilient insect to make its appearance. Like you, it has managed to survive another New England winter.

To learn more about the mourning cloak and other butterflies of Massachusetts, check out Mass Audubon’s Butterfly Atlas.

Photo © Frank Model