The hummingbirds are here!

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The first sighting of a robin is a harbinger of spring, but it's not until the arrival of the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird that warm, pleasant weather is truly here to stay. The first Ruby-throat was reported in the Easton area, so check your backyard to see if you have any!   

To survive in the wild at this season, hummingbirds must have flowering shrubs and trees, which attract tiny insects. Hummingbirds eat insects as part of their diet. As the days go by, more flowers will bloom, and these will contain the nectar that is a mainstay of the hummingbird's diet.

Placing hummingbird feeders in your backyard right now is essential if you'd like these tiny creatures to stay in your backyard throughout spring and into summer and beyond. The hummingbirds will enjoy the sugarly fluid, which replenishes the energy they used up during their long flight from Central America.

You also can help by planting nectar-producing flowers such as delphinium, bee balm, trumpet vine, and (starting in May) annuals such as petunias, red salvia and fuchia.