The trees are leafing out, flowers are blooming and our summer birds are migrating back into the Patagonia area. Here at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, these new migrants are bringing a riot of color, with the Wilson’s Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Lazuli Buntings, just to name a few. It won’t be long until we see Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Western Tanagers and Vermilion Flycatchers to help continue adding vibrance to the yard.
With Spring comes the desire for the birds to find a mate, and so the bird songs that can be heard every day now is just stunning. Early morning, just after daylight is the best time for hearing an amazing variety of songs, but many of those will continue the avian choir all day long. Looking for Love in all the right places!
Another thing to be on the lookout for, now that those mates have been located, is that all these different species will be starting to build nests. Each species has a distinct style of nest that they build. The barn Swallows seen all around town gather mud to build their nests up under eaves, porches, and bridges. Many of our local birds gather sticks and twigs to form a base and then line the nest with soft fuzzy things like moss, fur, feathers, and bits of thread and material left lying around. Hummingbirds have a habit of constructing their tiny nests with sticky spiderweb, as well as small, soft materials and downy feathers.
This is such a wonderful time of year. We look forward to your next visit to Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds!
Much like our birds that are migrating into our area, many of my human snowbirds that help keep things running smoothly are also heading back to their northern homes. So, if any of you are interested in volunteering here at the Paton Center, please email me. We have very flexible shifts, morning and afternoon schedules, and a knowledge of birds is helpful, but not required.
—Tom Brown – Site Manager – Paton Center for Hummingbirds