Hummingbirds 101

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are headed our way. They reached the Gulf Coast states in late February and early March. Is your yard ready for them? Where have they been all winter? Will more than one settle into a wildlife garden? Where is the nest? What does the female use to build her tiny nest? Do you need to buy bottled nectar for your feeder? Is red dye needed in feeders? Even if you think you know everything about these winged jewels, expect to be surprised by what you learn during this presentation by naturalist and wildlife gardener Pat Sutton. She will show you an actual hummingbird nest and share essential tips on how to ready your yard so that you can be entertained by a blizzard of hummingbirds through mid-September.
Pat Sutton has keenly studied the natural world for over 40 years (as the naturalist at the Cape May Point State Park in the 1970s and 1980s and for 21 years, until 2007, as the naturalist and program director at the Cape May Bird Observatory). Pat has an undergraduate degree in Literature and a Masters Degree in Environmental Education. She and her husband (Clay Sutton) wrote the landmark book, Birds and Birding at Cape May (2006), the in-depth result of their efforts over many years documenting and protecting the migration and the Cape May area that they so love. Other books by Pat and Clay include How to Spot Butterflies (1999), How to Spot Hawks & Eagles (1996), and How to Spot an Owl (1994). Today Pat is a free-lance writer, naturalist, educator, lecturer, and wildlife habitat / conservation gardening champion. Her own wildlife garden is a teaching garden included on many tours and featured in programs and workshops she teaches. For more information go to Pat and Clay’s website: www.patsuttonwildlifegarden.com