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Want To Hear Their Twittering In Your Yard?

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: January 26, 2009

VALRICO - There are those who don't even realize that hummingbirds live in or travel through Florida.

They do.

In the 15 years since Fred Bassett has been capturing and banding the tiny birds, he's documented nine species in the Sunshine State. He spent a morning in Valrico recently banding birds and collecting data for the National Bird Banding Laboratory in Maryland.

"The more people we hear from who have seen hummingbirds in their yard, the more information we learn," Bassett said.

Most bird lovers would be happy to lure a few to their home gardens.

To do so, there are a few things to know.

For starters, hummingbirds are very territorial, warned Steve Backes, a Valrico resident who has created a maze of micro-territories in his yard meant to attract and aid the tiny birds on their migration to Central America.

"You practically need a separate feeder for each bird," Backes said.

Firebush, Firespike, pink porter weed and Chinese hat are all plants that attract hummers, experts say. Coral honeysuckle, trumpet creeper and red buckeye are other native species that will attract the tiny birds.

Nectar-rich plants with bright red or orange tubular blossoms are ideal, according to experts at the University of Florida.
Designing a garden with plants of varying heights in various locations is also a smart move, Backes said.

To supplement the plants, gardeners can set out feeders filled with sugar water.

The key, Backes said, is to be diligent about monitoring the feeders so the birds know they have a food source they can depend on.

Also, keep feeders free of mold and bacteria. UF experts offer a recipe for sugar water, which includes boiling it and refrigerating any unused solution.

Go to www.floridaconservation.org/viewing/inyourbackyard... to learn how to create a backyard refuge for hummingbirds.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566.

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