Buzzed by hummers
National hummingbird expert coming to Charlottetown for walk-and-talk event at new garden at Victoria Park
Anyone in P.E.I. who has a feeder knows what it feels like to get buzzed by a hummer.
They are among the smallest birds in the world, zipping in and out like tiny fighter jets.
Hummingbirds will be the subject of a free walk-and-talk at Victoria Park in Charlottetown on Tuesday, July 14. lead a tour through the new garden in the park and answer questions.
Waddell says the actual population of hummingbirds isn’t known so no one is sure whether it’s increasing, declining or staying steady.
“We just know they are abundant. (If) people see a decline at feeders . . . that’s when we get concerned.’’
In an email to The Guardian, Penak said they attempted to utilize native plants to P.E.I. in Victoria Park’s hummingbird garden. If that wasn’t possible, they made sure to try and use species native to eastern Canada.
She said eight of the 14 species of plants and shrubs are native to P.E.I.
They also tried to include plants that have a range of blooming times, from earlier fly honeysuckle to plants that will bloom into the summer like spotted jewelweed (an annual but will reseed itself) and spotted joe pye weed. That way, hummingbirds will find blooms at all times.
Efforts were made to plant a range of heights of native plants, too, although there is a preference for taller plants since hummers like them. The shorter plants in the garden are eastern red columbine (hummingbird feeders tend to mimic this plant) and bee balm.
As for colours, Penak says while hummers like red, blues and purples they will feed on plants of other coloured blossoms.
Waddell says the shrubs in the garden expands native plantings in the city parks system and also provides good perching and possible nesting spots for rubythroated hummingbirds.
The walk-and-talk event begins at 6:30 p.m. and goes rain or shine. Participants are asked to meet by the clubhouse off Brighton Road.
For more information,
call 902-892-7513 or email admin@islandnaturetrust.ca.