Exploring Nature: New Arrivals

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There are lots of things to look forward to at this time of year.

Purple martins are returning from Brazil, the first scouts having arrived in our area in late February. They will continue flying in through April.

Purple martin landlords need to make sure their martin houses are up and open for business, which means old nests cleaned out and any resident sparrows or starlings evicted.

I’m told martin houses are usually painted white since this helps reflect sunlight and keep the interior cooler. In ancient times, Indians hung hollow gourds to attract martins, and gourds still make good houses.

Hummingbirds will also be showing up. A few lucky folks have hummers year-round, but for most of us, March is the month the little flying jewels return. At my place, the magic date is March 17, St. Pat’s Day. For the past three years, I’ve had a little black-chinned hummingbird showing up like clockwork at my back porch feeder, hungry for sugar water.

I think he may be Irish. Assuming you also plan to put up a feeder, let me remind you of the basics. The sugar water mixture should consist of four parts water to each part sugar. Only white cane sugar should be used, no honey and no artificial sweeteners. Don’t add red food color to the mixture.

There are 18 hummingbird species found in Texas, but some are very rare and seldom seen. The Lucifer hummer is restricted to the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park, for example. The magnificent hummer is also most often found in West Texas mountains, as is the broad-billed hummer.

Keep an eye out — this is a season for new arrivals, and there’s just no telling what might show up.