This is Bird Note.

This war of wings must mean the hummingbirds are back.

The Anna's hummingbird spent the entire winter in the west and northwest.

Now, this feisty roof is hummingbird enters to stir things up.

Up the eastern seaboard and through the Midwest, ruby throats are arriving day by day.

Broadtailed hummingbirds and others are northbound along the Rocky Mountains.

And in the south and southwest, more than a dozen species are back for the summer,

including this black chinned hummingbird.

So how can you attract these feathered gems to your yard or balcony?

One way is to grow native plants with flowers of red, orange or purple.

Native plants offer nectar and spring and summer, and they also attract insects,

the most important part of a hummingbird's diet.

Native plants also provide cover and a natural, sustainable habitat that welcomes birds to your yard.

Just add a source of water for drinking and bathing, and you'll have a hummingbird haven.

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you find the right plants for your part of the country.

Begin at our website, birdnote.org. I'm Mary McCann.