Kickstarting New York & PA Camping Season With Hummingbird Watching

The countdown has begun. No, not to Halloween or Christmas, but rather to the opening day for the camping season. Isn't everyone excited for opening day? Well, I am. May 1st of every year is what I affectionately call the most wonderful day of the year.

I head out to the camper on day one by myself. No wife, no dogs, just me. And maybe a few cold ones in a cooler. My camper has been sitting by itself, lonely atop one of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania at a family campground, waiting for my return for the past six months. Okay, that sounds a bit weird.

It's like the first day of trout season or the first day of deer season. You can feel the excitement. Once I get things set up, my wife and I like to place bird feeders around the camper with sunflower seeds, suet, smaller seeds for the finches, and that sugary red (or white) liquid for the hummingbirds.

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For years, we have had difficulty attracting Hummingbirds at our campground site. We tried different types of feeders, placing them in various spots, to no avail. But over the past two years, they have been coming around. I'm unsure what brought them around, but I'm not complaining.

Although my wife loves to have them buzzing around the camper, she still gets a bit freaked out by them, and refers to Hummingbirds as "big bugs with feathers." Well, she does have a point.

So, when can we expect those 'big bugs with feathers' returning to New York State and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? Looking at an interactive map from Hummingbird Central that tracked 2023, most of Pennsylvania should begin to see Hummingbirds now (as of April 18.)

Northeast Pennsylvania is about ready to be populated. The Southern Tier of New York should be good by the first week of May. Check out the interactive map from Hummingbird Central, below.

Here is a fun fact about Hummingbirds from Hummingbird Central:

During migration, a hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute, and its wings flap 15 to 80 times a second. To support this high energy level, a hummingbird will typically gain 25-40% of their body weight before they start migration in order to make the long trek over land, and water. - Hummingbird Central