A tiny bird is causing a big stir in Upper Bern Township.The first Anna's hummingbird ever found in Pennsylvania recently has made itself at home on the Mountain Road porch of Renee Gery and her boyfriend, Stan Shauger.
The female bird flew more than 2,000 miles to get here - traveling all by herself from the Pacific Coast - and bird lovers are flocking to see her.
About 100 birders have already come armed with binoculars, telescopes, cameras and other gear to get a close-up of the bird, which Renee has named Priscilla, in honor of her niece, Priscilla Ahn.
As strange as it's been for the couple to have so many eyes on their property, they say the birders have been very polite.
"They're very, very nice people," Shauger said. "They watch her from across the street."
The adult bird was attracted to the couple's porch feeder, as a number of hummingbirds are each year. But after the others flew away in October, she stuck around.
Renee figured she was from a heartier species than the ruby-throated hummingbirds common to the area, and called Jack Holcomb on his WEEU radio show "Jack's Backyard" for more information.
Holcomb referred her to renowned nature author Scott Weidensaul, who lives near Schuylkill Haven. He visited a few weeks ago, confirmed the sighting and banded and weighed the bird.
Weidensaul warned the couple the news would bring an onslaught of birders, and offered to keep it a secret, but the couple realized the announcement would make a lot of people happy and agreed to let him spread the word.
Once he did, the response was immediate.
One birder even drove all the way from Pittsburgh, but the bird wasn't there. He drove back to Pittsburgh, then returned the next day and saw it.
Many birders compile lists of birds they've spotted, and they'll travel to see something new, Weidensaul said.
The experience of meeting the bird and all the birders has been great for Renee and Stan.
"It's really exciting," she said.
The discovery also has thrilled Holcomb. He said listeners often call about unusual birds, but that the Anna's hummingbird tops his list, since it's the first ever seen in Pennsylvania.
"I'm flabbergasted by it," he said.
Since the bird arrived, it has spent much of its time at Gery and Shauger's home, but it also has found feeders on neighbors' properties.
Though the bird seems to like Mountain Road, it didn't come there by choice, and won't stay forever, Weidensaul explained.
Many birds migrate for the winter, heading to a spot encoded in their genes.
Anna's hummingbirds originated on the Pacific Coast, but in recent years some have wintered on the East Coast and have been seen in states bordering Pennsylvania.
Those that come to the Northeast for the winter likely have a glitch in their programming, as does Priscilla, he said.
"It's like she has bad software, which is why she would come to Pennsylvania, where the winter isn't very hospitable," Weidensaul said.
But though the bird weighs only as much as two pennies, it's from a hearty species of hummingbird that can survive cold weather, he said.
It does so by eating insects during the day, then hibernating each night. In the evenings it drastically slows down its breathing and heart rate and lowers its body temperature, appearing to be dead on the branch it clings to, before awakening each morning, he said.
Therefore, it's possible Priscilla could spend the entire winter in Upper Bern, or could suddenly fly south during a cold spell, Weidensaul said.
It's also impossible to say whether Priscilla will come back next winter, he said.
But if she successfully returns to her breeding grounds in the spring, she'll likely pass along DNA to her offspring letting them know the East Coast is a suitable wintering destination, Weidensaul said.
That means the faulty instincts that brought her to Berks will help bring about the further spread of the species in Pennsylvania, he said.
"She's an unwitting pioneer," Weidensaul said. "And she's another reminder that birds do incredible things."
Readingeagle.com
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