HARRISBURG - The Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming! Well, they're not exactly the British Red Coats invading New England; they're ruby-throated hummingbirds and it would appear to be a northern invasion!

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are encouraging residents to be on the lookout for ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbirds regularly found in Pennsylvania or east of the Mississippi in spring and summer.

"Hummingbirds begin to trickle into Pennsylvania in April and, by May 1, they're usually well established across the state," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "They winter in Central and South America. When they head north, they fly nonstop across the massive Gulf of Mexico and then flit from flowerbed to feeder to flowerbed through the South as they work their way north to their nesting grounds."

To help Pennsylvanian's track this migration, the Game Commission has posted a "Backyard Hummingbirds" section on its Web site (www.pgc.state.pa.us), which includes a link to map by Hummingbirds.net that is being updated by citizen participants.

"According to entries submitted so far, hummingbirds were first spotted in Pennsylvania this year on April 4, in the southwestern corner," Roe said. "Other sightings include the northeastern and eastern portion of the state on April 5, and south central region on April 6. Could your area be next?"

Pennsylvanians interested in seeing hummingbirds also can find information about what they can do in their backyards to make it more hospitable to this charismatic bird.

"Some people are convinced there's a secret to getting hummingbirds to visit their yards," explained Dan Brauning, the agency's Wildlife Diversity Section chief. "As a rule, if you set the table for hummingbirds, they will come. They're really not that finicky, and they're surely interested in just about any feeding location they uncover. So the secret ¿ if there is one ¿ is getting noticed!

Color is the key to stopping hummingbirds in your yard, so catch their eye with something colorful, particularly vibrant reds, oranges and yellows, even pinks and purples. Hummingbird feeders usually have red and yellow parts for flagging that get the job done. Then it's up to the day-glow of your flowers to convince hummingbirds to drop their landing gear.