If you’re a hummingbird lover like me, you definitely want to know that it’s THAT time of year again! Time to dust off your hummingbird feeders, mix up some sugar and go hang them in the yard!
Depending on where you live in the United States, our little feathered friends may already be back in your neck of the woods, looking for possible places to live. Did you roll out the welcome mat for them yet? Something that I do to make my feeders more visible, especially since I live in the middle of the woods, is to tie some red ribbons on or near the feeders. Hummingbirds will look for red and may notice a blowing red ribbon quicker than they will notice the stationary feeder close to the house. I can’t ask them if it attracted them, but I figure, it can’t hurt to make the feeders more noticeable amid all the gray and brown trees.
You can check out this interactive map, showing the progression of the spring migration of the ruby-throated hummingbirds. It is fabulous because every time someone sees one and posts it on this site, it gets marked on the map so that you can tell when they might arrive in your area.
Here where I live in western North Carolina, at our house in the woods, we usually see our first one between April 3rd and April 16th. Every year since 2012 we have been keeping track of their first appearance in the spring and the last time we see them in the fall before they head off for Mexico and parts south.
It is always so exciting to me to watch and wait for the first one to arrive, which is almost always a male. Males leave first, sometimes several weeks before the ladies. They scope out the prime destinations and get a head start before the females arrive.
Have you seen a hummingbird yet this spring at your house? Are your feeders out and ready for guests?
Do you know that is it totally unnecessary, and likely even harmful to the little birds to use that red dye they sell in stores?
It’s cheaper and easier, not to mention better for the birds, to just mix up your own nectar:
It is such fun to watch the hummingbirds buzzing around our yard. We have lots of feeders around the house, as well as lots of red flowering plants that attract them too.
Want to know some great hummingbird plants? I’ll write a post about that later next week… stay tuned!
Hi, Sharon, It’s so-o-o good to hear about your hummingbirds. Up north in Ontario we have to wait another month to put our feeders out. In the days of film I used to spend hours just sitting in wait for them with my camera and 400 mm lens. Ohhh! If only I could teleport myself south to where they are now. It’s said that to keep hummingbirds resident on your property, you need a constant supply of ‘nectar’, a good population of spiders to supply them with webbing to make their expandable nests, and … sapsuckers to provide them with sap before flowers bloom in early spring. That’s just one reason I love sapsuckers. Now that I’m digital, I can’t wait to find and stake out a place to hang out a feeder near natural perches. Murray
Hey Murray, yes I grew up near Buffalo, NY, so I know all about cold winters and spring arriving late. It’s hard when the rest of the country is talking about spring and warm temperatures, and you still are having freezing weather. If you figure out how to teleport yourself, let me know— wouldn’t that be fun!
Hi Sharon! Love your red ribbons! We have had our feeders up since the 1st but have not had any hummers visit yet. Last year they arrived on the 12th. Have yours come back yet?
Enjoying your posts:)
Renee
No, not yet, but this year we are out of town. Our house sitters said they will be on the lookout though. When we get home they should be there.