The first report of a Black-Chinned Hummingbird was made on (3-22-06) from San Antonio, TX, on birdersworld.com forum. Thanks to Cindy for the wonderful site hummingbirds.net

Hummingbird Migration Map

Click on the, "Science" tab and then choose, "Migration Maps" to see the LATEST ACTUAL sightings of Ruby-Throated Hummers on their migration north.

Thanks for starting a new one Loz.

I washed out both of my hummer feeders with white vinegar today and refilled them. they are both in my front yard now. Double the red, double the .......erm.......uh......birds.

Not a problem Triss!!! This is just about the first thread I check anymore!

I now have 5 feeders filled and at the ready!

Seen first hummer today on Easter,here in Missouri,I have 3 hanger's out for now,for them
Tomorrow hang another.Hope you start seeing alot now ,
bettyboop1948
Maybe i will get a better pic of them

I think it's pretty weird how mine usually show up on the same day every year, no matter how early I put the feeders out. It's usually April 15th...tax day! I think it's been the 14th and the 16th just once, but the rest have been on the 15th.

And, this year they were all over Kentucky, but mine came on the 15th.

Many Species of birds arrive in a given area on the EXACT date each year. The reasons for this behavior is not clearly understood. Birds must have phenomenal internal clocks.

Still no sighting reported in the panhandle of Maryland....

I've been watching A LOT the past few days now.

None in maine yet.

None in my yard in Nashville, TN, yet. But other yards in Nashville do have them now. I planted Salvia, Verbena, and Gladiolus, all red to attract more Hummingbirds.

I am slow, but I did put my feeders up last Monday and today there were at least 3 at each feeder at the sametime, so they are definatley here!

WOW, I wish I had that much activity. I have seen two in teh yard at the same time but the one that hangs out at mine most is a bully.

Hey Triss, we named one of ours last year "Bully", he guards the two feeders, perched in a small cherry tree that is between them!

I am hoping that feeders on every window will give us more hummers. The kids like watching them so much. I know I have more than one, but just not more than one at a time.

Supposed to be in Michigan, but they haven't found me yet! I don't have too much in bloom yet except violas, and I don't think they are much interested.

Sad story about the neighborhood cardinal, though. He took a header into my neighbor's garage door window and didn't survive his attempt at fighting himself. So, I took him out and gave him a proper burial in the pet cemetery. Such an absolutely beautiful bird - it's too bad they get so shook up this time of year.

Awww that is so sad.

My hubby said he saw another one on the same day, that repeatedly flew into passenger window and side mirror on a truck - they get very confused.

Sounds like it, I have never seen a bird do that.

Last summer I found a hummer on my front porch just laying there practically dead....

Mark picked it up and placed it up high on the feeder in the tree....but it never did make it!

The hummers have not budged in almost a week, they're not getting any closer to Maine! Tapping my foot here..............

It's official!!! And I'm mad!

I walked over to moms across the street for a bit and when I came back Mark told me there was a male hummer on one of the feeder....that he sat there and watched it for a while...I've been sitting outside ever since then watching and I haven't caught a glimpse of it yet....but I'm reporting it for him!!!! First one reported in the pandhandle of MD.

Darn it all Loz. I am sorry you missed him. Hope he coems back for you soon!

They seem to come back more towards dusk....I'll be watching more then. It's cool though that Mark got to see one....and that's one bird he really knows well...last year we sat out and watched them all summer long.

I reported it....so now I'll have to wait and see if it shows up on the map or not.

Hope it does Loz!

no hummers yet here in st lou.
second cleaning and fill of feeders.
the one i bought at big lots.....
i found some drowned insects inside it.
maybe the cheap feeders arent such a good deal?
the one i spent more money on never had bugs inside it. i guess if you keep up with them its no big deal. something to keep an eye on none the less

None here yet,but soon, my bleeding hearts are getting buds on them...
**tapping toe**checking watch**impatiently waiting**

(Thorn sneaks up to Phoenicia and ties HUNDREDS of artificial Hummers made of feathers and styrofoam to Wrennies feeders!)

Guess who saw their very first hummer of the year this afternoon!

I DIDN"T!!!

Me either!

Guess it was me then!

Oh Yeah, Loz! But I'VE got Barn Swallows and Cedar Waxwings! Do you? :p :p :p

Well that was sure nice of you,to do
I have bird's here that hit my windows but
they have been lucky,Wonder why they do it
bettyboop1948

I don't even know what they are

Oh yeah, well I've got Eastern Phoebes here dipping and looping through the air.

I'm kind of glad the hummers aren't back yet, and they must be real smart about the weather, we've been getting 30 degree nights again and I would worry so if they were here, I could picture them cold and shivering and huddled together in their teeny, tiny nests.

Phhht, Melcon! :p I had Eastern Phoebes a month ago. They're OLLLLD news! I've got Eastern Kingbirds now. They're another flitting looping flycatcher that look like Batman.

I've had a phoebe building a nest on top of a beam in my shed. They used to build there all the time the first 4 or 5 years after I built the shed, but this is the first time in about 5 or 6 years.

Phoebes are GREAT birds. I LOVE their song. And they are fun to watch, too.

Thorny, I think I know why you don't have hummers yet!

They know you're cheating on them looking at all those other birds and they are jealous and giving you the "silent treatment"!

Yep, maybe they're jealous.

They've been spotted in Maine!

Hurry, Melcon! HURRY!!! GET YOR FEEDERS OUT!!!

THEY'RE OUT , THORNY, THEY'RE OUT!!!!

uh oh - did I miss them by not putting my feeders out? The past 5 years they have religiously returned between May 2-5.

Oh I hope you did not miss them Lynne!

Jiffy was here today at my house and was lucky enough to get a picture of a teeny tiny hummer while we were sitting outside.

Did you have a good visit with her?

Lynne, from the hummers that they've actually tracked they do arrive at almost the exact same date year after year so I doubt you've missed yours, but I would PUT YOUR FEEDERS OUT NOW!!!!

Where can I read about Jiffy and Loz' visit??? where are the pictures??

There is a picture in the current CH.....560, page 5! We were both pretty tired when it was taken!LOL And it was a great visit! They showered up, did a little laundry, and we all went out to eat! It was fantastic!

That is just so exciting Loz that Jiffy loves close enough to be able to pop in every once in a while.

Actually we're pretty far apart....she's down in Georgia and I'm in Maryland, but the cool thing is her in-laws live about a few hours away from me.....

Update from southern Ontario. No hummers yet, but like all you lovers out there, I am ready and waiting. This year I hid the second around the other side of the garage, I am trying to outsmart the bully. He can not guard two at the same time if he can not see them at the same time. Hey, it is just a theory.

It was funny last night. I hung a HB feeder near my kitchen window...and I'd forgot about it being there.....Well I was standing near it and all of a sudden a hummer just about hit my head....I think I scared it as much as it scared me! It's so cool to have them back again!

I STILL keep ducking when they get to close to me. I hear a hummer, but my head sees it as a BIG bee!

You two just reminded me of a weird thought I had last night about a sci-fi horror movie and the title would be "The Hummingbirds" .

WOO-HOO!!!!!
7:30 PM may 3rd, (why does the forum tell me it's the 4th??) on my peach tree!! Woo-hoo!! My hummers are back! Yay!!

YAY WRENNIE !!!!!!

I AIN'T GOT NONE!!

I AIN'T GOT NONE EITHER, THORNY!

I swear though, at work yesterday, I was in one of the greenhouses doing some transplanting and I came flying outside because I thought I heard the familiar call of a hummer! I didn't see anything :p .

I'm afraid we're gonna burn up this entire thread, you and I Thorny, just whining about how we haven't seen hummers, and then we'll have to start a "hummingbird progress PART THREE"

Melcon, I could have sworn I heard one chirping yesterday but didnt see it until it was feeding on my peach buds at night. The first one I saw last year was around the same time of day. He had been to my front porch where the feeder was the year before and swooped passed me like 'ahem, lady wheres the brew?'
So maybe you DID hear one!
I cant believe they're not all over that trumpet vine Thornius!
Come out come out wherever you are!

My hummer (or hummers) really seemed to enjoy the flowers on my variegated Solomon's Seal. They're starting to go now, but my first Weigela is beginning to bloom, so that should give him something to eat besides the sugar water for awhile. I had never noticed before this year, but some of the butterflies like my Corsage azalea flowers. I haven't seen any hummingbirds at it though.

I am so surprised that you all still do not have them. Hope they get there fast!

I hope they get their for you guys too! I at least thought Thorny would have some by now in Tennessee!

I almost got hit in the head again tonight!!! I don't think I'll ever get used to that sound, I always thinks it's a gigantic huge bumble bee getting ready to wap me in the face!

They Are here in Tennessee! People just a couple of miles from me already have goodly numbers of them. They just won't come see me......and I palnted red Salvia and red Verbena and EVERYTHING! I'M THE BIRD MAN!! IT'S JUST......NOT......FAIR!!!!!!

You're right it isn't fair! They'd better hurry up and get there though!

I was just cruising through here butterflies/bird gardens to check on all the latest bird pics and turned around to look out my window and guess who was perched on the favorite lil cherry tree????? Go ahead , guess???


That's right, May 09,2006 6:15 am, of course I ran around the house to wake everyone up to tell them and they aren't as excited as I am???? My hands are shaking , but I did get this picture through the screen window!

Very cool Mel! What kind is that one?

Wooohooo Mel, that's so great!!!! This year I made sure I wrote it down in my gardening journal that way I'll know if they come back the same day next year....

Glad you finally got them!

That's a male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, the only kind of Hummingbird found East of the Mississippi River.

I wrote it down here , hopefully I can find this thread next year!

I hope so Mel!!! I'd like to keep this topic around too....hopefully one of us doesn't delete it!

Finally saw my first hummer this morning! I've been feeding EVERYBODY all winter, and my neighbor (who didn't!) had a hummer a full week before me. Humpf!

Speaking of feeding - MAN can the starlings and grackles ever go through the food. I'm annoyed because they come roaring in like B52s and scare everybody else away.

I've been photographing Starlings stealing my suet all day long. I put out a new cake yesterdeay and it is already 2/3 gone!

Glad you finally saw your first one Thorny!

Sorry about the starlings eating all of your suet though. :p

I didn't see a hummer, slredmond did. But I had a YARDBIRD 2 days ago, a Gray Catbird.

Ooops, my eyes misled me....sorry about that!

I love this forum to hear about the different birds we have in our regions - congrats on your visitor, Thornius. We've had a new visitor, and finally had the camera around when he stopped by.

Meet Gary the Grosbeak:


Note the empty suet holders - can't keep up with the grackles!

slredmond
If you get an upside down suet feeder the grackles and starlings will leave it alone and there will be plenty for the woodpeckers, wrens, nuthatches etc. Nothing wrong with everyone getting a share.

Thanks Wrennie - I'll have to look for one. My daughter and I brewed up our own cakes this morning. We decided they smelled great, so hopefully the birds will like them, too!

well , i saw my first hummer this past week.
trouble is, it wasnt at my house.
i went fishing for a week at bull shoals lake
and one day out in the boat i saw one hovering above us out on the lake. when i got home however i did notice that the feeder on the front porch had dropped a 1/4 inch si i guess i got em here now. just dont have the time to sit and watch for em now.gotta cut the grass and unpack everything from two weeks traveling so i guess ill spy em next week after ive put my house back in order. this place is a wreck!!!

Still no hummers.....but I've NEVER seen so MANY Cedar Waxwings in my life, AND, I FINALLY HAVE A GRAY CATBIRD IN MY YARD!!! Also the Eastern Kingbirds are back and i have discovered a FOURTH nest in my yard. This time, ANOTHER House Sparrow nest. (And I planted 30 Cannas and 2 Easter lillies today).

well i got up early this morning and decided to have my coffee on the porch,GUESS WHAT?
they are here now. i saw a male ruby throat approach the feeder but he was to skittish to come to it while i was there.
i got hummers!!!!!

Hello all - I am excited to know that this group exists.

We moved last year from the "big city" to "cow country" and within the first week of moving in last July a hummingbird came to me while I was sitting on the porch within an arm's reach and began to skretch something, flipping it's tail back and forth, etc. That was my faulting moment. I was hooked worse than I could ever imagine. I left out within the hour and purchased my first hummingbird survival kit - LOL. My husband never experienced these little guys either and could not understand my fascination at first - until the day the sweetest little hummer came and did the very same thing to him that started it for me. From that moment on, he's never complained at me again for spending "useless" money on these guys. Matter of fact, he encourages me now.

I was so disappointed to realize they had to leave and had no idea when they would be back - I assumed when the weather had gotten above 60 F or so. But last week as the bulbs we planted last year (most everything had to be hummers treats) started blooming, I ran to the net to try and learn when they would come back to SE Michigan. Boy, was I pissed to learn that people had spotted them back in April. http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet/Links.htm I ran to the cupboard and starting mixing and filling - setting out all the feeders I had accumulated since last year.

Weather was chilly for a few days and still is actually, but I took a few minutes on Saturday, May 13th to sit on the porch watching the Cardinals and Chickadees feeding. And there is some bird I haven't identified popping in and out of my hanging ferns... Behold - they're back. Made my day when I seen this beautiful female Ruby Throated come feed. OMG - It was a day of celebration around here and the kids knew it. Sat for an hour outside and she came about every 10 minutes.

Well I should go, sorry for the long post. I just am overjoyed to share that I too love those little guys and have created my garden around them. I also hope to see some of our other Michigan hummers drop by for a spell or take up residence, if the Ruby lets them. Last year I watched one survey the feeder and attack others as they came, it was a fun game to watch them fly around the whole perimeter of our home at lightning speeds. LOL - I tried placing multiple feeders in the yard to stop the fighting but it didn't.

Wondering if I should include a birdie bath for them and if someone would suggest one over the other?

Does anyone have experience with (newly discovered by me) ready pre-mixed feed? Is it worth the extra costs?

Oh Happy Day!

a bath is recommended and i got one this year
ive now seen a female and noticed another or maybe the same male feeding at the backyard feeder. dont give up hope thorny!

No hope lost. Every year at this house my first hummers haven't shown up until around July 4th. That is the time they finish their nesting and they and their young starting on an ORGY of feeding at feeders and natural sources in preparation for their 24 hour long, non-stop flight across the Gulf of mexico to Central and South America, where they spend the Winter flitting about the ruins of ancient Mayan Cities.

Terrilee, welsome to the forum! I am Thornius, the resident Bird Man here. You do NOT need to buy commercial nectars. Hummingbirds prefer a homemade nectar made of one part white table sugar to four parts tap water. mix them together and heat in the microwave for one minute then stir again to completely dissolve the sugar. I use a 12 ounce cup for my measurer. I use one 12 ounce cup of sugar to fout 12 ounce cups of water. I store the extra in a 2 liter plastic drink jug in my freezer. Every three to five days I empty my feeders and wash them out with white vinegar and rinse them with water and refill them with nectar and hang them back up. I also plant a lot of RED flowers around my Hummer feeders to attract the hummers. A neighbor gave me 30 RED Cannas yesterday she got from a friend and I planted those yesterday evening. I have red Salvia, Red Verbena, red Gladiolus and red Petunias, also.

Hummingbirds are the MOST AGGRESSIVE birds in the world and fight each other and other birds CONSTANTLY over food sources. Once the young learn to fly, they are on their own and their parents will attack them if they try to use the parent's preferred feeders. It is amazing to watch. Also if your feeders get empty hummers will let you know by flying up in your face and chirp and buzz LOUDLY at you.

Hi
Well you will never believe this but yesteday
my little one founded a baby hummer in our garage sitting on a hat,He caming running in and telling me he had something for me for Mother's day. he know's how much i love the hummer's so here he came with it. I could not believe it so small and cute.we took picture of it and even got out a straw and we took hummer food and put in straw and it drank from it so cute just wanted to share the new's was so happy But the sad part was we let it go again so I sure hope it will come bk to visit us again.
bettyboop1948

Here is some more picture's of it so cute
bettyboop1948

WOW! To be able to see a hummer that up close and personal is amazing. I hope it does come back and visit you again!

I saw my first hummer yesterday. It gets later every year it seems.

Last week I FINALLY saw my first Hummer.....but NOT in my yard. I saw it feeding on some Honeysuckle at Long Hunter State Park, about 10 or 15 miles southeast of my house.