Early Hummingbirds?

[OldGuy43]

Saw our first hummingbird today.

 

[so lucky]

Update: I checked with the Journey North web site, and they show many many sightings all the way up to the Canadian border, in the eastern half of the US, already this spring. So, get those feeders out, gardeners! They are about three weeks early, I'd say.
By the way, does anybody know how to keep the downy woodpeckers off the humming bird feeder? They love that sugar water!

That's funny about the Downys So-Lucky. Ours have never visited the hummer feeders. Could you give them their own shallow dish on a perch maybe? Or I suppose you could hang your feeders in a large cage type contraption that a woodpecker wouldn't fit through.

Yeah, I might try giving them their own feeder. Maybe something like an oriole feeder. Last year a mama downy started bringing her little ones to the feeder during a dry spell, and I guess they got hooked on the stuff.

 

[so lucky]

Saw our first hummingbird today.

Yea!!!! I kept thinking I heard one today, (you know, the whine of the wings) but I never saw it.

 

[so lucky]

I FINALLY saw my first ruby throated hummer today. I expected them earlier, due to the early spring, but didn't see any till today. It's usually April 15th or thereabouts, so they are right on schedule. I have a couple of red flowers under my feeder, so perhaps that helped.

 

[OldGuy43]

Of course I'm way south, but our feeder has been doing a land office business for about 2 weeks. Butterflies and bees, too.

 

[so lucky]

Do you mainly get the ruby-throat, or other kinds too, OldGuy43?

 

[MuranoFarms]

DH said yesterday that we should put the feeders out. I think it's too early, but I'll probably put them out anyway.

 

[lesa]

With this wacky weather, I have had mine out for a month! Thank goodness the hummers, didn't come early. We've had freezing temps almost every night. Hoping to see them soon, though....

 

[OldGuy43]

Do you mainly get the ruby-throat, or other kinds too, OldGuy43?

Sorry for the slow response. My subscription to this topic must have expired.

I'm afraid that I have no definitive answer for you. My ignorance on the subject of hummingbird species is total. I just enjoy watching them flit about. :mow

 

[so lucky]

Well, you have the right attitude. Sometimes I find I can kill the beauty and wonder of a thing by learning too much technical stuff about it.