Are The Hummingbirds Back?

woodsrunner

Anyone seen one yet? While sitting out on the front porch earlier this afternoon I think one flew by me rapidly just 8-10 feet away. (They'll do this to tell me the feeder is empty!) I can't be sure, only got a rapid glimpse and heard it. No large insects here yet to confuse the issue. What's going on?


We've been here in the same location for 34 years now, and the "Hummers" always arrive March 10th, 11th or 12th. Not before or later, and since our Son's birthday is 12 March it's easy for us to keep up with the arrival. It's almost a ritual with us. I've got to be wrong about thinking one flew by rapidly like that, but maybe not! Anyhow I cleaned up the hummingbird feeder and filled it and hung it up where it's always been. We'll see----but, anyone seen one this early?

4WARD

I have been wondering about a late freeze.
Then heard a few fellas I respect were wondering the same.
Weird winter around here.
Any thoughts woods?
I always plant my little garden on the March full moon, only been burned one time.
It was a winter like this one, just not as wet maybe

woodsrunner

Where is Cross Creek? Where in Florida?

Saltygatorvet

I haven’t seen one yet, I’ll keep an eye out. Seems spring is very early this year

Bodine

I would guess they migrate by the level of the sun, not by temps

My blueberries are in full bloom and citrus is putting on flower buds.

woodsrunner

You're right about migrating by the sun. Actually it's the angle of the infra-red rays (invisible to us) that triggers migration of virtually all migrating animals and birds. Even the fall shut-down of plant leaves manufacturing photosynthate (food material) and the re-crank-up in the spring is triggered by this, and in many species of wildlife, including plants from grass to trees, this angle can be so sensitive to be triggered by a short period of 24-48 hours. Birds and small mammals seem to be very sensitive to this. 

trout069

Little early, for down there and up here. March will be the month. Temps dropped up here all day. May awake to ice, from rain. 

woodsrunner

That's what has me a little confused---it's too early. March 10th-12th, 34 years running!
We do have an occasional hummer species from California that will pass through in January-February, but these are slower flyers and about twice as big as Ruby Throats, our only Hummer, and it surely wasn't one of these.

CaptJ

Saw one in Key Largo sunday

swampwalker

Haven't seen any yet. Wife's Honey Suckle has blooms so we're always watching. Will put the feeder out soon as we see the first one. Will be on alert for the Catbirds and the Whipperwills as well. Whipperwills will migrate through for a couple of weeks and then go on to their summer haunts. The Ruby Throats will be with us all summer. Been a bird observer/watcher long as I can remember. I'm gonna record dates for first observations for all three this year. I think the March dates are close for us as well. 

woodsrunner

As I mentioned, we've been in this same location for 35 years now, and it's a perfect area for bird watching. We're on the northwest corner of Lake Hiamonee (Lake Ammonia to us locals) adjacent to Tall Timbers Research and several Plantations of several thousand acres each. But----

We've not seen or heard a Whippoorwill or Bobwhite in many years. Catbirds, either. Used to see them moving back north, but no longer. An occasional Robin, but rare also, now. It is definite and sure that our wildlife species are in decline overall. Spent my whole working career attempting to preserve and improve our natural environment with very limited success, sadly.

dewyafish

Hummers in our little corner of the world usually arrive the week that turkey season opens which is typically the 3rd Saturday in March.

stc1993

My whole family except 2 lives out on Pearson rd in Worth Co.

My mother feeds the hummingbirds.  I've seen as many as 4 fighting over the feeder.  They'll zoom by you right thru the porch.

Saltygatorvet

What do y’all use for food? Sugar water? What’s your ratio? I guess red food coloring is bad for them, so not supposed to use that anymore. I used some premade stuff I bought at a nice nursery that has some vitamins and some non harmful red dye. My neighbors got upset ( I’m not kidding), because I was pulling all of them away from their feeders.

micci_man

I use a 2-1 ratio water to sugar, no coloring. The color of the feeders attracts them for me. Now that we are in the new house I'm ready to get more feeders going as I have more places to hang them now.  

brotherinlaw

stc1993 said:

My whole family except 2 lives out on Pearson rd in Worth Co.

My mother feeds the hummingbirds.  I've seen as many as 4 fighting over the feeder.  They'll zoom by you right thru the porch.

Hunted off Pearson for years until some folks rented the place out from under  me. It was nice hunting 5 miles from the house

stc1993

I've seen some big deer out there over the yrs.  And some big rattlers on that big curve before you get to Harris & Co Line rd.  I don't kill them anymore. It's strange the snakes are always in almost the same place.

ANUMBER1

I have catbirds all year, haven't heard a whip o will yet this year.

4WARD

woodsrunner said:

Where is Cross Creek? Where in Florida?

20 miles south of Gainesville.
Your post just got me thinking what this weird weather has in store for spring.
More warm and wet than I ever remember.

swampwalker

4Ward - I think we're having a repeat of last February.  It was a very warm February with a little cooler March....

ANUMBER1

I hope it's cooler, i don't like this heat..

micci_man

Any of you have chuck will's widow's around your house? I have both during the summer.

woodsrunner

Have heard neither in many years and don't understand why. Perfect habitat here, and used to have both but what happened to 'em? Maybe, just maybe, these new-fangled hearing aids the Mayo Clinic stuck in my ears will show me a lot of stuff is still around. We'll see!

Saltygatorvet

micci_man said:

Any of you have chuck will's widow's around your house? I have both during the summer.

Heard one last evening 

swampwalker

We get the Whipperwills during Spring Turkey then the Chuckwillswidows for the summer.  Enjoy both!

jcbcpa

I always put my feeders up on March 15th and usually have hummingbirds within a week.
That's a tax filing deadline so that's how I remember it. 

swampwalker

Catbirds showed up Saturday. Looking hard for the Humingbirds. Hanging feeder after rain stops to day. 

woodsrunner

A male hummer came to my feeder yesterday for the first time. That's 7 to 9 days earlier than any March in 34 years. I have a friend who is (was before we retired) more involved in wildlife biology/research than I, so I called him. He thinks it's all correlated with our far above average warmer weather. Now we'll see what happens the rest of the week as it really cools down. I'm changing out the feeder and filling it this morning to help out those that have arrived early. (The female is still coming to the feeder numerous times a day).