Garden

[Wahoogaz]

We had our first hummingbird sighting of the season in our backyard yesterday afternoon. Luckily, the Hot Lips salvia have been blooming for a couple of weeks, so it was happy for a while. Hubby got the feeders out first thing this morning so they'll have some variety.

I'm always happy to see the first bloom in the garden and the first hummingbird visitor.

[Kachina624]

@Wahoogaz.  Where are you?  Maybe California?

[KitTkat]

Im in SW Washington. I fed an Anna's hummingbird all winter and then the Rufus hummingbirds showed up in early March. They are buzzing and squabbling with each other everyday. The only thing that's blooming here right now for them is my flowering current bush. I have for feeders out around the house. I love them.

[Kachina624]

@KitTkat.  You must mean Washington State, right?  I should think that's still too cold for them.  We are told to quit feeding them in the fall to encourage them to migrate.  I've never heard of them hanging around New Mexico in the winter.  The Rufus show up here late, after everyone else has established their territory, then hell breaks loose.

[KitTkat]

@Kachina624 yes, Washington state. It is cold for the hummers, but they're always here around the same time every year. I've never heard to quit feeding them in fall, but except for the Anna's that stays year round, usually the Rufus leaves here in late Aug. to early Sept. When it's freezing out, I bring the hummingbird feeder in at night so it won't freeze.

 One morning at sunrise, at 20 degrees, i went out to rehang the hummingbird feeder, there was the little Anna's right by my head like it was saying, "what took you so long"?

[Lilysmom]

@Wahoogaz, they get to my home in Nova Scotia around May 12 each year, like clockwork!  They stay until mid September.

It is below freezing here this morning and rain all weekend.  Yikes, come on Spring.  LM

[geezerette]

My first hummingbird showed up yesterday too.  I’m in the mid-south area and it’s about 10 days earlier than when they normally come.  I just happened to see him hovering at my shepherd’s hook where I hang one of my feeders.  I quickly whipped up a little feeder mix, and about an hour later he was back, drinking his fill.  I’ve seen him several times since, probably because we really don’t have much in the way of blooming foliage yet since our weather has been up and down lately.

They did leave a couple of weeks early last fall and this is the second year that I’ve seen one at least a week early than in years past.  I’m wondering if their habitats are changing their migration patterns.

[Wahoogaz]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@Wahoogaz.  Where are you?  Maybe California?

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@Kachina624 - I'm in southern NM.

[Wahoogaz]

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@geezerette wrote:

My first hummingbird showed up yesterday too.  I’m in the mid-south area and it’s about 10 days earlier than when they normally come.  I just happened to see him hovering at my shepherd’s hook where I hang one of my feeders.  I quickly whipped up a little feeder mix, and about an hour later he was back, drinking his fill.  I’ve seen him several times since, probably because we really don’t have much in the way of blooming foliage yet since our weather has been up and down lately.

They did leave a couple of weeks early last fall and this is the second year that I’ve seen one at least a week early than in years past.  I’m wondering if their habitats are changing their migration patterns.

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Funny ... the one I saw here circled our shepherd's hook, too. Then it finally went to the nearby salvia.

[wagirl]

I have hummers all year round---I'm in WA state.