2019 Flight of the Hummingbirds

Just about to get my feeders out... Nothing in NWLA yet, but South LA is reporting sightings.

At the house after only seeing 2 or 3 I moved my feeders. My numbers went up to 30+ and I had to refill my feeders every other day. I’m ready for them to return.

Yes since Saturday they will take your head off when you walk across the back porch. 10-20 all day everyday. Cat has layed silently in anticipation of one screwing up all week!!! SWLA.

I put my feeder out this week. Haven’t seen anything at.

Saw my first yesterday in Central Mississippi.

I’m still not seeing hardly any so far. Anyone seeing good numbers?

Saw one about a week ago and then had two show up this past Monday.

quote:

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Had my first of season, a female rufous hummingbird migrating through on March 2nd here in Tallahassee. If your feeders aren't out already you're late! In fact, there's really no reason NOT to keep feeders out all year round along the gulf coast.

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Very nice, and Amen. I live due south of you on the coast, in the town that cures everything. Over the winter I had a couple of ruby-throated that did not stay long enough either time to call a bander. Two years ago he did come out and band a juvenile ruby-throat that was here for several weeks.

I posted this link on the OT but this thread is a better place. This is a map of last year's ruby-throated hummingbird migration. It uses eBird records and plots each bird seen by date and then does a map for each week. You can pause it and move the slider by date if you want to know where hummingbirds are at any time of the year.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration

Some interesting things:

South Florida has a good population all winter.

New Orleans and Jacksonville have small winter populations.

Early in migration some are working up through the Mexican coast while others are flying from the Yucatan to Florida without a Cuba stop.

They then push up through Texas and Florida with about equal speed though there is an early jump into San Antonio, Houston, and north Florida sees a lot more very early birds than Texas.

Around March 28 the true migration starts and gulf coast populations explode from Gulf of Mexico crossings.

Canada does not see any until May, but by May 23 some have made it as far as Edmonton.

By mid May they are gone from south Florida - they do not breed there.

In July the country starts going from orange to purple - that is increased numbers due to breeding.

By late August they are pulling out of Canada and some are headed down through Mexico already.

Most of the migration looks like it goes through coastal Texas and Mexico; maybe some of the young are not mature enough for the cross Gulf flight. There is no migration down the Florida peninsula. I have a ton late in the year in the Panhandle so they are all ones that fly over the Gulf.

Coastal Carolinas hold on to some pretty late.

Fun stuff.

Based on this thread we put out a feeder. Had a bird in less than one hour. We are about 15 miles north of Mckinney, TX.