Time of Return

When do the hummingbirds return? Anybody have a favorite theory? Actual knowledge? A good guess?

When I first started feeding hummingbirds, I was in Bloomington, IN. Now I’m in Louisville, KY. I have noticed that the times of first sightings and departures are about the same between the two locations, and about the same as those reported by my family members in Charlotte, N.C. Here’s my best shot at consistency …

I use Easter as a rule of thumb for keeping an eye out for hummers. And generally, I look at the time frame of two weeks past Easter as the time most likely for my first sightings here in the Midwest. After a couple years of observation, it made sense to me, with Easter being on a solar schedule rather than the Julian calendar. Maybe closer to something the hummingbirds use? That would put this year’s arrival around April 30th. What do you think?

Anybody have a more sophisticated or reliable method of anticipating the return of the hummers?

Chris Whelan

Add comment February 6th, 2006