Are You Ready for Their Arrival?

                                  Many regions across the Northern US and all of Canada still have yet to receive their first sightings of the Ruby Throat hummingbird. This is where is pays off significantly to have feeders up when they arrive. Many first time males will be making the northern journey for the first time in search of territorial grounds. By their first year they are all familiar with feeders and will start to plot coordinates in every region, all the way north to where they plan on spending their summer. New birds as well as the regulars will stop by several yards looking for feeders and a good choice location to attract all the females, soon to follow. There is NOTHING more valuable in Spring to attract hummingbirds than feeders. This is what can separate your garden from all the rest. When they spot a feeder at this time of year, it's almost a guarantee they will feed from it. All these adult birds are mature and know the value of feeders, unlike the young later in the season that reject feeders due to lack of understanding them. 
     Know your arrival times, and have feeders up 7-10 days before these expected dates. This will guarantee every early bird will have feeding opportunities after this long northern migration.
Adult Ruby-throated hummingbird. 2015. N.E. of Edmonton, Alberta.

---