Not seeing your hummingbirds yet?

​       While the residents in the southern US are starting to see decreased hummingbirds in their garden due to nesting, many of us are still waiting for our first of the year. In spring time when the hummingbirds are moving North, people pay very close attention to the migration maps to see when they're approaching their own garden. Frustration starts to set in when they're spotted in regions around your own place while you anxiously await to see your own. Remember that these first birds spotted could very likely be migrating birds that are heading to a location hundreds of miles north. These are the very first birds, but the wave to follow could be several days or even weeks after these very first birds. So when you hear of someone near you that's seen a hummingbird, don't be too concerned that yours aren't there yet. The very first ones are oftentimes just the luck of the draw on a bird passing through and choosing any food source available or within sight. This is the reason hummingbird feeders should not be placed just in areas that are convenient for you to see them. Don't forget to place some in wide open areas, visible from all directions. These are the feeders that always attract the migrants. They are not going off memory from a previous year where a feeder was tucked underneath an archway. Migrant birds are very opportunistic, and will choose food options that are visible in flight. This is another way to attract additional birds, not only for the migration North and South, but to increase your local population, as many young males from the previous summer are looking for territory and breeding grounds of their own. I couldn't stress this enough, the more feeders, the more visible, and the more spread out they are, will increase the population around your garden in the future. 
       This was a male from a previous year that remembered the fountain from a previous summer. Male Ruby-throat N.E. of Edmonton, Ab. Canada.

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