Tardy Hummingbirds Are Back! Orioles Came First This Year

We saw our first ruby-throated hummingbird today flitting from feeder to feeder.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Linked from Audobon Website

They are tardy!  Most years they show up around my Mom’s birthday, April 23.  We put our feeders out on the 19th and waited.  The hummingbird migration map, which you can see here, showed the early birds arriving the 15th close to us.  In fact the map shows them arriving at Taquemenon Falls in the northern  Upper Peninsula yesterday!  I wonder why ours are so late.

If you live east of the Mississippi you probably see these tiny jewel-like birds darting around, buzzing feeders and sipping from flowers.  West of the Mississippi you see other varieties.

Dave makes our nectar himself from sugar, water and a drop of orange extract.  Boil a quart of water and add in 1 to 2 cups of sugar.  Let cool, add a drop or two orange extract.  Fill the feeders and watch them flock to feed.

We have several types of feeders and the most popular one varies day by day.  The birds almost always like this pretty red faceted one shown below, with a red plastic dome and copper base.  Some days they prefer the larger oriole feeders – and the orioles like the hummingbird ones – so we have 3 or 4 different ones out at any time and switch them out during the summer.

The orioles like the same nectar mix as the hummers. We get the brilliant golden orange Baltimore orioles and the pretty brick colored orchard orioles through the first part of summer.  They usually stop coming by late July even though we will catch glimpses and enjoy their songs.

Baltimore Oriole Photo Linked in from Audobon Website

Here’s the orchard oriole to show the darker, redder color.

It’s unusual for our orioles to beat the hummers here in the spring but this year they were earlier, April 30.  Here is a list of oriole sightings by date.

We enjoy watching the birds and right now see many migrating ones that stay for a day or two, then move on.  They enjoy the seed and suet and splash in the bird bath.  They are all welcome!