Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds: Photos From First Arrivals

In a blog post on April 2nd, I wrote about how many hummingbirds were showing up at our feeders in just a matter of days.  There were a dozen or so of these tiny feathered creatures humming about for a few days. Then...gone.  They disappeared all of a sudden, except for Mr. Bully.  He hung around to have all these food sources to himself- the feeders and nectar from various flowers.  I waited for the return of the others.  For days I wondered where they had gone.

After reading about their migration habits, I knew where the hummingbirds had gone...further north.  Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds will venture as far as Canada during breeding season.  By the end of May, their population in the northeastern U.S. and Canada are at peak.  Some hummers remain in the southeastern half of the U.S., particularly the young and the old.  

I have a few dozen photos from the brief time the others visited.  I'm just now getting around to processing most of them.  It's definitely a challenge to capture good quality images of hummingbirds because they're constantly on the move.  The best images are captured with extra flash lights, which I do not own.  I do have a few really good shots, however.  

I'm looking forward to the return of migrating hummers.  They are expected to return sometime in August or early September and they'll remain until at least October.  When the days become shorter and the cool winds begin to settle in, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds will binge on sugar water and nectar.  They'll need the extra weight to cross over the Gulf and return to their wintering grounds.  

A friend told me that in August of each year, he has a few dozen visitors at his feeders. He lives only a few miles from me, so hopefully I'll have a few tiny visitors as well.  I remember Mom's hummingbird feeders and how there was constant traffic at them...as many as a couple dozen at one time.  Will I be so lucky this year? I hope so  :))))

By the way, lately there have been a couple more little hummers that come to the feeders only to be chased off by Mr. Bully.  Sometimes, however, they manage to sneak in when he's occupied elsewhere.