When will it be time to put out hummingbird feeders ?

The past two years I have spotted the first hummingbird around March 25th in extreme northeast Texas.
I am not sure how this unusually cold winter will effect the migration this year.
I enjoy checking this website that tracks hummingbird sightings.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/...

Wow, what a great site !



Do you plant for the HB's ?

Hummingbirds love my 'White Butterfly' ginger flowers and the fragrance is absolutely wonderful for us humans as well.

I recently saw a hummingbird map and looked at last years map, it seems as if they were arriving early-mid March in south/SE Tx, a bit later in the month further north.

Yes, I love that sight!
You can also look at the archived maps to see migration dates from previous years.
I do have many lantanas, salvias and other natives that attract the hummingbirds.
I also use feeders because there isn't usually much blooming when the migration begins.

I know hummers are really attracted to cupped or tubular flowers.

Especiallly iin shades of red, purple hot pink and magenta.

Right now is the time to plant seeds of cy[ress vine seeds for the HB's.

I put mine out last week, but then the cold snap came...again!!! But hoping they come this week....huuuummmmmm......I had such a frenzy last year it was awesome! I wish I could upload a video I made. That was alot of fun watching these wonderful creatures!!

Beautiful photos!
Lavanda, do you direct sow the cypress vine? I have always wanted to grow it and I actually found seed this year. It was one of my Moms' favorite plants.

MuddyKnees said:Beautiful photos!
Lavanda, do you direct sow the cypress vine? I have always wanted to grow it and I actually found seed this year. It was one of my Moms' favorite plants.

Yes,you direct sow NOW !!! it loves to start in ool weather.

It is such an eager beaver, that once you get it started, and it begins producing seeds an self-seeding, even coming up in cracks in pavement or sidewalks. Probably with the help of birds, who knows ??

Okey-dokey! Thank you!
Now I just have to decide where to plant it.

A little bit after my winter visitor left, I started seeing migrants. Now, I'm hoping two of these Black-chinned ones are settling down to nest!

How neat. You get completely different hummers than we do in Mississippi. Ours are all ruby-throated ones, at least those are all I have ever seen.

Linda, do they nest at your place ?
If so, in what types of plants ?

There must be at least one female every year that nests somewhere close to my property during the season, although I haven't actually seen a nest. Hummingbirds often use trees to put their nests in, but not always, I hear. Last spring, I first spotted the two little ones for the first time flying from the direction of the dry creek, but can't be sure that that's where the nest was. Watching the young ones can be even more fun than watching the adults!

I have read, but not personally observed, that hummers love to nest in the Red Cedars that are so prevalent in North and Central Texas.

Hummers have just arrived here this past week! Poor guys- not much for them to eat this year since we are 3 weeks behind our normal spring- nothing in bloom. They went nuts on the feeder. I get two species...Ruby Throat and another, bigger one that I am to lazy to look up and find out the name. The big ones don't hang around, just pass through.

What do the big uns look like ?

We heard then saw our first ruby throat yesterday. He is sooooo beautiful. Hoping to see more as I have 7 feeders out