Now that February is in our rearview mirror we need to be on the lookout for arrival of the first ruby-throated hummingbird of the year.  In fact, I would not be surprised if a vanguard of rubythroats has already reached the Peach State.

       I live in Monroe County just north of Macon.  To my knowledge, the earliest that a ruby-throated hummingbird has been seen in the county is March 12.  However, friends living in southwest Georgia have told me that some years they see their first hummer during the first ten days of March.  On the other hand, folks living in north Georgia tell me they often do not see their first hummingbird of the spring until the end of March or in April.

       Now that you know rubythroats are on the way, go ahead and pour some fresh nectar into a feeder and hang it out in the same spot where it was hung last year.  If you don’t, you may well look out your window one morning and spot a rubythroat hovering where a feeder was hung a year ago.  If that does not make you feel like a heel, nothing else will.

       Please let me know when you experience the excitement of seeing your first rubythroat of the year!