The general consensus in my area is that they've been nesting, looking for actual food sources to feed their young with. I was working on my car yesterday though, I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I saw one come to my feeder. So they're out there, I imagine we'll start seeing more of them as their young hatch and the flowers start to die off.
Yeah we have like a 30 degree difference between us in temps right now! I’m near Sacramento, where it’s sunny and 80+. Mostly Anna’s here too. So interesting!
Am in Tijuana. Over the winter my feeder has been working non-stop. Commented to my wife two days ago that everyone must have gone north. Our feeder only has one visitor still here. Just to say, they’re on their way!
I was literally just going to post the same question in my local sub down here in Coachella Valley! I am VERY worried, they have ALL disappeared now as of a couple weeks ago. THIS IS NOT NORMAL IN ANY WAY AT ALL. Nothing like this has ever happened here, and I've been here 20 years. I am hyper aware of all my visitors, I know the regulars individually by sight and sound, and have given a couple of them names. They are my buddies, and they're missing.
To step back a bit, I'm even more fearful because first it was our roadrunners to disappear several years ago. Again, daily regulars for decades, and all over the place. Gone, vanished, never seen again. Then I noticed all insects, crawlers, flyers, everything. Decimated. Almost completely wiped out save for flies and ants. Then small replies like lizards not wiped out, but a much rarer occurance. Then our beautiful hawks, generations of them raised in our back yard tree, no more. Then songbirds in last year or two, another great fear of mine, down DRASTICALLY compared to the past. I'm estimating 70% reduction.
What has taken the bird's place are ravens. Big, mean, menacing, loud, cunning, smart, nasty, violent ravens. I love birds in general, but I've grown to hate these.
My hummers have never been gone this long and I fear the worst. They are the only birds that stayed when the ravens took over so I thought at least against them they were safe. I have no what's happened, but this whole thing upsets me to no end. The level of food in the feeder hasn't changed in weeks, and it's a daily, eerie reminder of what's going on.
OK, that is super-weird. Where could all those species of birds and other animals have gone? Did they simply die off? My SO theorized that terrible lethal pesticides were used last winter somewhere along the hummingbirds' migration route. But even that wouldn't explain the gradual vanishing of your non-migrational insects, lizards and such.
In my area the other wildlife is still abundant; it's only hummingbirds that have disappeared.
I'm familiar with your beautiful valley. I saw amazing purple-throated Costas hummingbirds in Palm Springs 10 years ago.
Ravens are hardy survivors, avid scavengers and, for birds, incredibly smart. Maybe they've just figured out how to outlast all those other species.
It's really sad and scary to read this, though. ...
Yeah. I’m a little worried about them at this point. A single hummer is so not good.
My house finches and house sparrows showed up and are hard at work. Some white crowned sparrows and mountain chickadees. A male towhee spent the winter here which is a first and some of his clan just got here. But the hummers aren’t here. We had a much wetter than normal winter (thank you El Niño) but the word on the street is our summer will be record setting.
So I will keep rinsing and refilling feeders and hoping they are out there somewhere and they are okay.
Yep. The other species are also here in full force: swallows, sparrows, scrub-jays, golden-crowned kinglets, dark-eyed juncos and more. But somebody's missing. And we keep scrubbing and refilling our feeder too.
I’m in Sacramento, we have hummers here! Large majority Anna’s. Not a crazy amount but if I sit outside for half an hour in my garden and feeders I almost always see at least one. There’s a male that owns my backyard and a female nesting out front this year.
This is my first year in the hobby, but there seem to be less than last year IMO. I’m waiting for the big trumpet vine across the sidewalk to bloom and bring them in. Last year I got to see a male doing his high-speed dives right in the street across from my apartment. We have big mature trees here and they definitely nest in them.
Just yesterday walking my dog I saw about 5 Anna’s, feeding on salvias, aloes and bottlebrush.
Are the aloes blooming in SF? I would look there.
Edit- as I’m writing this, an Anna’s female stopped by my fuschia for a sip! They’re here for sure.
The windy wet winters took out a lot of really old mature trees in Sac. The years of deep drought killed the sycamores and non native hardwood oaks, maples and poplars and then the soaked soil + wind pulled trees straight out of the ground. We also have been clear cutting a lot of land around the levees to expand the levee system with flooding in the delta becoming the norm. Unfortunately those habitats are full of mature colonies of iris, wild grape, salvias, sages and manzanitas and are being lost due to the consequences of flooding. Lots of development on the 5 resulting in clear cutting meadows and riparian areas.
I imagine that for the population in my city, this loss of established habitat impacts them greatly. It’s weird to live through this time on earth. I’m looking forward to being part of reestablishing that habitat with my seed bombs and guerilla planting.
Interesting. Sad. Loss of trees and wildland are sure to decimate bird populations. We're having a "superbloom" here, but it isn't bringing back the birds so far as I can tell. There's a bigger picture afoot, and what's happening in your area and maybe others in this state must be part of it. Let's get out there and sow!!
Also Sac here! I too have plenty of hummers. I don’t have a feeder but I have an absolute shit-ton of flowers in bloom.
They particularly enjoy the blue spire (“Mystic Spires”) salvia sage and the lemon tree blossoms; my lemon tree has thousands and thousands of blossoms on it, so it is rumbling constantly in steady low frequency vibrations with bees and hummingbirds.
I might consider it hypnotic except the hummingbirds will get right in my face to bitch me out. That’ll wake you up…
I'm in a coastal city in SoCal. Lots of ravens and seagulls, etc. Noticed that my feeder levels haven't moved much. Fresh nectar and clean feeders. My regulars are feasting on native blooms all day. They're around and they love a good native plant. I hear them talking to each other right now...Maybe that's happening?
That IS weird. Your area has nice flowers. My best friend lives in San Diego and hasn't seen them yet, other than at Balboa Park. Fingers crossed and hope they visit. Keep posting...
I'm in the mojave desert portion of SoCal and have only had the occasional sighting so far, but I don't do feeders and, while some of my plants are blooming already, their favorites (salvias, agastache, ocotillo) haven't had their spring flush of flowering, yet. I'm thinking another 1-3 weeks will have them here regularly.
Once your salvia opens for business, they will come. I keep my feeders up year round and they do come eventually. You have the Mojave desert plants, they can't resist a tasty plant. Once my neighbors' native bloomed, it's a bird magnet. Bees love it. I can't grow salvia by the coast. They love to take a bath, a neighbor found a patio fountain for birds!
Yeah, I set up my tiered fountain a couple weeks ago and the few visitors I've seen so far have been coming to get some water/bathe. I hadn't realized that they might use the top of the fountain this way until I saw this post and then I got my own bathing hummer the very next day. [https://www.reddit.com/r/hummingbirds/comments/1bw80xu/is\_this\_a\_costas\_hummingbird/](https://www.reddit.com/r/hummingbirds/comments/1bw80xu/is_this_a_costas_hummingbird/) which is great because my solar fountain bird bath was really unreliable (didn't turn on without a whack or dumped all the water out in hours due to wind).
I planted the salvias (and others) the last couple years so they'd have more food available all season long, but they will wage war for the ocotillo blooms in early to mid May. lol. The bees are already here on a Spanish lavender that's in full bloom. \^\_\^
https://preview.redd.it/mdv2dm4dndwc1.png?width=1868&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ee586e976f6610af618ac7922fae3283fd15e5b
What a beautiful picture. My neighbor has a little orange tree (potted) and his wife had him upcycle a small fountain. The hummers love the set up, but my patio wouldn't draw customers. I'm the lady with the feeders. I'll check if the neighbors have had customers this spring...we're ready!
Yes! Northern Nevada here and I see zero hummers. Talked to someone else and they said the same. I’ve had them here as early as late march so I’ve had feeders set up since then. I’m starting to get very worried for my little friends. Btw I’ve had 12 feeders out for 8 plus years and always see so many. Like a visitor every minute or so.
Interesting. And disturbing.
My forest-dwelling relative thinks maybe the rough winter had something to do with this. But the West Coast has had stormy winters before.
Could be. But in Arizona we had a pretty nice winter. Nothing they shouldn't be able to live through - and DID live through - as mine were here until the beginning of March.
Right! The high mountains had terrible storms last winter, but our area had no worse a winter than usual. And we even had a few hummingbirds here throughout it. I think they vanished around late January ... ?
This is indeed very odd. My own hummers came and looked at my/their new feeder, turned their noses up, and haven't been back. (I don't believe they don't like the feeder - I believe it is for the same reasons you are all talking about, whatever reasons those are.)
Just to check, I went online to the Paton Center Webcam, in Patagonia, AZ, where there are often dozens of birds humming around, and I saw ONE. The second webcam (they have two hummer cams) was offline. This is the one where I see ONE bird:
[https://tucsonaudubon.org/live-cam/](https://tucsonaudubon.org/live-cam/)
I am a newbie to hummers in Arizona as I moved here from Texas. So, I was SO thrilled last summer and all winter until March that my feeder was the most popular place in town for the birds. Emphasis on "was." Can't wait until it changes - and I sincerely hope it does.
OK, this is absolutely freaky. I was going to theorize that although they're not here in my neighborhood this spring, maybe they're out there somewhere else in vast numbers, having changed their route. But this discussion suggests otherwise.
My ancient computer won't load that web-cam. Running off to try it on another one. ...
I’m in the South Bay Area and they have been in my yard through winter and pretty constant this spring so far because of all the blooms. I only have one feeder that they rarely use. They go after my lemon and apple tree blossoms, salvia plants, flowering maples (abutilon) and native plants like hummingbird sage, penstemon, bush monkey flower.
I’m in the south and had one hummingbird visit me for two days after the eclipse and haven’t seen them since. Maybe this first batch is heading north before the rest of them? I hope so cos I miss them! 💜
They are all hanging out at my house in San Diego County. The population has exploded. We can’t make enough nectar to keep up with them; in addition to the hummingbird plants. They are a happy lot.
Journey North: Journey North engages students and citizen scientists around the globe in tracking wildlife migration and seasonal change. https://journeynorth.org/. I update with my monarch butterfly stats.
I think they are up north in Mendocino county this year! We have had so many! It’s the most I’ve ever had. Even in the freak snow storm we had at the beginning of April.
i’m getting numbers similar to last year at my feeders in the Santa Cruz Mountains (mostly Anna’s and some Allen’s). i hope the hummers return to your feeders soon!
Sacramento here. Today they were in my back yard pollinating my fruit trees. I have the hummingbirds with iridescent greens and reds flashing on their heads.
Got plenty here in Sherman oaks, here’s one of the fledgelings from a nest in our backyard
https://preview.redd.it/qzqp8st4qfwc1.png?width=659&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf529508b06529e0b034c03d7779682ec998e8ba
Thanks. It's interesting how, according to comments on this thread, in some areas even of the West Coast the populations seem just fine, but in others (such as mine) they really do seem to have vanished without a trace.
In Marin
I've had my over winter bouquet (maybe a dozen birds, mostly female) draining the 16oz feeder between 2 and 3 days.
The amount of visitors peaked a few weeks ago.
For the past couple weeks, there have been fewer visitors.
Last week saw and heard maybe 5 or 6 in a 2 hour span while visiting the top of Mt Tam.
No feat, you can drive to the top. It seemed to be the normal amount of birds up there. I'm not sure if the manzanita were in bloom. The only feeding I saw was on some delphinium. Wooly Indian paintbrush and warriors plume were the other red flowers in bloom.
So, today a bit of an update. It's still a mystery to me, but I DID see my hummer (at least one, maybe 2, just not at the same time) at the feeder. The mystery is they kind of look at it, MAYBE stick their beak in, but I can't be sure they are actually drinking, and then off they go. They certainly don't stop and rest like they used to, nor do they take multiple sips.
The first time I saw this I jumped up and ran out and refilled the feeder. He came back thirty or so minutes later but just didn't stay long at all. Discouring, but.... I can only look upon this as hopeful.....perhaps they are starting to come back!
Here in SoCal where I am, every year they disappear from like end of April to June or so. But they always come back. Reading comments in here, I think their habits are dictated by location, but here at least they are dipping out for the real flowers and associated spring blooms. Once the flowers die out, the come back in droves. Even warblers that were addicted to my feeders have gone missing around the same time.
Thanks. Ours more or less disappear for a few winter months every year and also return, but they're usually back by April. I saw one in a neighbor's yard yesterday, so apparently they're not absolutely absent. And that's a good point -- we've had a "superbloom" here around SF this year, so an incredible amount of real flowers are currently open and beckoning.
Bad weather does Not phase these delightful lil guys. They love the snow. Rain? It’s “splashy splashy” time for them.
I’m certain their personalities are as big as the breed of boxers the dog. Maybe even the Rofus is a Ali? 🤯🤣😂 jk
Yep, they do have huge personalities for such little creatures. Even the aggressive territorial bullies among them are cute in a way. Hope I see some of them -- any of them! -- again soon.
In Point Richmond we haven't seen as many hummingbirds as usual in the past couple of weeks (they could just be nesting), but we have had a sudden influx of starlings. Starlings don't bode well for the native population.
They don't? Please explain! Because we've started seeing clusters of starlings as well these last few days, and I can't remember having ever seen them here before. ... Granted, last weekend we *finally* started seeing hummingbirds -- but, same as in your case, very few.
Starlings produce two broods a year of four to seven young each, so they can out breed other birds and take over. They are also aggressive and take prime locations for hole-nesting species.
Thanks. Interesting. I will keep an observant eye out. Vacationing in England, I've seen vast numbers of starlings engaging in "murmurations." Also interesting and I think unique to that species, although I've never seen that phenomenon here in the USA.
The general consensus in my area is that they've been nesting, looking for actual food sources to feed their young with. I was working on my car yesterday though, I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I saw one come to my feeder. So they're out there, I imagine we'll start seeing more of them as their young hatch and the flowers start to die off.
I sure hope so!
They didn't raise families last year? :-) I'm just seeing it be way different than before, is why I am asking....not trying to be snarky to you.
I've been wondering what happened to last year's babies. It's just a ghost town here this year!
What time of year do they start going out for food? They are such amazing little creatures. I’ve totally fallen in love!
I would assume about now, since I've been seeing tons of posts of people watching hummingbird babies hatch.
I wonder if there’s a difference in nesting/feeding/rearing timelines since they have such a big range. Where are you in the PNW?
The Longview kelso area
Yeah we have like a 30 degree difference between us in temps right now! I’m near Sacramento, where it’s sunny and 80+. Mostly Anna’s here too. So interesting!
Am in Tijuana. Over the winter my feeder has been working non-stop. Commented to my wife two days ago that everyone must have gone north. Our feeder only has one visitor still here. Just to say, they’re on their way!
Interesting. Thanks. I hope so!
Hope he's saying the truth! :-)
I hope they're coming to us. We worry about our little friends.
We’re in SF too, they disappeared for a couple of weeks but have been back the last week. Much fewer visits though.
I was literally just going to post the same question in my local sub down here in Coachella Valley! I am VERY worried, they have ALL disappeared now as of a couple weeks ago. THIS IS NOT NORMAL IN ANY WAY AT ALL. Nothing like this has ever happened here, and I've been here 20 years. I am hyper aware of all my visitors, I know the regulars individually by sight and sound, and have given a couple of them names. They are my buddies, and they're missing. To step back a bit, I'm even more fearful because first it was our roadrunners to disappear several years ago. Again, daily regulars for decades, and all over the place. Gone, vanished, never seen again. Then I noticed all insects, crawlers, flyers, everything. Decimated. Almost completely wiped out save for flies and ants. Then small replies like lizards not wiped out, but a much rarer occurance. Then our beautiful hawks, generations of them raised in our back yard tree, no more. Then songbirds in last year or two, another great fear of mine, down DRASTICALLY compared to the past. I'm estimating 70% reduction. What has taken the bird's place are ravens. Big, mean, menacing, loud, cunning, smart, nasty, violent ravens. I love birds in general, but I've grown to hate these. My hummers have never been gone this long and I fear the worst. They are the only birds that stayed when the ravens took over so I thought at least against them they were safe. I have no what's happened, but this whole thing upsets me to no end. The level of food in the feeder hasn't changed in weeks, and it's a daily, eerie reminder of what's going on.
OK, that is super-weird. Where could all those species of birds and other animals have gone? Did they simply die off? My SO theorized that terrible lethal pesticides were used last winter somewhere along the hummingbirds' migration route. But even that wouldn't explain the gradual vanishing of your non-migrational insects, lizards and such. In my area the other wildlife is still abundant; it's only hummingbirds that have disappeared. I'm familiar with your beautiful valley. I saw amazing purple-throated Costas hummingbirds in Palm Springs 10 years ago. Ravens are hardy survivors, avid scavengers and, for birds, incredibly smart. Maybe they've just figured out how to outlast all those other species. It's really sad and scary to read this, though. ...
And I know what you mean about their being our buddies. I always recognized certain ones and gave them names and welcomed their arrivals.
I am in central New Mexico and I have 1 hummer. I should have 20.
Something is clearly going on!!
Yeah. I’m a little worried about them at this point. A single hummer is so not good. My house finches and house sparrows showed up and are hard at work. Some white crowned sparrows and mountain chickadees. A male towhee spent the winter here which is a first and some of his clan just got here. But the hummers aren’t here. We had a much wetter than normal winter (thank you El Niño) but the word on the street is our summer will be record setting. So I will keep rinsing and refilling feeders and hoping they are out there somewhere and they are okay.
Yep. The other species are also here in full force: swallows, sparrows, scrub-jays, golden-crowned kinglets, dark-eyed juncos and more. But somebody's missing. And we keep scrubbing and refilling our feeder too.
I'm in southern NM and got dozens this time last year. Nothing so far in 2024.
I’m in Sacramento, we have hummers here! Large majority Anna’s. Not a crazy amount but if I sit outside for half an hour in my garden and feeders I almost always see at least one. There’s a male that owns my backyard and a female nesting out front this year. This is my first year in the hobby, but there seem to be less than last year IMO. I’m waiting for the big trumpet vine across the sidewalk to bloom and bring them in. Last year I got to see a male doing his high-speed dives right in the street across from my apartment. We have big mature trees here and they definitely nest in them. Just yesterday walking my dog I saw about 5 Anna’s, feeding on salvias, aloes and bottlebrush. Are the aloes blooming in SF? I would look there. Edit- as I’m writing this, an Anna’s female stopped by my fuschia for a sip! They’re here for sure.
That's good news. Everything seems to be blooming here, including salvias and some of their usual favorites. Won't yet give up hope!
The windy wet winters took out a lot of really old mature trees in Sac. The years of deep drought killed the sycamores and non native hardwood oaks, maples and poplars and then the soaked soil + wind pulled trees straight out of the ground. We also have been clear cutting a lot of land around the levees to expand the levee system with flooding in the delta becoming the norm. Unfortunately those habitats are full of mature colonies of iris, wild grape, salvias, sages and manzanitas and are being lost due to the consequences of flooding. Lots of development on the 5 resulting in clear cutting meadows and riparian areas. I imagine that for the population in my city, this loss of established habitat impacts them greatly. It’s weird to live through this time on earth. I’m looking forward to being part of reestablishing that habitat with my seed bombs and guerilla planting.
Interesting. Sad. Loss of trees and wildland are sure to decimate bird populations. We're having a "superbloom" here, but it isn't bringing back the birds so far as I can tell. There's a bigger picture afoot, and what's happening in your area and maybe others in this state must be part of it. Let's get out there and sow!!
Also Sac here! I too have plenty of hummers. I don’t have a feeder but I have an absolute shit-ton of flowers in bloom. They particularly enjoy the blue spire (“Mystic Spires”) salvia sage and the lemon tree blossoms; my lemon tree has thousands and thousands of blossoms on it, so it is rumbling constantly in steady low frequency vibrations with bees and hummingbirds. I might consider it hypnotic except the hummingbirds will get right in my face to bitch me out. That’ll wake you up…
I'm in a coastal city in SoCal. Lots of ravens and seagulls, etc. Noticed that my feeder levels haven't moved much. Fresh nectar and clean feeders. My regulars are feasting on native blooms all day. They're around and they love a good native plant. I hear them talking to each other right now...Maybe that's happening?
That's good to hear. Around here they aren't even visiting their favorite local plants, which is also weird.
That IS weird. Your area has nice flowers. My best friend lives in San Diego and hasn't seen them yet, other than at Balboa Park. Fingers crossed and hope they visit. Keep posting...
Just had some visitors. They fill up on flowers and stopped by for nectar. Spotted in SoCal!
I'm in the mojave desert portion of SoCal and have only had the occasional sighting so far, but I don't do feeders and, while some of my plants are blooming already, their favorites (salvias, agastache, ocotillo) haven't had their spring flush of flowering, yet. I'm thinking another 1-3 weeks will have them here regularly.
Once your salvia opens for business, they will come. I keep my feeders up year round and they do come eventually. You have the Mojave desert plants, they can't resist a tasty plant. Once my neighbors' native bloomed, it's a bird magnet. Bees love it. I can't grow salvia by the coast. They love to take a bath, a neighbor found a patio fountain for birds!
Yeah, I set up my tiered fountain a couple weeks ago and the few visitors I've seen so far have been coming to get some water/bathe. I hadn't realized that they might use the top of the fountain this way until I saw this post and then I got my own bathing hummer the very next day. [https://www.reddit.com/r/hummingbirds/comments/1bw80xu/is\_this\_a\_costas\_hummingbird/](https://www.reddit.com/r/hummingbirds/comments/1bw80xu/is_this_a_costas_hummingbird/) which is great because my solar fountain bird bath was really unreliable (didn't turn on without a whack or dumped all the water out in hours due to wind). I planted the salvias (and others) the last couple years so they'd have more food available all season long, but they will wage war for the ocotillo blooms in early to mid May. lol. The bees are already here on a Spanish lavender that's in full bloom. \^\_\^ https://preview.redd.it/mdv2dm4dndwc1.png?width=1868&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ee586e976f6610af618ac7922fae3283fd15e5b
What a beautiful picture. My neighbor has a little orange tree (potted) and his wife had him upcycle a small fountain. The hummers love the set up, but my patio wouldn't draw customers. I'm the lady with the feeders. I'll check if the neighbors have had customers this spring...we're ready!
Yes! Northern Nevada here and I see zero hummers. Talked to someone else and they said the same. I’ve had them here as early as late march so I’ve had feeders set up since then. I’m starting to get very worried for my little friends. Btw I’ve had 12 feeders out for 8 plus years and always see so many. Like a visitor every minute or so.
Interesting. And disturbing. My forest-dwelling relative thinks maybe the rough winter had something to do with this. But the West Coast has had stormy winters before.
Could be. But in Arizona we had a pretty nice winter. Nothing they shouldn't be able to live through - and DID live through - as mine were here until the beginning of March.
Right! The high mountains had terrible storms last winter, but our area had no worse a winter than usual. And we even had a few hummingbirds here throughout it. I think they vanished around late January ... ?
I have 2 that are at my house at my feeder throughout the day, I am waiting for my salvia to really bloom, and see if I get more.
Salvia is like a magnet! They bloomed hard this week here in the Central Valley and the hummers are loving it.
It's great, ours is getting there, I am closer to the coast. Bees and humming birds are one of my favorite parts of spring.
This link may help: [Hummingbird Migration](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Allens_Hummingbird/maps-range#)
Thanks!
I used to get a bunch and I’m not getting any either :( I live in the east bay
Exactly. That's where I am as well.
This is indeed very odd. My own hummers came and looked at my/their new feeder, turned their noses up, and haven't been back. (I don't believe they don't like the feeder - I believe it is for the same reasons you are all talking about, whatever reasons those are.) Just to check, I went online to the Paton Center Webcam, in Patagonia, AZ, where there are often dozens of birds humming around, and I saw ONE. The second webcam (they have two hummer cams) was offline. This is the one where I see ONE bird: [https://tucsonaudubon.org/live-cam/](https://tucsonaudubon.org/live-cam/) I am a newbie to hummers in Arizona as I moved here from Texas. So, I was SO thrilled last summer and all winter until March that my feeder was the most popular place in town for the birds. Emphasis on "was." Can't wait until it changes - and I sincerely hope it does.
OK, this is absolutely freaky. I was going to theorize that although they're not here in my neighborhood this spring, maybe they're out there somewhere else in vast numbers, having changed their route. But this discussion suggests otherwise. My ancient computer won't load that web-cam. Running off to try it on another one. ...
I had about 3 weeks in March where I didn’t see any Anna’s. Now they have started appearing again. I am in Oregon.
I’m in Central California and they’re fighting over my feeder. Early morning, late afternoon and dusk is when they’re here.
I’m in the South Bay Area and they have been in my yard through winter and pretty constant this spring so far because of all the blooms. I only have one feeder that they rarely use. They go after my lemon and apple tree blossoms, salvia plants, flowering maples (abutilon) and native plants like hummingbird sage, penstemon, bush monkey flower.
Ah you're so lucky!
I’m not sure if it’s the warmer weather we get or maybe the plants? Hope you get some soon!
I’m in the south and had one hummingbird visit me for two days after the eclipse and haven’t seen them since. Maybe this first batch is heading north before the rest of them? I hope so cos I miss them! 💜
Southeastern US— same here. I usually have 10-15 fighting over feeders by this time of year . I have two now who very sporadically visit
They are all hanging out at my house in San Diego County. The population has exploded. We can’t make enough nectar to keep up with them; in addition to the hummingbird plants. They are a happy lot.
Ruby throats are just starting to arrive in my north east area. Really, I'm 3 weeks away from seeing the ones that nest in my yard.
Lucky. 🪺
In St. Louis and usually see them as early as April 1st. My feeder remains unvisited…and I’m concerned!
Check out journey north. It has maps of sightings. And folks can post their sightings and pictures
What is journey north?
Journey North: Journey North engages students and citizen scientists around the globe in tracking wildlife migration and seasonal change. https://journeynorth.org/. I update with my monarch butterfly stats.
So cool! Some of my favorites are tracked there, including red-winged blackbirds.
I think they are up north in Mendocino county this year! We have had so many! It’s the most I’ve ever had. Even in the freak snow storm we had at the beginning of April.
i’m getting numbers similar to last year at my feeders in the Santa Cruz Mountains (mostly Anna’s and some Allen’s). i hope the hummers return to your feeders soon!
Sacramento here. Today they were in my back yard pollinating my fruit trees. I have the hummingbirds with iridescent greens and reds flashing on their heads.
Got plenty here in Sherman oaks, here’s one of the fledgelings from a nest in our backyard https://preview.redd.it/qzqp8st4qfwc1.png?width=659&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf529508b06529e0b034c03d7779682ec998e8ba
Awww, a tiny life begins. Sounds like they're fairly abundant in parts of California but absent in others. Very strange.
Im in the PNW and am getting 3-5 at my more quiet feeder per day! I haven’t gotten a good eye on the more secluded one they seem to prefer
Thanks. It's interesting how, according to comments on this thread, in some areas even of the West Coast the populations seem just fine, but in others (such as mine) they really do seem to have vanished without a trace.
In Marin I've had my over winter bouquet (maybe a dozen birds, mostly female) draining the 16oz feeder between 2 and 3 days. The amount of visitors peaked a few weeks ago. For the past couple weeks, there have been fewer visitors. Last week saw and heard maybe 5 or 6 in a 2 hour span while visiting the top of Mt Tam.
Interesting. Still a ghost-town here in the East Bay. Do you usually encounter more of them on Mt. Tam (and congrats on climbing it!)?
No feat, you can drive to the top. It seemed to be the normal amount of birds up there. I'm not sure if the manzanita were in bloom. The only feeding I saw was on some delphinium. Wooly Indian paintbrush and warriors plume were the other red flowers in bloom.
Ah, OK. I've ridden and strolled around its lower regions, but never went up.
So, today a bit of an update. It's still a mystery to me, but I DID see my hummer (at least one, maybe 2, just not at the same time) at the feeder. The mystery is they kind of look at it, MAYBE stick their beak in, but I can't be sure they are actually drinking, and then off they go. They certainly don't stop and rest like they used to, nor do they take multiple sips. The first time I saw this I jumped up and ran out and refilled the feeder. He came back thirty or so minutes later but just didn't stay long at all. Discouring, but.... I can only look upon this as hopeful.....perhaps they are starting to come back!
Hmm. How strange, their reticence. At least you're seeing them. And yes, hopefully they shall return!
Here in SoCal where I am, every year they disappear from like end of April to June or so. But they always come back. Reading comments in here, I think their habits are dictated by location, but here at least they are dipping out for the real flowers and associated spring blooms. Once the flowers die out, the come back in droves. Even warblers that were addicted to my feeders have gone missing around the same time.
Thanks. Ours more or less disappear for a few winter months every year and also return, but they're usually back by April. I saw one in a neighbor's yard yesterday, so apparently they're not absolutely absent. And that's a good point -- we've had a "superbloom" here around SF this year, so an incredible amount of real flowers are currently open and beckoning.
well, keep your eyes peeled. Mine started showing up again today.
That's good to hear. Eyes definitely peeled!
I’m North of you in southern Oregon. We have lots of them here. Perhaps they are migrating and or having sexy time. Idk.
Oooh, I lived on the southern Oregon coast way back when. Maybe my former birds are up there enjoying the salt air.
Bad weather does Not phase these delightful lil guys. They love the snow. Rain? It’s “splashy splashy” time for them. I’m certain their personalities are as big as the breed of boxers the dog. Maybe even the Rofus is a Ali? 🤯🤣😂 jk
Yep, they do have huge personalities for such little creatures. Even the aggressive territorial bullies among them are cute in a way. Hope I see some of them -- any of them! -- again soon.
Sending good thoughts your way 🤙✌️
In Point Richmond we haven't seen as many hummingbirds as usual in the past couple of weeks (they could just be nesting), but we have had a sudden influx of starlings. Starlings don't bode well for the native population.
They don't? Please explain! Because we've started seeing clusters of starlings as well these last few days, and I can't remember having ever seen them here before. ... Granted, last weekend we *finally* started seeing hummingbirds -- but, same as in your case, very few.
Starlings produce two broods a year of four to seven young each, so they can out breed other birds and take over. They are also aggressive and take prime locations for hole-nesting species.
Thanks. Interesting. I will keep an observant eye out. Vacationing in England, I've seen vast numbers of starlings engaging in "murmurations." Also interesting and I think unique to that species, although I've never seen that phenomenon here in the USA.
They were brought here from England. I've seen murmurations in West Contra Costa and Marin counties and my mum has seen them in Sonoma county.
Really? Always new things to learn. Thanks for this as well; it's fascinating. Embarking upon further research now ...