How about posting you sightings on this site. There is another site that I keep track off and report to but their 2011 map won't go up until next week.

I do hope you are correct and that migration has started. I could have my first sighting for the year in about 16 days.

Here is a link that might be useful: Migration Maps 2011

I do post on Journey North. If you check the hummer sightings, I have posted for the Rufous a couple weeks ago when the maps first were posted (Lakeland, FL). Will need to post the Rubys - there was one around today - immature male and my male Rufous was back this afternoon!

I am checking in on the Jouney North map hoping to see a sighting posted. I know it can't be long now. I am going to believe that the Rubies you are seeing are 2011 migrants.

Do you have many Rubies during the summer? When I first started hanging feeders and growing plants for them I would only have a few. My population has now really grown and during migration south I am wrapped up them them. I love that little bird.

Usually I don't see any during May-August. Then we start getting the males migrating through. In Sept. last fall I started having them stay a week or so before moving on. My overwintering ones usually come in Dec. and last winter stayed till April. However, my female Rufous has already left (the 13th was the last day I saw her) and with our warm weather and the Rubys migrating, I expect my male to leave soon.

The reason we have banders come through our area is that they are trying to determine where our overwintering Rubys go in the summer. There are areas just north east of me that have them in the summer and not in the winter. (There are definitely breeding areas in the state.) Its really a mystery as to why - our weather is not that different. They are also not finding them up in the Carolinas or in the Southeast as they were expecting to when they started banding them. This banding project has been going on for about 8 years now.

We are seeing more Rufous here in Lakeland than ever before and one guy even had an Allen's a couple years ago and one was found in Brooksville about an hour from here this winter.

I love them too, takes the place of my butterfly hobby in the summer.

Where are you?

I am near Dothan, Alabama. Southeast corner of Alabama. I live in a rural area. A very good hummingbird habitat.

I start seeing the first Rubies after the first week of March. I know the number to nest here has grown over the past 7 or so years. I gave up trying to count them. They use my plants and I keep feeders up all around my house. During southern migrantion my numbers really grow. Everyone in my family enjoys this time of year.

When I started planting flowers for the hummingbirds I started getting the butterflies. Then I started planting hosts plants for them. Since I live in the country I have many native hosts for the butterflies.

I have host plants as well. Usually "raise" Polydamas Swallowtails, Giant Swallowtails, Eastern Black Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Gulf Frits, Zebra Longwings, Sulphurs, Monarchs, Long Tail Skippers, Peacocks. Numbers vary each year - the last couple years we have had very few Zebra Longwings when 4-5 years ago I would release up to 2 dozen a day - the bad winters have really taken a toll on them here.

Do you know Fred Bassett? He is from Birmingham and he bands hummers? If you want his addy, I will send it to you.

You are so smart to raise butterflies. I have never though I wanted to do this. I just offer the hosts plants. I do have spicebushes and pawpaw trees. My two pawpaw made it through last summer and I do hope they continue to grow for the Zebras.

I don't personally know Fred Bassett but have attned his workshops on hummingbirds. A very nice man. I believe he lives in Monatgomery, Ala. We also have Bob Sargent and his wife, . I get a newsletter about what is going on in the hummingbird world from them.

Beautiful day here in SE Alabama. We have been told the weather will hold for about two more weeks. By them we will be into March so we can't have too much cold left. Maybe a night or two.

You are right about it being Montgomery. He did a program here in Jan. for a large group. It is the second time he banded in my yard.

We have such a problem with wasps that I bring in the ones that are the first of each species just to help them get started for the season or like the ZLWs which are almost not existent here now.

I would love to be able to grow Pawpaw. We have a different variety here but its hard to get transplanted. I have only seen 1 Zebra Swallowtail in my yard.

Hoping the weather will hold for us. We usually get one or two cold nights in March, just hoping its not a frost or freeze. So much is already coming back.

I am on the south side of dallas metro and I usally don't put up a feeder for another week to 10 days. I am going to go ahead and put one up today just in case. The hard winter may have took a toll on some of my plants. As of now I have my Salvia and my verbena coming back. I also have some Tickseed that is coming back and that is about it. I think we will still get a freeze or a light frost before it is over with.

Here we go - yea! I spotted my first hummer this morning, a male, with beautiful red gorget. He did not sip long, but what a thrill. I kept feeders fresh all winter, hoping to attract a Rufous, but no luck. I am happy to have an early hummer, maybe just stopping for a sip.

I have a link to their migration map...but I don't know how to do links here but will post it anyway. Maybe someone else can do it so we can see the map???

http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

I am sure they will post it. I reported mine sighting of today to both maps.

Again yesterday. At 5:45 pm, a male hummer sipped from 2 feeders I have hanging in nearby trees. My 7 year old granddaughter was visiting, so she was able to watch. She watched the hummer sip and counted 25 sips. She used binoculars and was thrilled to identify his red gorget. G.children and hummers are awesome!