When are hummingbirds returning to Massachusetts?
Two hundred and fifty years ago this Friday, the cry went out from Charlestown to Concord "The Redcoats are coming!" It just so happens that mid to late April is time for another red-splashed arrival. The ruby throated hummingbirds are coming (back)!
OK, maybe you're not a certified bird nerd. But it's never too late to start! Observing the seasonal rhythms as new life returns to New England is one of the redeeming qualities of spring, which can otherwise be a trying time around here (read: last weekend). While the osprey makes March headlines, it's usually the hummingbirds that catch the most attention for backyard enthusiasts.
Ruby throated hummingbirds are the smallest breeding bird in Massachusetts, tipping the scales at about the same weight as a nickel. Whizzing by your windows on a warm spring or summer day, they beat their wings at a whopping 53 times per second.
First New England sightings likely this week
As of Monday, the farthest-northern sighting by citizen scientists was just shy of New York City, per Hummingbird Central. Given that we have more consistently mild air in the forecast, it's likely that the first southern New England sightings will come by late this week and into Easter weekend.
If you want to attract them to your yard, the same tactic makes them happy as would make any houseguest happy. Throw out some snacks!
The hummingbird diet features sugar, and plenty of it. They eat more than their own body weight in insects and nectar every day.
Make your own hummingbird nectar
To make your own nectar, combine four parts boiling water to one-part refined sugar. Let it cool and pour it into the feeder. You may see some hummingbird foods dyed red, but it is not necessary. The color of the nectar doesn't matter to them, though the ports of your feeder do.
This weekend would be a great time to put a feeder out (wait another week for areas more toward northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire/Vermont). The males return to the region first to establish their territory and essentially set up camp to court the females, who will follow several days later.
