If you haven’t already, fill those sugar feeders at once. The hummers are here.
Our hummingbirds are usually late arrivals, sometime mid to late July, but this year, I saw a few buzzing through back in April and our regulars have now set up shop near our feeders. They make regular visits to insure there are no other intruders. For little guys, they surely fight a lot.
Last year, I saw the biggest hummingbird I have ever seen at our feeder. I saw him for a few days, then no more. A friend told me that another fellow birder had seen a and had positively identified a large (4 ½-inch) hummer called a Violet-Crowned. Hummingbird. Native to California and Arizona, who knows how or why these lovely creatures are making appearances in Virginia. I will be on the watch to see if they return.
In the meantime, our feeders are full and we are open for business.