The ruby-throated hummingbird with blurred wingbeats and the ability to hover in the air is a fascinating visitor to flower gardens and home bird feeders. But each summer they seem to mysteriously vanish from some yards. They will return, says Larry Rizzo, Department of Conservation natural history biologist.
“Many people see ruby-throated hummingbirds in spring when they are migrating,” Rizzo said. “Even more common is seeing them at feeders from late July through late September when young are fledged and joining the population and fall migration gets underway, so birds from the north move in. But during the height of nesting season, from mid-May through late July, the birds are often scarce and not visiting feeders. It’s just an indication you don’t have nesting hummingbirds close by.”
