April 4, 2017

Name: Andy Allen
Date & Time of Sighting: 3/31/17 12:30 pm
Location of Sighting (be as specific as possible): 2600 Jenkins point, very near marsh
Name of Bird Species: Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Number of Birds Sighted: one male
Comments: We have one male each year who visits our window feeder several times a day and regularly checks out our deck Penta, even if we are sitting on the deck. He has a mate by summer and at least one fledging by fall. There is a nest in a live oak between the house and the marsh.
Yesterday was the first day we noticed him with his amazingly bright ruby throat. I don’t think he was around this winter.

Is this early for hummingbirds to return since bright red flowers are still fairly rare? Maybe they have come back to lots of feeders or were here this whole mild winter. We stopped feeding in late October when there was no evidence of action and only resumed mid-March

Response from SIB

Hello Andy

Thanks for your sighting and question. Although some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds do winter on Seabrook Island, it is very possible that the one at your home has returned from its migration. I have found a few things on the web, but the blog below is quite timely and I like the visual of the map they created showing the return on or around April 1st for our area.

Nancy Brown

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HERE COME THE RUBY-THROATS
(Updated 27 Mar 2017)

After a long winter without Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, it’s gratifying to know this diminutive Neotropical migrant is reportedly making its way back toward Hilton Pond Center and points north. It’s hard to explain to folks who aren’t hummingbird enthusiasts just how crucial this news is to those of us who brew batches of sugar water all summer long, but the annual arrival of spring migrant ruby-throats is one of the most-anticipated happenings in the world of backyard birdwatchers. Ruby-throats have already appeared along the Gulf Coast and are moving their way northward, so it’s only a matter of time until phones start ringing and E-mails start flying as folks announce “I just got my first one at the feeder!” Since hummingbird watching is a such a highly competitive sport, few things are more important than being able to say you spotted the neighborhood’s first ruby-throat of the season.