Vermont Spring

I’m very excited. My first hummingbird (male, Ruby Throated) arrived last night just before it got dark. I felt most upset because I didn’t have my feeders up yet. Usually I have plenty of warning when they’re approaching because I follow a birding e-list where people all over the state write about what they’re currently seeing, and usually I can track the hummingbirds as they move north. But this little guy must have flown straight to me from South America, proving that he’d been here before by landing on the bracket where I hang the feeder and looking in at me reproachfully. So I dashed around, and within half an hour, he had food. He’s been coming all day today. More males will start arriving soon, and in a week or so, the females will arrive. May 4th sets a record arrival. They usually arrive between the 6th and the 10th. Now I’m waiting for the orioles and thrushes, and then the whole gang will be here.

An Eastern Bluebird below has been checking out my boxes, but I don’t know yet if this will be a lucky year.

For those people who aren’t lucky enough to live in Vermont in the spring…