The ruby-throated hummingbirds are back, and I hope everyone joins me in the utmost appreciation of these tiny birds.

Every hummingbird that visits your feeders or sips from flowers in your garden has endured an arduous migratory journey from its tropical wintering grounds to return to spend the summer months, whether in the mountains near Flag Pond or down in the valleys of Unicoi and Erwin.

According to the website for Perkypet.com, a retailer  of bird feeders, ruby-throated hummingbirds spend the winter months in Central America and southern Mexico. When the weather begins to turn warm, they will start to make their northern trip up to the United States. As the website points out, this can be a grueling journey for such a tiny creature, as many of them choose to fly over the Gulf of Mexico. This flight alone, the website points out, can take 18 to 22 hours of non-stop flight before reaching land on the other side of the gulf.

Simply crossing the Gulf of Mexico is only the first stage. Most of the hummingbirds must still travel hundreds of miles to reach locations where they will spend the summer. Males, after some time courting females, will not do much more than sip nectar and duel with other male hummers during the summer.

It’s the female hummingbirds that will work diligently all summer long as she constructs a nest, incubates eggs and feeds hungry young, all without any assistance from her erstwhile mate.

Knowing a little more about this tiny treasure of a bird, I hope you’ll look on them with increased admiration.

Below are the readers who shared with me the dates of their first spring hummingbird sightings for 2021:

Susie Parks in North Cove in McDowell County, North Carolina, had the earliest date of any of the sightings reported to me this year.

“We saw our first hummingbird of the season at 9:30 this morning, April 1,” Susie wrote in an email to me. “I assure you this is not an April Fool’s joke. We are indeed thrilled to have seen this amazing little creature on such a chilly morning.”

Patricia Faye Wagers, Kingsport, posted on Facebook that she saw her first hummingbird of spring on April 6. Her one word comment about how she felt welcoming back hummingbirds: “Happy!”

Amanda Austwick shared on Facebook that she saw her first spring hummingbird at her Flag Pond home on April 6.

Wanda Scalf Daniels reported her first spring hummingbird at her home in Bob White, West Virginia, on April 7. She informed me of her observation via Facebook.

Janee Townsend of Dysartsville, North Carolina, notified me by email that she enjoys my column in the McDowell News in Marion, North Carolina. “I saw my first hummingbird on Tuesday, April 8, at noon,” she wrote. “I had put a new feeder out on Monday.  I was glad it was there.”

Pat Stakely Cook wrote in a post to my Facebook page that she saw her first spring hummingbird – a male – on April 9 at her home in Marion, North Carolina. The next day she made an additional post to report that a female arrived. “She fed at our feeder for a long time about 6 p.m.

April Kerns Fain saw her first spring hummingbird at 1 p.m. on  April 11. “We saw our first hummingbird today in Unicoi,” she wrote in a Facebook post on my page. “It was a male.”

Donna Barnes Kilday shared on my Facebook page that she saw her first spring hummer in Erwin on the morning of April 9.

Paula Elam Booher, Bristol, Tennessee, saw her first hummingbird of the season at 5:15 p.m. on April 10. Two days later, she saw her second hummingbird of spring at 11:45 a.m.

Larry McDaniel, Jonesborough, saw his first spring hummingbird on Saturday, April 10. “It visited the feeder briefly before dark,” he wrote. He didn’t see it the following day, but he noted he wasn’t home much that day.

Don Holt and Dianne Draper, Jonesborough, posted on Facebook about seeing their first spring ruby-throated Hummingbird at their feeder on April 10.

Darlene Kerns also shared her first spring sighting on my Facebook page. “Just saw our first hummingbird of the season here in Unicoi,” she wrote. The bird arrived at 8:30 on Sunday, April 11. Darlene said that the first hummingbird also arrived on April 11 in 2020.

Dot and Wayne Ballard, Marion, North Carolina, saw their first spring hummingbirds (yes, they saw two at the same time) on Sunday, April 11, at 2 p.m. The little birds lingered and were also seen feeding early on the morning of Monday, April 12. The Ballards sent me an email about their sighting.

Philip Laws of Limestone Cove used Facebook Messenger to report his first spring sighting took place April 11 about 12:15 p.m. The next day more hummingbird arrived. “Two disputed ownership of a tube feeder,” Philip noted in his message.

Charles and Karen O’Cain emailed me to report their first sighting. “We saw our first humming bird of 2021 on Monday, April 12, at 10 a.m. at our home on top of Coal Pit Mountain in the southern tip of McDowell County,” they wrote. “We have seen a hummingbird every day since.”

Nellene Woodby called to report that she saw her first hummingbird of spring in Limestone Cove on April 12.

Brookie and Jean Potter, who reside at Wilbur Lake near Elizabethton, reported in a phone call that they saw their first hummingbird of the season on April 12.

Karen and Bobby Andis in Kingsport contacted me in Facebook Messenger to report they saw their first ruby-throated hummingbird at 5:56 p.m. on April 13.

Glen Eller emailed me to report that he and his daughter, Lia, had their first ruby-throated hummingbird show up at their home in Fall Branch on April 14. In  followup email, Glen reported another impressive observation. “We had two adult bald eagles show up the next afternoon,” he wrote. “Life is good.”

Anne Rolfe sent me an email to report that thanks to husband Peter’s watchful eyes, she saw the first visit of “our” male ruby-throated hummingbird, Jimmy, on April 14 at about 11 am.  “We are hoping he brings lots of friends,” she added. The Rolfes lives at Lake James in Nebo, North Carolina.

Felicia Mitchell notified me through my Facebook page that the first hummingbird arrived at the feeder at her home in Washington County, Virginia, at 12:24 p.m. on April 14.

Gina Kinney and her mom, Ginger Brackins, both Erwin residents, saw their first hummingbird of spring at 11:25 a.m. on April 14.

Helen Whited posted on my Facebook page that she saw her first hummingbird of 2021 at 1 p.m. on April 15 at her home in Richlands, Virginia.

Judi Sawyer in Roan Mountain also took to Facebook to report that she saw her first hummingbird of spring at about 8 p.m. on April 15.

Carolyn Grubb, Bristol, Virginia, reported on Facebook about the arrival of her first spring hummingbird on April 15.

Pattie Rowland, Erwin, also posted on Facebook about seeing her first hummingbird of 2021 on April 15.

Leslie and Kathie Storie notified me on Facebook that they saw their first hummingbird of 2021 at their home on Heaton Creek in Roan Mountain on April 25.

Peggy Stevens on Simerly Creek in Hampton saw her first spring hummingbird at 9:34 a.m. on April 16.

Barbara Jean Boyd, Bristol, Tennessee, saw her first spring hummingbird on April 16. She reported the sighting on Facebook.

Amy Wallin Tipton, Erwin, made a Facebook post about her first spring sighting. “We saw our first hummingbird today (April 16) around 6 p.m.,” she wrote in the post.

Fredna Ollis, Erwin, had a single hummingbird show up Saturday, April 17, around lunch time. “I got pictures when I saw it again around 6,” Fredna shared in an email. “It was back on Sunday afternoon.”

Donna Rea, who is an Erwin resident and a retired Erwin Record employee, reported on Facebook that she saw her first hummingbird on April 17. The following day she got photos of the visiting hummingbird.

John Whinery, Fall Branch, gave notice in an email of the arrival of the first spring ruby-throated hummingbird at his feeder at 7 p.m. on April 17.

Gayle Riddervold and Becky Kinder of Hampton saw their first hummingbird of spring on April 18. Gayle reported the sighting through Facebook Messenger.

Phyllis Moore notified me on my Facebook page that she saw her first hummingbird at her home in Bristol, Virginia, at 10:53 a.m. on April 18.

Karen Lioce, who lives in Harrogate, Tennessee, sent me an email about tree swallows, but also reported a hummer sighting. “You mentioned that you wanted to know when we sight a hummingbird,” she wrote. “I saw my first one today (April 18).”

Julie Lee emailed me to inform me her first spring hummingbird showed up on a very windy day on April 21 at her home at Lake James in North Carolina.

•••••

In case you’re wondering, I saw my first ruby-throated hummingbird of spring 2021 at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22. A somewhat hesitant little male hummingbird flitted to each of my feeders before finally taking a long sip of sugar water. As I watched him on a rather brisk evening, it felt good to welcome him back.

To share sightings, make a comment or ask questions, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com or call 423-743-4112.