Hummingbirds in Maine are About to Make Their Triumphant Return

I know it probably seems atypical...

You know... For a 6-foot, bald, tattooed drummer to be at all concerned with the migration patterns of hummingbirds. But I absolutely love those little birds. I put feeders up all over my property in hopes that wherever I might be hanging out, I will see hummers feeding. It's honestly one of my Top 5 summer activities.

Read More: Of 4 Types of Hummingbirds in Maine, You'll Probably Only See 1

And every year, right around now, I start to wonder how long it'll take them to get this far north. Obviously, unlike other birds, their diet is pretty specific. While they do eat some bugs, they rely mostly on nectar from flowers, and from feeders that folks put out. Right now, they're definitely not remotely enough flowers to get them up this far, haha.

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So, where are they right now?

Every year I go to HummingbirdCentral.com, because they have this awesome interactive map of the annual hummer migration. You can zoom in pretty far to get a pretty precise gauge on where they're at. For instance, right now, there have already been alleged sightings here in Maine. That's not bad! Typically, we see them around the first week of May around here.

It'll definitely be a few more weeks before they get up here, but it also means I have to get ready for them. I have to get my feeders cleaned up, and be prepared to start making nectar a gallon at a time. I make my own. It's simple... 4 parts water, 1 part sugar. And use white sugar. It's the closest to real nectar. Don't ever, ever use raw or brown sugar.

DO NOT use the red nectar you see in stores...

For the love of god... I don't even know why it's allowed on the shelves. It's been decided that it's quite possibly toxic for hummers, and can even kill them. Having feeders that are colored red is helpful, but honestly, any bright colors will do. Just think like a flower, haha.

Read More: Several Species of Maine Birds will Receive New Names in the US

If you've never put out feeders before, go simple. They make some pretty elaborate ones that aren't necessary but are pretty expensive. Keep it simple. But I tell you, once you get your first feeder out, and they start fleeting about, you'll want them everywhere. You'll learn they're jerks to each other, but that's just another part of the fun to watch.

You just learned a bunch about hummers, now get even more familiar with your dog...