Do you think storms might have sent them off course?

I think you might be exactly right, I looked at the radar archives and I saw strong storms over TN and KY on the 15th and 17th. They must be very sensitive to lightning and also maybe the sound of thunder while traveling north, it must be a migration instinct. But that doesn't make sense about the GA/SC empty spot because there were storms that were nearer to the coast, and that's where all the hummingbird reports were.

Maybe they only stay far away from any cluster of storms with lots of lightning by instinct because the hail stones in these stronger storms could kill them.

I think those paths drawn are misleading; how can you know they took those routes?

I also don't understand the logic here- you're speculating that the birds avoided those areas? Would that mean that they also avoided the areas between all the dots throughout the map??

After all, there are only dots for where they were reported, right?

It could be wind driving them rather than them "trying" to avoid the storms.

homerpa said: I think those paths drawn are misleading; how can you know they took those routes?

homerpa, what do you mean by misleading, the main reason I drew the paths is to show how they have flown around TN and KY. The paths are just "guesstimations" and nothing more, nobody knows for sure the exact paths of hummingbirds. But some spots seem to have more early inflow of hummers each year based on many years of past reports.
If I made a average flow line for every mile east or west it would look like a black blob of black because of too many lines on the map.
They don't follow each specific paths of course (they are spread out) the paths are just an estimated flow directions or streamline paths for the migration pattern.

I did make a more accurate estimation on the paths based on reported dates from 1997 to 2010. Here is all the colored lines from all those years combined that I made in the map below. The light blue lines are Mar. 1st, green Mar. 15th, and dark blue Apr. 1st. I then made paths based on common "noses" averaged out from reports that stick out northward (places that usually get hummingbirds more early) and I then connected the dots. Nobody can know for sure the exact paths but I made a fairly good estimation based on first reports over the years and given they mainly travel from south to north in the spring of course.

homerpa said: I also don't understand the logic here- you're speculating that the birds avoided those areas? Would that mean that they also avoided the areas between all the dots throughout the map??

After all, there are only dots for where they were reported, right?

No, the logic is that is a huge hole, there should be many reports in that huge hole or gap by this time of the year based on average reports from 1997 to 2010. Of course they won't avoid the areas between all the dots, I'm not dumb. lol Ruby-throated hummingbird population is estimated to be over 7 million, and how many dots are on these report maps annual? Like 400 to 500 reports. But it does give an average line of how far north, east, and west they are currently, and based on past reports one will know what cities or towns the reports come from each year. So in other words if there is a big gap where there usually are many report this time of the year, then it's a little odd. Like I said: powerful storms on the 15th and 17th are probably why there are few reports in KY and TN currently. But eventually that big gap will fill in with reports.

Read here for more info on migration:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/migration.html
Notice this interesting fact:
"Banding studies show that each bird tends to return every year to the same place it hatched, even visiting the same feeders."

melvalena, I still think that powerful storms are the cause for lack of reports in TN and KY. The GA/SC area maybe more a wind factor or something else.

Radar for Mar 15th 4:00pm CDT:

There were lots of hail reports (in green) on March 15th, so I could easily see the first hummingbirds staying away from this area in migrating north:

March 14th also had lots of hail reports in that area:

I'm very familiar w/ hummingbirds.net; and now i'm adding "confusing" to "misleading"- no one knows the paths, yet the assumption is made that they flew around the "holes".

Also, the maps from previous years show that most of the reports from those areas came later in March or early April.

Adding this: "Banding studies show that each bird tends to return every year to the same place it hatched, even visiting the same feeders." (makes me think that a storm would not take them from their instinctive paths) leads me to the assumption that the birds went through but weren't observed, or feeders weren't out, or a combination of both.

Just my opinion!

homerpa said: I'm very familiar w/ hummingbirds.net; and now i'm adding "confusing" to "misleading"- no one knows the paths, yet the assumption is made that they flew around the "holes".

I'm not saying every single hummingbird flew around the "hole" just the majority because of the powerful storms and lack of report in KY and TN, understand?

homerpa said: Also, the maps from previous years show that most of the reports from those areas came later in March or early April.

I know on average they come later to TN and KY, but this year they came much early in the U.S, and there has never been a large hole that size in KY and TN during any past years from the first hummers, again my guess: Powerful Storms.

homerpa said: Adding this: "Banding studies show that each bird tends to return every year to the same place it hatched, even visiting the same feeders." (makes me think that a storm would not take them from their instinctive paths)

In my option I also believe the hummers return every year to the same place they hatched, even visiting the same feeders EXCEPT if there's a large cluster of powerful storms in the distance then they change coarse to find a new source of food. Hummingbirds that come north later will fill in the "hole" where the storms were (maybe past visors also, just Not the past earliest or first visitors).

homerpa said: leads me to the assumption that the birds went through but weren't observed, or feeders weren't out, or a combination of both.

If there where thousands and thousands like normal coming through TN and KY then as least there would be a few observed reports in the "hole". Again, I'm not saying every single hummingbird flew around the "hole" just the majority because of the powerful storms and lack of reports.
I don't think that over a dozen reports missing (all next to each other) is just a coincidence. I don't believe it's human caused like not hanging out feeders (unless most of KY and TN is playing a gigantic trick or having a weird flash mob on the hummers! LOL Which is extremely unlikely. LOL) Again once more, my guess is: Powerful Storms.

I don't think feeders or lack of feeders have any thing to do with it.
The hummers have been flying these routes long before anyone ever thought about putting out a feeder.

Yes exactly, I was going to mention that exact thing, another reason why the lack of hummers in TN and KY and the "hole" is likely by a natural cause (ie. strong storms).

Hummingbirds would come even if there were no feeders.
The reason I mentioned the feeder part is because one would unlikely spot a hummingbird with out a feeder in the spring. And I was saying I don't think that over a dozen reports missing (all next to each other) is just a coincidence of all the reporting people of KY an TN Not hanging a feeder to view them and then report (in other words at least several reporters in TN and KY likely had feeders out and ready to report around the 15th), so it had to be those natural storms that made much of the hummers take other routes and find other sources of food around the storms.

I still have not seen one Hummingbrid and some are all the way up to Canada now.

I've seen one, it didn't go near my feeders. It went to the coral honeysuckle. It was a black chin. I usually only see the ruby around here. This one was not one of my regulars but one just passing through. He did not react to me like my regulars do.

It will be a few more weeks before "my" hummers return.

There's plenty of native plants around and plenty of bugs that they have relied on for millions of years. Our feeders just make it easier for them, they do not replace their own natural resources.

"I'm not saying every single hummingbird flew around the "hole" just the majority because of the powerful storms and lack of report in KY and TN, understand?"

I can understand science and facts, not beliefs, understand?? You put up, IMHO, a preposterous hypothesis, and back it up with your "beliefs".

By the way, that storm in Kentucky must be one bad, lingering storm.. still a big HOLE....