I appreciate your hard work, but I think an "average" date would be misleading to people who are new to hummingbirds. These people don't understand that hummers don't migrate en mass - there can be months between birds heading north AS the data you've accumulated shows (62 days! WOW!). Furthermore, the dates for the FIRST hummers is important for atleast two reasons. 1. Early in the season there may not be as many natural food sources and a feeder out early enough may mean life or death for an early hummer. The first dates are a great wake-up call, as in "Really, they've been sighted nearby - I need to get my feeder out" 2. People who are trying to attract hummers to their yards probably don't want to wait until the migration season is half over to put out their feeder. They want EVERY bird who comes by to discover it, remember it and return. The earlier your feeder goes out the more migrating birds that can use it - the more fun we have watching! I hope this doesn't sound like I'm criticizing your work. I understand your frustration, seeing that hummers are in your area but not seeing them. Maybe Lanny could put a disclaimer on his actual map page noting that hummers migrate individually and it may take months for migrating birds to pass through an area. Remember even his map doesn't neccessarily show the first hummers - just the ones humans spotted and reported. Thank you for your hard work - it's a great chart!

I'm in Massachusetts and the Junco's have been in my yard since the second week of October, which is a bit early. They usually don't show up until November. The other day, I counted over 20 of them on the ground picking up seeds that either fell out of the birdfeeder or I scattered around. They'll be around now until the middle or end of April. Funny, there are usually some white throated Sparrows that accompany them but I haven't seen any yet. My feeders are loaded with Tufted Tit Mice, one of my favorites, along with Chickadees. Linda

I should set one up over Roseraie de l'hay they annihilate her. Steadily increasing population here You just have to hate it. The season is short enough in the north. grrrr

rvird01, I almost adopted a flying squirrel from a friend who breeds them. I hand-raised a grey squirrel once. So sweet. Irma, mockingbirds are my favorite birds by far. There are so many more exotic, but mockers have the best songs and are so intelligent. I had one at my old house who would wake me up singing every morning, or he'd peck on the TV antenna on the house next door right outside my bedroom until I came out and fed him. I grew an elderberry just for the birds, and he used to sit there eating and singing for hours. SMC, you probaby did see one. They are in abundance down here in the winter. My cardinal couple is back too. Saw them yesterday. I want to put up a feeder, but there are so many squirrels and the feral cats are bad too, so I'm just going to plant things that feed them.