As spring approaches, so too does the chance to see flowers bloom and see wildlife emerge from hibernation or through migration.
For Massachusetts, this specifically pertains to types of hummingbirds, which tend to migrate to the region in the spring. Citizen-reported observations can be logged on Journey North, a website that provides maps detailing where types of hummingbirds have been spotted across North America.
The timeframe in which they should appear in Massachusetts is between May 1 and May 15, AccuWeather stated in a March 11 report. In this timeframe, they should start to appear more across the rest of New England as well, though they could start to be seen as early as between April 15 and April 30 for Connecticut.
The earliest time to put out feeders in anticipation of hummingbirds’ migratory arrival in New England is in the last week of April or the first week of May, according to MassAudobon.
As of the week of March 17 and March 21, the only sightings of ruby-throated hummingbirds on Journey North were across the South, specifically Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
The first sighting in New England in 2024 was on April 17 in Johnston, Rhode Island, according to Journey North. The following week, 16 ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted across Massachusetts, primarily around Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. The earliest sighting furthest from Boston was in Granby on April 23, 2024.
Observational data collected is designed to help further scientific understanding of migratory species, including those that have lost their habitats or are impacted by the effects of climate change.
Data collected on Journey North also shows when robins are first heard singing, when tulips first bloom and when bald eagles are first spotted. This allows visitors a chance to anticipate when the signs of spring begin each year.
Visitors to the site will also find reports tracking the movements and sightings of bald eagles, Baltimore orioles, red-winged blackbirds, barn swallows and earthworms.
See something? Report it by heading over to journeynorth.org/sightings.
