Lilly Endowment 2011 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program

In mid- February, I was notified that my proposal “A Summer of Hummers” was selected for funding by the Lilly Endowment.  GREAT NEWS!  This means a summer of observing and learning about hummingbirds both locally and globally during 2011.  The original plan was to spend the summer following some citizen scientists while they band ruby-throated hummingbirds in the mid-west and to travel to Ecuador to see some of the astounding diversity of hummingbirds (132 species) that exist there.  And of course, to share what I learned with my students and colleagues.

SPRING 2011 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD first-bird reports (USA)
But, I could not wait until summer!  So, my “Summer of Hummers” began in the spring.  In February, I started tracking the progress of the ruby-throated hummingbirds (RTHUs) as they began arriving on the Gulf Coast.  As you can see from the map, the earliest “first-bird” report for 2011 was February 23^rd.   By mid-March, the RTHUs were moving northward but still not into my home state of Indiana.  The first hummingbird of the year for Indiana was documented on March 24^th.  To follow the progress of migration and learn more about the ruby-throated hummingbird you might want to visit: 

http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html