I was always told that in Florida they like the plants best and won't come to a feeder UNLESS you also have their favorite plants.But I don't think the hummers have all read that tidbit!I,however am too lazy to clean a feeder out every three days so they will have to use my plants.
I did see one in my yard two days ago but it hummed on past my honeysuckle,firespike and other goodies.Perhaps a predator was nearby. Or it was on its way to your yard!
Have you seen them at your feeder before? On the Hummer forum they said to keep a feeder handy in case a hurricane destroys the plants.

Goldenpond, I have fed hummers for years, though here in central Florida, we have them in the spring & summer and not fall and winter. I have had gardens where I had only a few hummer plants, and they fed at my feeder all the time. When I let the plants die back, they still came to the feeder.

I don't think it's that they won't feed at a feeder without hummingbird plants as much as they won't be as likely to FIND the feeder without the other flowers. They are attracted to masses of good blooms, and that is what draws them IN. Then they find the feeder, too, and will happily take nectar from both plants and feeders. I've watched them go back and forth from blossoms to feeders many times.

I wish more folks knew how easy it is to plant things to attract them, and how often they will visit, once they have found your garden and your feeder.

Good luck, vireyafl. Enjoy your winter hummers! I'm going to leave my feeders out all winter this year, I think. I'm reading that they are overlapping their time in central Florida these days. Arriving earlier and staying later. Will let you know if I get any wintering ones. So far, none have been around for the last few weeks. (They are all in YOUR yard now!)

Marcia

Hummers come here allot. Of all the plants they seem to like
the Bottlebrush flowers the best. So I have been planting more of them. They get so stuff that I often see them still on a branch.
Felix

I'm making sugar water as I type this! I cleaned the feeders several weeks ago. I had lots in NH, so I hope I can attract them here. Here hummer here hummer...!

Hi Goldenpond,
I used-to believe the myth that they don't use feeders here as well, but it is not true. In my experience it is as Manature says, they use both the plants and the feeders. I am sure Manature is also correct in that they need your garden full of brightly colored flowers in order to find your garden and then also find the feeders.

In my garden they love red fire-spike and I have planted lots of it where I can see it easily and it has been in bloom for quite a few weeks. They also like coral porterweed, cape honeysuckle, costus woosonii, bottlebrush, shrimp plant, chinese hat plant, russellia and both the large and small turk's cap.

I've been planting hummer plants - but they haven't 'discovered us'... I did read of someone who painted red flowers on her roof and hung red scarves in the bushes. I'm considering buying a raft of red material and making red pants and shirts so that when I garden they'll think they've hit a bonanza and come visit me! lol

When my parents were on a birding/camping trip in Texas, they stayed at a campground where hummers of several species were a constant source of entertainment. There were clotheslines hung with lots and lots of feeders, and dozens of the birds would work their way up and down them. You could sit with baby food jars of sugar water held out and they would drink out of your handheld container. My father had a baseball cap with a red bill, and the hummers were always trying to drink from his cap.

Wouldn't you love to see them like that?

Marcia

Well, my ONE hummer has disappeared -- and this is about the time of the year that I stop seeing her on a regular basis. I'm hoping for one last peek at her before October...but not so far.

My hummer has never once come to the feeder. She seems to prefer the plants - I have tons of cape honeysuckle. I planted several new hummer plants this year in hoping to entice more or to at least keep my one around for a longer time.

I'm afraid that when she dies, I won't have any more come to visit. This has been the same female hummer visiting my yard for several years. I say that as it is always 'just the one' and it is always a female. So it leads me to think it's the same lone-femal hummer.

I'm thinking we may be in for an extra cold winter this year. If you believe all the Old Farmer's Almanac stuff (which I do...) then you pay attention to the signs of nature. I'm seeing a lot more acorns on the ground early this year. And, if the hummers have flown south already (actually a few weeks early...), that is another sign.

hi
Noted on your member page that you grow Vireyas. What kinds and where do you get starts?? gary

Saintpfla, your hummer hasn't left early for your Zone. Normally Zone 9 hummers are gone anywhere from late August to mid-September. I'd say she's right on target, actually, and if she stayed later in the past, that was an anomaly.

One thing you might not realize is that young male hummers look pretty much just like females. Sometimes you will see the young ones from a nearby nest taking turns with the mother bird, so it is possible that you've had more than one visitor. I'm surprised you haven't seen the adult male, though.

Also, don't forget that you just might not have caught her using the feeder. She might go there once in awhile when you aren't looking. They feed until quite late in the evening and they start VERY early in the morning. But I'm sure she loves your plants. The more hummer plants, the better.

One question...do you have your feeder located in the middle of or close by your plants? That's the best way to get them to try it out. Once they are using it as a regular stop, you can start moving it away from the plants and closer to a seating or viewing area. They will follow it, if they have already been using it. In other words, when they swoop through the garden, making stops at the flowers, it will get added to their stopping places.

Hope next year your get to see more than one, and that you have at least one adult male show up. They are breathtaking when the sun hits that ruby-throat.

Good luck!
Marcia

Hi Gary,

Unfortunately I don't have any vireyas at the moment, but I did grow them when we lived in Miami. Unfortunately I gave them away when we moved, but I do plan on growing them again as soon as I get some sort of a shade house where I can give them some winter protection as I am not too sure about the cold snaps we get here - although if coconut palms grow you are supposed to be able to grow vireyas.

When I grew them I had all hybrids except for a macgregoriae, as I think they are much easier in all this heat than the species and of course I stuck to low altitude crosses. I bought all my plants by mail-order from Bovees in Portland, Oregon. Very good quality plants and service etc. Another good source is Pacific Island Nursery in Hawaii - I have not bought from them, but a friend has and again excellent plants and service and prices not bad.

I just love the flowers and the colors and really want to try some leucogigas hybrids as this flower is so big and beautiful. Although it is a high altitude plant I am hoping that when hybridized with something low altitude, the progeny might be more heat tolerant.

Do you have any? I am really looking forward to getting some more and trying Pacific Island Nursery, although Bovees have some on sale at various times of the year. Pacific Island Nursery is also the seed bank for vireyas, so you can buy seed from them very cheaply. I grew some from seed once with no problems. I had them covered with glad rap to create a mini green-house in bright light but not direct sun. I forgot that the sun had moved lower in the sky and ended up cooking all my little seedlings.

Hold on a minute!
My CH isn't bloomimg yet!
Wassup wif dat?

I thought I saw a hummer yesterday morning around 7:30 flying around my front yard, but I wouldn't swear to it.
Other than this questionable siting, I've never seen them here...at least in my yard. *sniff

Thanks for the "heads-up" I am looking forward to the return of my little "hummer"
Kat

Hi
Have been unable to locate Vireya anywhere in Fla. i went with seed from the Hawaii society supposedly of types adapted to heat. Got good germination but lost them for several reasons. I thought maybe you knew of a local source??. I'm also in PB county. Thanks for the info gary

Hi, I saw my first hummingbird last night, as evening was falling, 10/23/07!!! At first I thought it was a green dragonfly or a finch, but, wow, was I surprised and excited!!!! I have lived in fl for 20 years, am originally from MA, (I saw one up there when I was a kid)and have recently started a small butterfly garden. The hummer was on my neighbor's red bottlebrush, was also checking out my firecracker bushes!! I had recently thrown my feeder away, as it was too dirty, and never thought I'd ever see something so wonderful!!! It figres, now I have to go get another one. I was wondering if you think he/she may stay awhile here or they all going down to your? My husband and I really want to attract more of them and would appreciate any help

Maryfbex, the status on where hummers are heading these days is changing slightly from 20 years ago. Used to be fairly clear cut...they summered in north and central Florida and wintered in south Florida and Central America. These days, the lines are blurring a bit, with some cross over activity where the different zones meet.

The chances are still pretty good that your Zone 9 hummers are heading to Zone 10 this time of year. BUT, a lot of experts are telling us to keep our feeders out all year, because there are some who stay over the winter in Zone 9, too. I've never seen one here in the winter, but I'm still trying to be prepared, in case I have one that decides to stay. They are saying this winter will be a warm one, so that could mean they won't need to migrate as far south.

I say, get your feeder, and keep it filled with clean sugar water. (Make it yourself...don't buy the red stuff which is thought to be bad for them.) Keep lots of hummingbird plants in your garden, and be on the lookout.

Btw, they do love bottlebrush and powderpuff trees, and often nest in them in the spring or early summer.

Good luck!

Marcia

I need to make more sugar water. I got this beautiful new hummer feeder last month and it needs refilled and cleaned. Although I have only had 1 hummer here-just shortly after we moved in, I am determined to attract more.

We got ours the last week of September. they love the Pagoda Clerodundrum and the sanchezia.

I never see them use the feeder. So I don`t bother with it anymore.

They are like kids at the playground. Chattering and picking on each other. ( flirting ) Fun to watch :)

I spotted one in my backyard yesterday! It is my second siting. The first time was Oct 7. Maybe it has been here all along? Just tickled to see it! I don't use the feeders, just firebush, firespike, coral and cape honeysuckle, pentas, salvia, porterweed, bottlebrush, and a host of others!
Kat