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Hummingbird Garden

Hummer migration video!

12 years ago

I was very fortunate this past summer having the most hummers ever in my yard. There were many days I had between 30-40 hummers during august. This quote is not only from me but others who have visited my yard.

Here is a link that might be useful: hummer migration

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Comments (5)

ladyrose65
12 years ago
Wow! That was impressive! Seeing a hummingbird never ceases to impress me. Great vid!
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hummersteve
Original Author
12 years ago
ladyrose65

Thanks yes I sometimes look at it just to remember what they sound like and did I really have that many and the vid verifies it. It is fun.

Steve
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Comments (8)
Claire, I'm in the same situation as you. Last August, our trumpet vine finally began to flower, after years of only putting out foliage. The site is half shade, so the vine never really put out that many flowers, but it was enough to attract a female, and some juvenile males. After buying a commercial feeder that didn't work, I immediately improvised a feeder from a small sample whiskey bottle, put a red cork in it, and improvised a red flower with non-toxic (so the package says!) artist's sculpey clay. I hung it at an angle, and I must say it works much better than the attractive, but poorly designed commercial feeder that I bought. Anyway, we had at least 4 birds, and then they all left for the voyage south, some time in late September. I wish I could offer you some positive encouragement. I'm following the same path as you. I have some pots of Dianthus chinensis outside, plus snapdragons, and, of course, the feeder. There is an apple tree in the back yard in full bloom, and I understand that hummingbirds are attracted to them. I even dissected one of the Dianthus flowers, and touched my tongue to the liquid inside. Noticeably sweet, even to my big, clumsy tongue! I'm less sure about the snapdragons because I couldn't find any nectar inside when I carefully tore one open. It won't be long before the native columbines will be blooming. Anyway, I'm getting discouraged. The map shows them all around us, but no sign of any yet. I keep the feeder clean, and replenished, but nothing. I did read on the hummingbird map website that the first sighting dots on the map are just that--FIRST sightings. There is quite a bit of variability in hummingbird migration, and it's possible for some breeding birds to arrive weeks later than the first arrivals--just slowpokes, I guess. The males come before the females, but there is still a lot of variability between different individual birds. I try to take heart in that, reminding myself that it's still fairly early for hummers here in western Pennsylvania. You're right, Jenny, waiting IS hard! I keep fretting that maybe the few young birds I had just didn't make it through migration, and won't be returning at all. Then again, nature is fruitful, and there should be other birds to scout out my place. With more flowers than ever before, maybe they'll be showing up any day now. SIGH.
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Comments (10)
We still have hummers hanging around here in the midwest. We aren't experiencing the same problems with drought as our neighbors in the SouthWest, but I plan keep my feeders out as long as I see birds. Same with fresh water. A link that might be useful: http://www.wildbirdhabitatstore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=237:special-report-drought-birds&catid=2&Itemid=195
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Comments (7)
alii--- It has been down to 42Â° here a couple of mornings and the birds are still here. Hummers can go into a condition called torpor in which you might think they are dead, but this condition helps to protect them at night and then it takes them a while to come out of this and then they are fine. Also when you first go outside they may fly away but if you go ahead and sit down and be perfectly still , they will come back and you can sit out there and watch them. They may even fly up into your face about 10inches away and stare at you , do not be alarmed, stare em down. They will go on with their activity. They do this to me and Im out there every morning drinking my coffee with them. After a time I think they get used to you being there. I happen to have a hummer friendly flowerbed right under the window has three winow feeders hanging from it. I sit just off to the side of the flower bed, actually with one of the plants very near me and the hummers will actually flutter between my legs in getting their nectar from the plants.
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I agree Vicki we need to educate as many people as we can. I am always telling people to keep their feeders in the shade. I hate to see them hanging in the blazing sun when it's 90 in the shade. I sure wouldn't drink sugar water that hung in the sun for several days, YUK. I have wrote articles for our subdivision newsletter. Every year I stress the point of NOT putting red food coloring in the feeders and I still see it all the time. I stress the fact that they need to be clean and kept in the shade and use the 4-1 ratio. I tell people the premixed stuff is full of chemicals, not to mention the garbage in red dye. I worry so much about these little guys but I can only care for the ones in my yard and try to "educate" as many people as I can. We have a friend in another state, everytime we visit, her feeders are in the sun. I don't know how many times I have asked her to please keep them in the shade. I asked if she would drink that stuff after it hung in the sun all day for several days. Does it do any good?! NO .... they are still hung in the sun every year. I just don't understand. Makes a person want to pull out their hair..LOL!
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christy2828
12 years ago
Hummersteve, where did you get that three tier feeder? Is it three glued together? I love the video, I've always been jealous of your hummers. We started on GW around the same time, and I got hummers then but not many, I was in Maryland. Then I moved to Miami and had them for 2 years in the winter, for about 5 months of the year. Here in NC, I get a lot!!!! I've seen as many as 8 at a time, and anticipate more this year. I didn't get here until July and my feeders went out in August. I have a feeder set at my most viewable windows and see them all day long!! Until they left, that is :) There are no flowers at all around this house, but I put in quite a few and they should start getting going I hope this summer. Can't wait :) Christy
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hummersteve
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi Christy
Its nice to hear from you again. You do move around dont you, just kidding.

The three-tier feeder is made by first nature and you can find them at lowes. I first saw them last year in march at lowes for $12 but now are down to $9.98. I grabbed a set for the novelty of it. They are not glued together but fit together if you want to use them that way or as a double or singly. They have a different kind of port though as they are slotted rather than round. I didnt even hang mine till it was time for migration in late july, didnt really see the need. Some people have said the feeders created quite a bee problem for them but I didnt experience that here. As you can see from the vid the hummers flocked to the triple feeder with as many as 9-10 on the setup at a time. Im loading a couple of shots of the feeder so you can get a better idea.

here you can see where the feeders can interlock together if you choose to use them that way they each have a small ant well if you use them individual.

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here you can see the slits for ports as I mentioned

{{gwi:974619}}
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christy2828
12 years ago
Ah, nice!!! We actually have a Lowe's here in our small town and they are just getting the bird stuff in now. Yes, we do move a lot :) My husband is in the Coast Guard and that is just the way life is!!! It's nice to finally be somewhere with an abundance of hummingbirds, I really enjoy them :) Thanks for sharing that feeder with me!!! Lol, I do have 7 of them, but there is always room for one more, right? Christy :)
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