Have you tried just the oil without the spice? Just wondering.

They caution against using anything greasy, as the hummers could get it on their wings and then have trouble getting clean, staying warm and flying. Normally cautioned against Vaseline type stuff, but I would not use oil either.

At my local bird shop they have a little hanging contraption that goes in between the hanger an the feeder hook. It is red, and gets filled in the top with water. The ants can't go over the water ring and you just refill as you clean your feeder. Meg

Hi, seegaye. Glad you finally posted here. Helps to keep the place alive :)

The water-filled ant traps work. You do have to keep them filled. And I've been finding birds-- goldfinches and a red-headed sparrow-- drink from them, so refilling is a necessity. But they work, and no goo to trap hummers.

BTW, hummzingers have a built-in ant trap.

I like the idea of the water trap. Will look into it.

I did try using just the powder at the base of the hook but the ants went around it. The oil mix is mostly the powder with just enough oil to make it spreadable on the metal hook. I don't think it poses a danger to the birds because of where it is applied. I haven't seen them perch on the metal hook and it is not situated where it could drip on the feeder even if it was thick enough to do that. I will be aware of it though - thanks for pointing that out!

I have two hummers that visit - a male ruby throat and what appears to be a female. From what I read, ruby throats are the only ones that visit our area (Central Florida).

I am a slave to these little birds as well as the other birds that visit. :). I have put in many plants and rearranged my garden for optimal viewing - just for them lol! Husband says he had no idea that a little bird could be so time consuming and expensive - but he sits on the porch with me each evening and watches as they come to their garden and to the feeders!

Sounds wonderful to be able to sit there while they visit, seegaye. I'm still scaring them every time I turn up, but I have hopes.

Any pictures of your patio or garden plants you'd like to share? It looks like a perfect setting-- the huge trees, the large expanse of grass beyond, then the woods beyond that. Everything birds of all kinds could want.

seegaye, wonderful picture, thanks for sharing. Your place looks ideal, as mehitabel said. My husband enjoys sitting out in the evening as well, always camera ready, he loves it. We are missing our little guys we haven't seen since the first of June, I hope they return soon. Your ruby throat is so beautiful, we get mostly black chinned hummers here, but when you see that florescent green shining in the sun rise or sunset it is priceless.
Deb

Do I have photos? Yup!! And yes - this place is wonderful for birds and wildlife. I have hummingbirds, woodpeckers (redheaded and pilated), bluebirds and bluejays, wrens, doves, cardinals, crows, hawks, bald eagles, egrets, sandhill cranes, a kingfisher, wild turkey, and others I don't recognize in spite of being a native Floridian. We also have fox. coyotes (which give us no problem although I do watch my pets), deer, raccoons, squirrels - both grey and the larger fox or 'monkey faced'. Snakes - the good ones like blue indigo and rat snakes, and occasionally the bad like water moccasins. Alligators too. I have seen all the above on our land (25 acres) in the 9 years we have been here.

How many photos do you want? Got lots! :)

Mornings on the porch. This is my little Dixie pack - Benny, Joe, and NellieBelle. We bird and squirrel watch each morning and evening.

Male cardinal

Male and female cardinals. This is an older photo. The pair in it showed up frequently and would feed each other seeds. Each year I see cardinals - this year two males have been duking it out for a females attention. I notice the cardinals use the bath much more than other birds. I guess they like being clean :)

Female cardinal

Redheaded woodpecker. We also have the large Pilated woodpeckers. I have seen the later but been unable to get photos. I need to get a real camera with a zoom.

Red tail hawk. We have lots of these! This year we had a nest in one of the trees near our barn. On more than one occasion I saw the parents flying through the air with a snake taking it to the babies (hope it was water moccasins!!). The chicks would raise a ruckus when the parent was approaching. It was a rare treat to see the family of hawks! These birds are creatures of habit (as many are) and frequently sit in the same areas, scanning and hunting. They allow me quite close if I am on horseback. I value the presence of the hawks for varmit control. One evening I heard a Pilated raising a fuss as one was too near his area. There is the drama of life all around us if we take time to see / hear.

Thanks for the delightful pictures, seegaye.

In our other house we had a cardinal feeder, and often saw the male courting the female by feeding her. Also Papa Cardinal brought babies to the feeder to show them how to use it. We also saw Papa Downy Woodpecker showing baby downy to use the suet feeder, and Robin babies following Mama or Papa Robin around in the compost heap looking for worms. The dogs kept the squirrels under control.

So I share your enjoyment of watching birds court, raise babies and come to eat and drink.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. Enjoyed them no end, including the picture of the Dixie pack on the alert. :)

Wren nestlings. On a couple of occasions a momma wren has chosen a hanging basket to raise her young in. It is so interesting to watch as she makes her way to them. She tries to act casual - stopping here and there along the way and looking around to see if any danger is about. Sometimes it is the 'less flashy' birds that are most interesting to watch.

Egrets - we call them cowbirds. This photo was on an interesting bird day. My husband was mowing the fields and the cowbirds had been behind him eating bugs disturbed by the mowing. All of a sudden they came en masse to my dining room window where they tried to perch atop a small jatropha tree. They perched precariously yet seemed undisturbed as they swayed about on stems too small to support the flock.

The jatropha is very popular with butterflies - particularly the zebra wing - as well as hummingbirds. If you can grow this plant, do. Easy and pretty!

In flight.

Hydrangeas under the oaks

My fathers stag-horn fern. I want to make this into a hanging plant but have to find out how. Love the way the light is coming through it.

Pink hydrangea blooms

Yellow rose

Cluster of flowers on our Texas Olive tree (aka White Geiger). This is a hummingbird attracting small tree. It can be very bushy but I limbed mine up to be able to see its form better - plus I had planted if in front if a window and needed to clear the view. It is a great little tree!

Copper plant.

Firecracker begonia. Hummingbirds visit this plant.

Tradewind hibiscus 'Mandarin Wind' and red shrimp plant. The hummingbirds love the red shrimps!

Crickets eye view of mixed bed

Delightful pictures. Thanks so much for sharing.

And last but not least - one if our 'Regulars' at the 'squirrel feeder'. He dangles as he eats. :)

You have a beautiful place, seegaye!! I wish we could get an album like that posted every day. Love the dogs, the term "alert and fearless" comes to mind.

I do have to take issue with the woodpecker ID. Your pic is of a female or juvenile Red-bellied, not Red-headed. The Red-headed woodpeckers don't have the "ladder-back" like yours.

Great pics, post some more!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Red-headed woodpecker

How can you be mad at a squirrel that hangs upside down to steal a bite?

I just loved every one of these pictures, seegaye, but I think Fearless Fosdick is my favorite. And the tiny wrens. The firecracker begonia is simply beautiful with those long strands drifting.

Thank you so much for sharing with us! Please post more when you have time and incliation.

Glad you have enjoyed and thank you for the help on the proper identity of the woodpecker! I am no expert on birds, plants, and nature - just an admirer and open to learning.

We are very blessed, indeed, to live here. It works us hard - the land and the barn - but it is who we are / what we love.

Last night my husband and I sat on the porch and watched the hawks as they sat like sentries on the perimeter fence of our yard. There were three of them and they were talking up a storm! In the past we have only seen two at that time / location so perhaps the third was one of the chicks now out and about. I was struck by the magnificence they displayed.

Will post a few flower photos I took this morning...

Torenia (I think). Have seen the hummingbird at this plant.

Gazanzia. These colorful little flowers remind me of my father. I first saw them in his garden. He was a master at raising plants from seed and creating a riveting and artfully designed yard. I miss him.

More gazanzias

Blanket flowers AKA gallardias. I have them planted a distance from my window in front of red knockout roses and can appreciate the vibrant colors even from afar.

Nothing like a cool pile of dirt for an impromptu nap when hard at work in the garden. I haven't tried this, but it looks inviting. :)

I enjoyed looking through your garden photos. Thank you for sharing them. You even included my favorite begonia. :) The squirrel is cute (because it is not in my garden, eating my birdseed!). The hawk with the attitude expression is actually a red shouldered hawk. Such nice colors. And I loved the composition of your cattle egret photo. Nice capture! The fern looks great in that unusual container, too--really made for each other!

Glad the photos are being enjoyed :). I have the camera phone with me all the time so often take pictures and videos.

The begonia is wonderful isn't it? So dramatic with its orange tendrils! It looks a bit weary right now - I don't think it likes the rains we have had. I don't know much about its needs - am hopeful it will perk up again.

We have resigned ourselves to the squirrels eating a lot of seed and actually enjoy watching them as we do the birds. They make a few squirrel proof feeders but I am not sure how good they work.

Thank you for the ID on the hawk! I will be looking up info on them and the woodpecker now that I know what they really are.

The cowbirds were surreal that day! I did not capture it, but there were about five of them trying to share that little tree! It was so funny and so interesting since they were just inches away from the window!

I, too, sort of like that old container with the fern. Isn't it lovely the way the backlighting make the fronds look like flames? I have it in my head to make a hanging container of some sort for the fern, but am in no hurry. It has a charm about it as is.

I attached a photo I took yesterday at dusk. It was an evening of soft breezes and steady, gentle rains and the male hummingbird was making his final rounds before settling in for the night. Unfortunately I was too far away to get a great shot, but if you look closely you will see him perched on the feeder edge sipping happily!

Dusk :)

Seegaye, love the misty look in your two dusk photos, especially the one with the longer view. Evocative.

Thanks again for sharing all these wonderful photos.