skip to main content

Hummingbird Garden

need Central Fla. hummer advise

13 years ago

Hello, I still have a large lone female at my feeder, all others are long gone. Never had a hummer this late so I really do not know what to do......could she be wintering with us? She does not look like the RT's we enjoyed this summer. I will leave my feeder up and clean if I need to. Any advise welcome and needed. Thanks to all.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

bluehummer
13 years ago
I left my feeder up late this year due to advice from a newspaper article and I've had an immature male RT since 11/5 and I live in Frederick County,MD. I'm going to keep the feeder up indefinitely and hopefully he'll leave when he's put on enough weight since it will be getting pretty cold soon. Hummingbird experts say keeping a feeder up will not make them stay, they will leave when they're ready, I'm just surprised at the hummers that aren't ready for warmer temperatures! Maybe "Junior" will come visit your feeder when he leaves here!
opaleyes
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks bluehummer, I will keep the feeder up and clean. We are having temps in the high 30's at night, that has caused some concern. Will keep a eye out for your "Junior". Thanks for your responce.
Related Discussions
Excellent, easy to understand article--Bird Flu
Q
Comments (1)
I can add a little to this - not about the spread - but about how H5N1 works. H5 proteins attach to lung cells. N1 proteins destroy the cells to which they are attached. That's why so many people are so sick. This virus attacks and destroys lung cells. That's why WHO, the CDC, and others are so worried about this virus mutating to human-to-human transmission. The only other tidbit I can add is that in response to the virus being in flocks in Turkey, Europe is now requiring farmers to cage free-range chickens to cut down contact with wild birds. Don't know if this information helps anyone or not. Good luck. I hope all your flocks stay healthy.
...See More
FL citrus industry battles potent foe: a disease with no cure
Q
Comments (16)
Arrktrees, just like all apples are Malus domestica, all bananas are the same Musa species. (Not including one edible species grown only in the South Pacific). Just like you can have Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Rome apples, you have small pink bananas, big white ones and plantains all from basically the same genome. In my parent's day, the variety was called Gros Michele, "Big Mike". The last load was imported into the U.S. in 1962, but the dying of bananas had been on-going and had inspired the song "Yes, we have no bananas". Since then, almost all dessert bananas are Cavendish. The reason is a disease that wiped out almost all Gros Michele. The reason for the quintessentially British name Cavendish is that when looking for a banana tree that was immune to the fungal disease, one was found in the greenhouses of Lord Cavendish. This single clone is that basis for the whole dessert banana trade. Now, there is a new threat, another fungus. The industry has already moved from countries like Honduras to Ecuador, the new #1 source of bananas to the US. The fungus has infected trees in South China, and recently was found in Queensland, Australia. When it comes to the New World, you will read it in the mainstream media. While you and I may think of bananas as an accessory to breakfast, places like Uganda and that region use bananas like we do potatoes, wheat and rice. This variety, a plantain type, is also killed by the new fungus. When it ravages East Africa, you can imagine what will happen when it hits there, imagine taking everything with rice, wheat or potato off your menu. Anyways, there is a process going on to try to find a resistant banana. Every banana is an ancient seedless (natural?) hybrid. However, have you ever noticed small brown specks at the blossom end of a banana? Those are vestigial seeds. For every about 100 thousand bananas, one will have seeds that can be made to grow. For every 1000 ones that grow, one will make it to maturity. For this reason, the Country of Honduras has a project where bananas are mashed through a sieve to recover those 'seeds'. They are sent to the U. of Louvain in Belgium where they do the growing. As they get plants, they multiply them and give them to people in India, Africa, South America etc. It is hoped on of these will show resistance to the new fungus. I'll stop this long post, there is so much more to say. For more info, look for info on Tropical Race Four.
...See More
Can u give a Hummer too much sugar??
Q
Comments (59)
A note about sugar ratio and percent: To say a 1:4 sugar:water mix is 20% sugar is incorrect; the sugar is in dry, granulated form and the water is (obviously) liquid. The sugar industry expresses sugar concentration as percent sugar by weight (mass for you scientists) also known as Brix; where one Brix is equivalent to 1 gram sugar dissolved in a 100 gram sugar solution. This is the number a sugar refractometer will give you. A cup of sugar weighs 200 grams. A cup of water weighs 237 grams. A 1:4 sugar mix is 200 grams sugar + 948 grams water = 1148 grams total. Percent sugar by weight or Brix is: 200g / 1148g x 100 = 17% (rounded to the nearest percent). You 1:4 purists are only offering half the sugar concentration found in natural nectar preferred by Hummers! So, get over it already... By the same method: A 1:3 sugar mix is 200g / 911g x 100 = 22% by weight A 1:2 sugar mix is 200g / 674g x 100 = 30% by weight A 1:1 sugar mix is 200g / 437g x 100 = 46% by weight Benjamin F Tucker was among the first to mass-feed hummers in the 1930s and '40s. He used laboratory glassware to make his feeders (no Perky-Pet or Droll Yankees back then). His work was described in the December 1946 Popular Mechanics article: "Hummingbird Cafeteria". The lead photo shows 22 of his 'beaker feeders' lined up on wood shelves. A quote from page 125: "If you supply artificial nectar - half water and half sugar - he'll stay long after blooming time." Sounds like a 1:1 sugar mix to me - 46 Brix - and I don't believe he poisoned a single hummer... (PM December 1946 may be found on-line - I'll let you figure that out for yourself...) - waw -
...See More
Help with A/C furnace replacement-NorthCentral FLA
Q
Comments (7)
The price of propane is rising, isn't it? In this case, I'd consider heat pumps that will switch over to propane when the temperature is low enough to warrant the use of propane over the efficient heat pumps (around 35-40* or so). Few matchups will get near the 19-20 SEER range. You need the sizes and full model numbers of the equipment being quoted to know for sure. Trane, Carrier and Bryant all make fine products. If going with Carrier, ask for a tin-plated copper coil (heard of leaking problems with Carrier's *ACA standard copper coils--I guess all mfg's have leak problems). The Infinity/Evolution is a nice system. I personally favor Trane over Carrier--I think Trane's quality is hard to beat, but that's just my opinion. I do wish the XL19i was available in R410A, but that will be a little later. Is your electricity particularly expensive? Going with the top-of-the-line SEER/units may not have a great payback. 20 years old? They've done their time. As far as duct noise goes, if your ductwork is sized correctly, then you should be fine. However, the variable-speed blowers maintain proper CFM and will overcome slightly deficient ductwork systems. If the ductwork system is undersized/deficient, it will be louder as it attempts to maintain proper CFM (versus the PSC blowers where if the ductwork was poor it wouldn't vary its speed to maintain airflow). If it's quiet now, I don't think it will be a problem--I'm just pointing this out about variable-speed blowers. Once you get a few quotes, post back with the info and we can advise.
...See More
bluehummer
13 years ago
You're welcome. I saw "Junior" this morning around 7:00 when it was about 35 degrees out. I saw advice on different websites on how to keep the sugar/water from freezing and I'm following two of them. I increased the sugar/water ratio to 1:3 and I put bubble wrap around the feeder with duct tape. Just passing this along in case you want to try it. I don't bring the feeder in at night because I also read that sometimes the hummers will feed even a couple of hours before sunrise when they need it the most.
Tom
13 years ago
Hey, Bluehummer. I live in Clermont, just west of Orlando and I still have one or two females hanging around. Last year I had them until the freezes. Depending upon where you are there are hummers that winter in Florida--Ruby-throateds that is. There will be some Rufous coming down soon also.

Most of the Ruby-throateds that winter here go further south of me. They were reported in the Miami area a few weeks back. The ones that migrate to Mexico and Central America have just about all left. If you have one now, and it's a Ruby-throated, it's almost for sure going to overwinter here in Florida, but not necessarily in your garden. They move around.

Keep your feeder clean and full. You will probably be seeing her or another one again.

Tom
bluehummer
13 years ago
Well, as much as I love to see a hummingbird in November, I don't think it would be good for "Junior" to remain here in MD all winter. I read that Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are not as cold-weather hardy as Rufous hummers. I saw him about a half-dozen times today and at one point he flew right in front of my face at eye level and that ruby red throat was just dazzling!
mboston_gw
13 years ago
I still have the female(I think its a she) and the adult male hanging around. The female is now coming to the feeder throughout the day even though I still have plenty of flowers. I see the male less but then I don't sit by the area like I do here where I see the female. She stays in the Crepe Mrytle tree when not feeding. We will have trouble if Hummie, the male, show up for the winter. He doesn't like to share.
mboston_gw
13 years ago
Just dropping in to say that today I had an immature male Rufous come to my feeder Have an adult male ruby as well, who has been here a while. Only caught sight of the Rufous once but got it ID from a picture I sent Fred Basset. It's cold here tonight, supposed to be around 23 in the morning. Hopeing the hummers found a warm place to spend the night. I will be puttinf the feeders back out early tomorrow morning for them.
bluehummer
13 years ago
The hummer that I had turned out to be a hatch year male Anna's. It was banded on 12/9 after being in the yard since 11/5 and a few hours later it took off and haven't seen him since. I thought it was an immature male ruby throat. So, maybe one of you may see him at your feeder. If you look closely you'll see a tiny band on his right leg, you may need to use binoculars. I would love to know that he's okay.
mboston_gw
13 years ago
Where are you located, Bluehummer?
bluehummer
13 years ago
I live in Frederick County, MD
mboston_gw
13 years ago
Are Anna's common there? We had a guy here in Lakeland, FL that had an Allen's Hummingbird a couple winters ago. It is very rare to see one here. They thought that it was probably blown off course by a storm that had come through. It spent most of the winter in his yard.
bluehummer
13 years ago
No, they are very rare here. As a matter of fact it's only the second one ever to be seen here. The thought is that the ones that were just hatched this year are trying to figure out how to migrate and some of them wander way off course and end up in the east. They stay primarily up and down the CA coastline as well as AZ.
Tom
13 years ago
Mary, it's very cool that you have seen a Rufous. It gives me hope. I still only have one female ruby-throated--or at least only one that I have seen.

How did your plants come out after the freeze, Mary? I saw Sulfurs, Monarchs, Fritilaries and an American Painted Lady. Also some small ones. I'm going to need to go out and buy some nectar plants!
mboston_gw
13 years ago
Tom, the garden isn't looking too good. Even though I covered my Pipevine, the leaves appear to be burnt to a crisp. Down lower I do see some green leaves and I am hoping the roots were protected enough. I didn't lose any last year but I also had more mulch around the bases than this year. My tall red pentas are goners again. I brought in some of my Salvias since the hummers do use them. Cape Honeysuckle looks damaged but not dead - yet.

I may have 1 or 2 male Rubies - the other morning I was seeing one about every 8 minutes. Makes me think its more than one. The Rufous was here today. If you go to Florida Gardening Forum I posted some pics from Tues. morning. Various birds that came to feed and there is a pic of the Rufous. The posting title is Busy Morning in My Yard. Did you get my email that I forwarded from Doreen?
Tom
13 years ago
I did get your email, Mary. I don't know if I have enough hummers to warrant a visit, though.

I had two today. Went out and bought a bunch of plants and repotted them for the butterflies and hummingbirds.

My Cape Honeysuckle made it through the freezes and it is now the favorite of the hummers. I have it growing up a Crepe Myrtle.
mboston_gw
13 years ago
I now have two Rufous - the immature male and a female - I am hoping it is the female from last year. Haven't been able to get a good enough picture of the right leg. Also seeing a male adult on occasion and another bird, which I am hoping is a returnee from last year as well.

Fred came to my house for 1 bird last year so 2 may be worth a stop if its not too far out of her way. You never know, wouldn't hurt to let her know.

Hope you have a happy holiday and stay warm - looks like we are in for more cold weather on Monday. GRRRR...

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDES Welcome the Turning Season: Advice for Your September Garden

By Annie Thornton

Roll with the cooler weather by planting away. Our gardening guides tell you what plant picks are best for each U.S. region

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Russelia Equisetiformis

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Cascading foliage mimics the appearance of water, while brightly colored flowers add color from spring through fall

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

Do you see what I see?

1

Can I entice Hummingbird to feeder located outside 2nd floor window

1