Misc Hummingbirds...

[VesperSparrow]

Does anybody have an experience on these birds?
I find them fascinating and finally this year I have seen several in my feeder. There was one with a red throat and then another with a yellow throat and a pale greenish one and one more that kinda seemed plain-janeyish....they've been out in the morning and afternoon and evening...


but it seems like the last 2 days I haven't seen ANY of them... where did they go?
Do they come back?
For how long?
Do they like the shade or the sun?
what do they sound like or do they even whistle (or hum )
I made some sugar water for them with the basic red feeder BTW.


I've been online to a couple of sites that talk about them but I'd rather talk with yall about them as its more personable and I can get better answers.


Pensacola, Fl. BTW.


TIA

 

[Publius]

They may be just passing threw as they are migratory birds, but are known to stick around if food is abundant and they will fight over the feeder.
We have some that come around every year and work our feeders and they have no fear of people. They say not to feed them as fall approaches so they will migrate south like they are supposed to.

 

[coloradohermit]

We get two kinds here in the CO mountains, ruby throated and rufus. The ruby throated, obviously has the ruby throat and vibrant green color. The females don't have the red throat and are a bit dowdy. The rufus males have bright flaming orange throats with orange/brown coloring. Again, the females are a bit dowdy.

There is usually an advanced scout that arrives here between May 1 and Mothers day. More trickle in continually after that. Some are just passing thru on their way somewhere else, but we have a prtty large batch who're here all summer. The ones born here seem to come back year after year.

A few weeks after their arrival the numbers thin out for a while, which I'm guessing has to do with the females nesting.
Ours start leaving the last week of August thru 1 September and are totally gone by the end of the first week of september.

Don't buy the red colored food for them. They don't need the dye. I just use sugar. Early on, while they're recovering from migration and there's no flowers out yet, I mix it up pretty stout - 1 c boiled water with a heaping 1/2 c sugar. As summer progresses I gradually reduce the sugar to about 1/4 c sugar to 1 c water.

I am so looking forward to their arrival. I love the noise they make and when they leave it takes some time to get used to the quiet again.

 

[Publius]

For anyone new to feeding these little wonders try putting a feeder close to where you like to sit in your back yard like two feet away and they will come right in and feed or lit on that feeder and pay you no mind and you can get the close up look you never thought posable. Do understand they are territorial and one will claim all the feeders in your back yard and chase the other Hummingbirds off and its part of the entertainment, but be aware they will come zooming by you and sometimes really close and they know what they're doing and will not fly into you.

 

[ericha]

I have had some great humming bird experiences this past year or two. While I have seen them check out whatever blossoms that are available, I have had good results with scarlet runner beans. They have big blossoms throughout the summer. I have been able to crouch near the plants and wait for a bird to show up. You can then get some great pictures up close. There were alot this last year because the neighbors had a feeder in their back yard. One thing to beware of is that a humming bird can fly into your garage and not be able to get out. Their tiny little brain tells them that the appropiate response to all threats is to fly up. which does not work if the exit is down low. Trying to shoo them out with a broom does not work with a bird that is so fast. Unfortunatly, that fast metabilism means they will die fast. I've found two dead humming birds in my garage.

 

[packyderms_wife]

They may be just passing threw as they are migratory birds, but are known to stick around if food is abundant and they will fight over the feeder.
We have some that come around every year and work our feeders and they have no fear of people. They say not to feed them as fall approaches so they will migrate south like they are supposed to.

Yup, we stop feeding ours the end of August, tis what the bird and garden peeps recommend, I also stop providing water at the end of August, forces the birds to migrate for wetter, greener areas of the country.

 

[bluetick]

I held one in my hands once! It was in an old book store in NY located out on a country road. The owner left the back door open to let in fresh air and a hummingbird flew in. I found it beating itself on a window, trying to get out. After a few careful attempts, I was able to grasp it as it took a breather on the sill. It weighed nothing and I had to open my hands a little to see if I had really caught it! I carried it to the back door and let it go.

It was an unforgetable experience to have that tiny gem in my hands for a moment.

 

[coloradohermit]

I just put out 2 feeders with a little bit of sugar water in each to be ready when the first hb arrives any time now. Here's one of my favorite all time pics from several years ago.

 

[big kumara]

We had a hummingbird overwinter in one of the greenhouses at work a couple of years ago.

 

[Namsgrls]

I just hung my feeder out yesterday as we had been out of town for the past week. Lo and behold, today I saw not one, but two of them. Usually when they first show up, it will be very fleeting, but this seems to be different. The male is already guarding the feeder and the squabbling has already started.

They seem to disappear in the beginning, but it's because the females are nesting. They will be back en masse in a few weeks. They have no fear of humans. We keep our feeder on our deck, and can get within a few inches of them without them caring. I look forward to this every spring, as it's a sign that winter is finally over.

Shade or sun, it doesn't matter. As to what sounds they make...they will chirp like crazy when they are feeding and fighting. They also will make a sound much like a bottle rocket when they are zooming around. They are fascinating, and if you have small children around, they will love watching them.

And whatever you do, don't use the red dye as it can cause tumors in them. They don't care if it's red, green or blue. The feeder is red, so the clear sugar water is all that is needed. As for feeding them in the fall....I have always heard to leave the feeder up for two weeks after seeing the last one....just in case there is a straggler in need of some energy on it's trip south. That's what I have always done. Their voyage is triggered by the sun, or the length of the days....not by the date on the calendar.

Enjoy them while you can, because before you know it they will be gone. Btw if interested, a good site is www.hummingbirds.net.

 

[Wise Owl]

I suspect that your hummers were migrating thru. I put my feeder out yesterday and had a female at it within an hour or so but my neighbor said she had one on Sunday night sitting on the hanger looking into her window...lol.

I got a Fuscia plant last week so that was hanging out on the deck in bloom so I know they at least had that to feed on even if I was a little slow by a couple days to get the feeder out.

I keep my feeder up in the fall till the last ones are gone. We get late travelers here for about 3 weeks in Sept needing food on their way south. I don't want birds taking off to the south hungry. They have way too far to travel to Venzuela for that.

The most I have ever fed was 16 birds. That summer was a hoot. Had to put up two feeders seperated by about 20 ft to make sure everyone got their sips of food.

I make my sugar water with 3/4's cup of sugar to one cup of water. They are pretty skinny when they first arrive from down south and need the extra strength. I have nice healthy birds all summer. They take off nice and plump in the fall.

One thing you need to make sure of is your feeder doesn't get mold in it. Sugar water tends to get nasty after a few days in the heat. Just clean it out good with vinegar and rinse the heck out of it. They like sweet, not sour...
The only time I use bleach is the end of the season and the beginning to make sure the feeder is sterile to start with. Again, I rinse and rinse to get it really clean.

Have fun. Hummers are a blast. We get dive bombed all summer. They love my pole beans...lol.