Hummers

[dmforcier]

Some people have an aura. I do pretty well with animals of all sorts, but not that well. I'd call it a gift.




Or maybe you just smell good.

[green_go]

They haven't reached Canada (Ontario) yet. Though I already hung the feeder outside. Last year we had so many of them - I had to buy an additional feeder to accommodate all hungry visitors. And my lantanas were just magnets for hummingbirds. At first, they were shy, but as the summer progressed, hummingbirds get used to people and become fearless.
This is the video I took last August near the patio with a hummingbird buzzing around my lantana.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6uy0te43sq...birds.mp4?dl=0

[PhilaGardener]

They arrived in PA (my yard at least) on Friday!

[matereater]

We have a few around here but I havent seen them yet this spring. Hope they return, theyre fun to watch.

[Worth1]

I try to keep the population down by every three years making several pints of pickled hummingbird tongue.
Worth

[dmforcier]

Sic 'im, Deborah!

[GrowingCoastal]

Originally Posted by green_go

They haven't reached Canada (Ontario) yet. Though I already hung the feeder outside. Last year we had so many of them - I had to buy an additional feeder to accommodate all hungry visitors. And my lantanas were just magnets for hummingbirds. At first, they were shy, but as the summer progressed, hummingbirds get used to people and become fearless.
This is the video I took last August near the patio with a hummingbird buzzing around my lantana.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6uy0te43sq...birds.mp4?dl=0

You must have the Ruby Throated. Looks like an immature one feeding on the lantana.

We have one sort that stays with us all year.
Anna's male below.


It is the only variety of hummingbird that sings and only the male does that. They also have the distinction of being the fastest flier in the world!

Anna's male sings in Hawthorn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdHiVnige58

An excited juvenile male, probably due to another one being around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0HHo9qsfXI

We had Winter here this year. This is a female, I think.


When the fledglings emerge, as the Anna's are doing now, they are not nearly as shy as the parents are. After a while, they too keep their distance. It is often the youngsters who come and take a close look at me out in the yard as has been described above.

We also get the Rufous who arrive in early April. They go as far north as Alaska .


Other parts of the island get two more varieties than we do.

[green_go]

GrowingCoastal, wow, you, Westerners, are so lucky to have so many varieties of hummingbirds. We, from the Canadian East, most exclusively enjoy Ruby Throated, never saw any others..

[AlittleSalt]

The strangest colored one I've seen here was neon green colored. It was in 2015 and haven't seen one since.

We have a lot of ruby throated ones and even more that are a greyish light brown. The one that was eying me the other day had a white chest with black and brown feathers. It was pretty.

[Worth1]

Irish hummingbird.
Had one drink me under the table one time.
Worth

[Nematode]

Hummingbird tounge is split and acts like a pump.
https://youtu.be/xooUkTgbfag

Anyone got a feeder recommendation? Looking to start this year, I find them fascinating.

[dmforcier]

I've used several different feeders and most work. But you need to keep the nectar fresh and the feeder clean. They're not fans of bees that spilled nectar attracts.

[GrowingCoastal]

Use ordinary sugar to make their syrup.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory...-nectar-recipe

Here, in winter I up the sugar content when it is cold and mix as per the recipe when it warms up in spring.

[AlittleSalt]

This is just my advice from my experience:

I agree 4 parts water to one part sugar. I add a tablespoon of the Hummingbird instant nectar concentrate because every time I put out just clear sugar water - they don't drink it. This comes from years of feeding them in many different feeders. YMMV

As DM wrote - it is important to keep the feeder clean. Besides bees and wasps feeding on it - so do ants. A feeder that comes apart in several pieces is much easier to clean. For cleaning inside the tank/jar, I use a toothbrush and hot water.

[MissS]

My avatar is a photo taken in my yard along with these. These birds are juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbirds. I like the young male with just a little glance of the red gorget that he will be sporting this spring.
DSC_2336.jpg

Only white sugar mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water should be fed to the birds (unless it is very cold and then I up it just a little). I also try to make it a point to only use cane sugar instead of the cheaper beet root sugar. Many of the seasoned experts suggest not to use any of the red food coloring as it is a petroleum product and may be harmful to the birds.
Cuphea My Garden.jpg