2010 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Vol. 9

What happens to them in Mid-November? Will they travel the distance to warm temps that late? I've had one stick around one year but didn't continue feeding and I wonder if it died or decided to fly south.

I don't know this for a fact, but I believe that the cold isn't as much of a threat to the hummers as lack of food. If there were still things blooming on the way south, I think the hummer would be fine.

I still have one here. I'm not seeing it as much though b/c it's not fighting with other hummers. I did cut down the tree-like milkweed. It was interfering with bird photos. There's still milkweed out though as in this photo. I've seen lots of monarchs too. I forgot that they migrate too. There's one on the milkweed right now.

The last time I saw a hummer was on Monday 10/11. I had a female who claimed the feeder, and she stayed till close to the end. It is sad to see them go. This was my first season in my new home. I had very few hummers in the spring, but an amazing number this fall. By then I had started getting the perennial garden into gear. I hope that many of my fall visitors will travel by next spring. Big hits were giant blue salvia, red penta, red yucca, and surprisingly, one of my bromilead blooms. I have 3 small citrus trees which I hope will blossom for the spring migration.

Elphaba
what an amazing shot. What type camera do you use? Great shot.

Gazergirl,
I realized that I should have put my feeders out in late Feb/very early March last year. We had snow on the ground for 2 months which was not normal - then it was 80s for weeks. Our birds really struggled. I'll make sure my feeders are out early this coming year so I don't miss them. I didn't see them because I didn't have feeders out - missing the spring flush this year.

I just keep one out that long for any that are a bit late in migrating. The majority will be long gone to South America by then. Each hummingbird migrates alone so it is possible to have some that get off course or delayed due to weather.

smom, I had feeders out in early spring, but not many hummers. Fall was different. I think I am establishing a new feeding territory for hummer migration. How exciting. I am not sure how I will have nectar flowers available in early spring, but it is my goal. And Nanny, I also keep a feeder out for any possible stragglers.

Gazer, I see a lot more in the fall than in the spring. I'm not sure why that is b/c I have lots of nectar producing plants all year.

Shitzumom, I have a very inexpensive camera but it's pretty good for the money. It's a Kodak Easyshare Z981. It's named for this feature where you can automatically share on facebook, twitter etc., but I couldn't care less about that. I wanted a powerful zoom. It said 26X optical zoom, but lied. I think it's an 18X optical and the rest is digital zoom. Digital zoom is almost worthless b/c lowers pixels too much. Still 18 is good. I can't remember the pixel count -- 14 I think which is way more than I've ever had. The big drawback is that the manual that they send is completely worthless, so you have to either download one that they have online or constantly look up stuff on-line to figure out how to use it or you can pay an extra $15 for the good manual. That really made me mad. It's like a form of fraud to sell a product and then tell people that if they want to know how to use it they have to pay more. Still they kept the price down.

I am so mad at myself. I moved a hummer feeder when I had the sprinkler on, I forgot to put it back. I saw a hummer looking for it. I put it back, but I haven't seen the hummer since. Darn it.

I thought the hummers were long gone, but I was just sitting outside and one zoomed past me. I watched it fly over my neighbor's yard and into the next.

What a nice surprise for you!

It came back and I got a pic! I took down the feeder that was in the front yard. Maybe this one has been in the front this whole time, and now that the only feeder left is in the backyard, I'm actually getting to see it.

I had a few around today....here is one.

Nice ones guys!

Nice to get to enjoy your pics...Thanks!

Two hummers this morning! A beautiful adult male and either a female or a very juvi male.

I staked out one of the feeders waiting for the male to come back. He didn't. I'm sure he's there now that I've given up. I'll try to get a pic today as I think it's my last chance.

Winds are from the south, but that will change tonight, so my hummers will probably leave tomorrow.

My 2 hummers have gone. They left last week just before our first frost. Feeders are down until March.

We need to find a member down in Central America who can send us photos of our babies! LOL.

No hummers in a long while. :-(

Hack

I live in Baja Norte, and we still have full ruby throated hummers. I took these last night. You can't see their throats in these photos, but they're there.

Likely are Anna's which look like Rubies. The RTH is only in the east. You get Costa's too!


http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/id


anna's: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/id

Thanks Deepwater for your pics. I miss our little hummer friends, and it is nice to see them cared for down in Mexico. Please give us posts during our winter. It would be especiallly nice during migration seasons, to have feedback on arrivals and departures.

Here a nice hummingbird rescue video, Meezersfive has linked on the wildlife forum. http://wimp.com/babyhummingbird/

Alright Deepwater!!

awww, burn that is so cute! Love that it's a young guy with that bird.

Hi everyone, I have a couple photos from mid October. A few of these guys have the red throats, so I assumed that they were the Ruby Throated hummers, but since they are from Baja then maybe they are the Anna's that Mrs Ed wrote about. Does anyone know which ones these guys are?

Here's another shot of the Anna's. They were swarming at my place one morning, and since I only had the one feeder they were all at that one. I counted nine hummers in this one shot, and perhaps a tenth. There looks like some wing flutter in the upper right hand corner that is probably the tenth hummer. Anyway, now I have four feeders, and they seem to spread out a bit more, but it's still common to see as many as 15 of them, although truthfully, it's hard to get an accurate count when they flit around so fast.

lucky, lucky you!

Great shots, Deep. You are so lucky. Keep the pics coming, please - just to help us hummer-deprived souls get thru the long winter! (esp. if it's anything like the this past winter)

I love that last one!! Only in my dreams....lol

A couple of pics of a Hummer at the Firespike this afternoon.

2nd.

aww, nice. I moved my firespike to the basement under the growlights. Hope it lives, I'd love to give the hummies something next year.

So cute GP! That Firespike is so pretty!

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was just reported on a feeder in Cape May, NJ!

Rut Roh, it better get headed south!!!

Poor lost child! Marna, I haven't seen one here since weeks....and I'm little further South.

I wish it would pass my way!!

He is still in that yard today.

This is a pretty cool hummingbird link. It seems a young man rescued a baby hummer, and nursed it back to health. The relationship between the two is heart warming.

http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/

There's a Roufus down in Central Illinois! Wish one would come to my yard. ha.

heere hummer, hummer.....

Someone said I should post this here. I hope you haven't all seen it already.
http://wimp.com/babyhummingbird/