When the hummers first returned to my yard a few weeks ago, it was so busy I went out and bought a sixth feeder. Then all of a sudden the activity seems to have come to a halt and I'm lucky if I see ONE at a feeder all day. What might be happening? Even if they're concentrating on nesting, they still have to eat. This has me worried.....
Hummers taking a break already?
Thea - SIX feeders?! I can't imagine having that much activity. I posted on the Ruby-throat migration thread (under Bird Watching) that I had 2 hummers in April - a girl & a boy - & NOTHING since! Unbelievable - & VERY frustrating. What gives?
I don't know what's wrong either but I have the same situation as thea611. I have 5 feeders and for several weeks I had 15 -20 hummers.....in the last 6-7 days there's 1 or 2 a day.
???????????????
Our hummers are back around the feeders now, but I understand from reading different reports that after their early spring arrival to yards and feeders they then retreat to woody areas to build their nests and mate.
I'm not sure exactly where they retreat to (since we seem to have a couple of nests in our yard), but maybe they stay on the nests and don't visit feeders. Perhaps go strictly for bugs for more protein and skip the sugar water?
Later in the summer we will have many more visiting as they start to come down from points north (like Canada) and make their way back to Central America. Maybe we noticed the reverse last month: an early spring flush of RTHUs because they were on their way up to Canada and points north.
Some RTHU watchers see many many birds during the migration season because they live in flyways that are the main routes for these birds. As opposed to we here in southwestern Ohio who don't see quite as much traffic moving thru (although a very nice resident population thru the summer and fall.)
I've been trying for years to attract hummingbirds and this year, I've had the most ever! I've seen single RTHU several times today at two of my feeders. I've never seen multiple birds at one time. Ironically, my most successful feeder is a $1.49 plastic thing that only holds about 2 oz. of nectar.
Happier than ever in the western suburbs of Chicago. (Zone 5a)
Can anyone tell me why I see more hummingbirds when it's 50 degrees, gray and often times windy and/or misting outside?
Maybe a weather front is coming in? Sometimes our RTHU feeders get busier then.
I know the hummers enjoy light rain & have seen them at my feeders often during light rains.
They seem to really like sitting on a perch & "soaking". Hummers will also fly through those "mister-type" sprayers as a way to get clean.
Cooler weather doesn't seem to be a problem for them as long as it's not super cold. But in cooler weather they need more energy to keep them warm. The sugar water helps to provide the energy they need to search for the bugs that give them protein.
So It's possible that may be why you see them more in weather that isn't the greatest.
Guess I'm relieved to hear of others reporting that RTHU have disappeared temporarily. This happened here in the past week and I was just about to post that info when I finally saw one a few minutes ago. It's the first I've seen in at least 5 days. Will be watching for other posts which might explain this phenomenon. Has anyone noted whether they get turned off to nectar when it becomes very warm on hot days or vice versa? On hot days, 85+ for us, I partially fill feeders, then refill with nectar from the fridge more often whenever I can. The feeders seem busier after this, maybe the heat makes them thirstier like us.
Sometimes I wish I only had one or two hummers. That way I only would need one feeder to fill.
Hot or cool doesn't seem to matter here. They start arriving on the 15th of April here in the valley. By June I had six feeders going. I am up to nine now in July and will probably be up to twelve or more by the end of the month as more of the young ones start to show up. I'm not talking the little feeders either. These are the larger size with six plastic flowers on each one. I have to refill feeders every day. I just finished filling two more. The front porch sounds like a mad hornets nest with all those fast moving wings darting about.
Dave
I have only a few hummers each year and no feeders, just nectar plants. The first thing to bloom is the coral honeysuckle, then the red monarda and lastly the Lobelia cardinalis. I usually add some annuals w red tubular flowers but that's not been popular. The coral honeysuckle will rebloom throughout the summer but not as heavily as the first bloom in mid spring.
I am glad to hear other people talking about missing hummers. I had six feeders to keep up with them and would have at least 20 to 30 hummers all the time then all of a sudden they were gone. I was filling up my feeders three times a day. I sure went through a lot of sugar. I have a few back now but only about 6 so far. At one time I have seen two hummers at one flower on the feeder. By the time I got my camera they had left.
Sami
first time ever to visit this forum....so "hi" to all!
i have hummers throughout the spring, summer and fall here in central florida and have always tried to supply them with the right kind of flowers but never put a feeder up until a few weeks ago (a birthday gift).
i don't get why so many people have so many hummers at one time on a feeder and although i do have more than one bird in the garden area, i only ever have one at the feeder. if another one even gets close, this little guy/girl dive bombs the other one and chases him/her away.
my sister says the same thing happens in her garden and that they are very territorial but i have a friend who lives in the same state as my sister and her feeders have twenty or thirty birds at any given time...so what gives????
Well you probably have one Democrat hummer and one Republican.