Hummers are gone!

Yesterday I had a lot of birds. It got in the low 50's last night. Today I have seen 1 bird early this morning, the young male who has been on guard the last several days. His comrades left him all alone it seems. He is now gone. I wasted the last quart of juice I made yesterday I guess.

WCT, I'm dreading the day that I'll report the same news. Here, I still have a couple females that lingering and guard the nectar feeder out back. But no male has been seen a week todate. Just heard on the news that our temp. too will drop in the mid. 50'ish.... that day will come ... much too soon.

I saw a female this afternoon feeding on my red morning glories. Went from 20+ to 2 in 24 hours.

I still have some up here, so you'll be seeing some for a while.

I saw one mid-summer, but none have visited my feeder or the truk's cap, flame acanthus, or Dallas red lantana. I saw them in the Hill Country when I went to visit my mom, but that was it. The monarchs have finally arrived, though not near as many as we are used to; hopefully we will see more.

Thanks all for your sharing. I still have my usual pair (females) chasing one another all through the garden. Plus one that I saw this afternoon. That makes 3. I hope these will stay here a while longer. I've some Turk's caps in bloom here too rampbrat. They seem to be very fond of my salvias and others flowers in the garden. As far as Monarch. I've seen but a few that I count on my fingers, a very slim year on those jewels.

I saw one yesterday. I have 5 feeders hanging. A week or so ago I would have 6 birds on one feeder plus some on the other feeders. Plus the ones flying and the ones sitting in the trees and feeding on the salvia. I had a lot of birds. No competition for feeders or flowers in the country near me. Wildflowers have had a tough year without rain.
POOF! Over night the big bunch of rowdies headed toward Mexico.

I still have 3 hanging around. Lots of salvia blooming as well as cypress vine (this is kind of invasive, but they love it).

My 3 are still here too. And yes, I've plan to plant some of those cypress vines for them next year.

I was going to ask if it was time to start seeing hummingbirds down here already and I guess that my question was answered. My manager just told me that he saw 6 plus hummingbirds around his trees and bushes about 2 days ago. I was telling him that it was too early to see them down here since they come down for the fall and winter but I guess that they are starting to move down already. Time to set my feeder.

We've had hummers here all summer long and still do. They slowed down a bit in the past month, but did see a couple this weekend. I have a Fire bush and Red Salvias they frequent. My fire spike is also blooming now and they go to that.

Yesterday was a fun filled day for hummers. I had at least a dozen zooming around. Multiple birds feeding at the same feeder. Today I have seen 1 or 1 at a time. I guess I had a bunch of tourist feeding and an overnight stay before continuing south. They were also competing with the bumblebees for my 5 different kinds of salvia.

WCT, that sounds like a farewell party for the jewels. I've seen a 'gathering' feast likes that twice. And it was so much fun to see them.

That must be something to see that many at once. I don't ever see more than two or three and they chase each other off at my feeder.

Here is a hummer I caught resting in a high up tree, had to zoom in on it...rare to see them sit still like this.

When they get so thick you have 8 on 1 feeder and more on the other four feeders it is quite a sight.. It is busying and noisy with the ones flying chirping away while the others feed. That only happens during their southern migration.

I am still seeing an occasional female, but no males for some time--still have lots of salvia blooming for them

It's interesting to 'observe' how these littles friends plan their journey south, and how some procastinate. lol. Well, finally that day has arrived for me. Oct. 1st, yesterday marks THE day that my hummers have left our resident. (as well as our neighbhood).

I believe I saw two very early this am when I let the dogs out, but none since. I have always wondered how they migrate. Did they fly xx amount of miles every day and then the big gulf trip? This year though, I had a couple of birds that were identifiable by some feather markings. One stayed about three days. So that made me think that they filled up here and then took off for a long trip. Was thinking maybe they would stop at the gulf and fill up before the trip. But who knows. Someone should invent a little satellite chip to put the leg bands!

I think mine winter in Florida.... sounds good, especially if we have another cold winter....

This weekend after working all morning in the yard it was so lovely out that I took a nap in my hammock. I woke up to a hummer buzzing in my face. I opened my eyes thinking I had a bee about to attack me and it was looking right into my eyes...I could actually feel the air from the wings hitting my face that is how close it was to me. Seemed to be just as surprised as I was when my eyes opened. I think my bright flowered shirt attracted it. :)

Don't wear bright red lipstick while napping.

LOL, Mrs. Ed. sunkissed, It's so nice to still have those lovely jewels hanging around. I missed their buzzing me when I am out in the garden.

Surprise! Surprise!
I had to make juice for the hummers this morning. I have at least 4 hummers zooming around this morning checking out the dry feeders. They were getting in my face as I was checking the feeders. I don't remember having hummers in October.

yay! Boy I really miss seeing them, and I only have the fall migration!

Mrs. Ed. Do you have an occasional 'visitor'? I do believe my last residents left the same day they left your garden this year, on Oct. 1st. Since then I've visitors, in fact this early morning I saw one at my newly bloomed Pineapple sage, and this afternoon it's still buzzing out there. :)

No. No new visitors. They are ALL visitors here, no residents. I'm just a stop over on the Ruby-throat Highway. October 6th is the latest I've ever had one, but usually it is somewhere around Sept 28-Oct. 1. Now the Juncos will show up. I've heard reports of them already from the Illinois listserv.

Here was my visitor yesterday nectaring on the new sage. I wasn't quick enough. She spotted me with the camera, so she flew up high on the branch and waited me out. lol

Interesting that you say your "newly bloomed" pineapple sage. I bought one last year and got maybe one bloom. this year, I spend extra moolah on an older plant that already was in bloom. I brought it home and those blooms faded, I never had any more. Until now, it's budding up like crazy. Must be something about daylight hours or coolness. My firespike, that I take indoors in the winter, started blooming right at the end of the hummingbird season. I wonder how I could get it to bloom earlier.

My pineapple sage is full of bloom this year. More than in the past. I have one little hummer who just keeps hanging around. I think it is a very young male. Maybe he lost his mommy...lol. He loves the Phyllis Fancy salvia. Hope we don't have any bad weather from the disturbance off the coast of Florida.

I had about 6 or more here this morning and 2s and 3s this afternoon.

Are your firespikes blooming now, Marna? I think they maybe triggered by, like you said, shorter daylight as well as cooler temp. Mine are still sitting duds, and haven't bloomed the last couples of years. The Pineapplesage however, are doing better this year. BTW, it's my second day without my little feathered friends in the garden. ~sniff sniff.

Yah, they are blooming. It needs a good dose of fertilizer though.

I had 1zees at the feeders today. All the bloomers were getting the bird's attention even the crape myrtles and the Old Blush roses. I had at least 2. One young male was guarding the feeders with no one to chase.

Lily my firespikes are just now budding out, well the one in the morning sun started a bloom a couple weeks ago, but the shaded one and the afternoon sun one are just now busting out...and they are the older bushes. But the hummers have found all of them.

A hummer from the other night...was windy so kind of blurry.

I had to go back further...this was my first bloom 8-28 and that one still is bloomed...but that is my newest plant from last summer...like I said the other older bushes are just now starting. But the hummer really likes this one...it is right by my hammock...the one I was sleeping in and woke up to it buzzing in my face. :)

I too was "buzzed" by one of the 'visitor' today. Just as I reached for a tall branch of Turk's cap to take a cutting for my indoor flower vase. Then I heard the familiar buzzing sound. Needless to say I changed my mind about taking cutting since they're still around and needing those flowers for nectar. So no Turk's cap were brought inside today.

I love those firespikes, but for the last two years they stopped blooming for me. Year before I thought I kept them in the shade, so last year I gave it more sun. Neither year worked, so plan a. and b. failed, now I need to rely on plan c. likes Marna has said. Give it a good dose of fertilizer. lol.

No birds yesterday did I see.

I have hummers today. Unbelievable, at least to me. First ones since the 11th. Previously I thought the migration was over before now. Little did I know. Climate warming change? Our hottest summer ever since records have been kept. It was months on end of 100 degrees and over.