2013 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

Wow...great links! Thanks!

For about the last two weeks, we've been having more hummers than we've had all season with migration from up north in full swing. They're constantly zipping around chasing each other all over the yard. Granted, we have just a teeny, tiny percent of what rouxcrew has down in Texas, but it's still really exciting!

Most of my hummer flowers are waning, like these agastaches, but they still seem to enjoy them. They're now spending most of their time at the feeders, though, and perched in the nearby trees. I leave the coneflower seedheads (in the background) for the Goldfinches.

I'd say my population is about normal. just a couple every day. But I'm having a terrible time with plants again this year. My tithonia torch didn't come up, then the replanted seedlings did not thrive. My short tithonia is blooming, but along with the zinnia's, not very well. Just not enough moisture in my sandy soil. Still have a few blooms on the trumpet vines though, and some of the annual salvia are still going.

do you leave your agastache seeds too? I do. The goldfinch and junco love them. Of course, then I have seedlings everywhere. LOL.

I leave the seed heads on most of my plants for the Goldfinches and other birds. It doesn't make for the most attractive garden and, yes, there are seedlings everywhere. I figure since I choose most of my plants with wildlife in mind (from the pollinators to the birds) it wouldn't make sense to cut them down while they still have all that food.

Many of my plants struggled this year and some drowned in our heavy spring rains, but others have thrived even more this year. Go figure.

I still need more hummer plants that last later in the season. My Cardinal flowers are almost done and one of my perennial salvias that normally continues to rebloom, didn't this year. I still have some annual red salvias blooming. Next year I'm going to start more annual salvias. Maybe even wintersow some like 'Black and Blue' and 'Pineapple' Sage...two hummer favorites.

I plant that coral nymph annual salvia and I get lots of volunteers off of that. it's nice because some come up really late, so they are nice at this time of the season. I used to mostly plant Lady in Red, but have found this to be more vigorous.

Ditto on all the seedheads. I was just watching some cute juvies begging for seeds while the parents chomped on coneflowers. cute cute cute.

I looked up 'Coral Nymph'. It's very pretty and, apparently, very popular. My Salvia 'Eveline' self sows and has really spread, but it stays in one bed. After cutting back in early Summer, it normally reblooms lightly till frost which has been great for the hummers, but this year It's barely rebloomed at all.

Awwww....how cute! Now isn't that worth having seedheads and seedlings everywhere? To me that's one of the most beautiful sights there is. I haven't had any luck getting shots of the "begging" juvies, but here's a female.

Edited: "Oops...should have posted this in the other thread".


This message was edited Sep 7, 2013 3:54 PM

do you want me to grab you some coral nymph seeds?

Thank You, sure, if it's not a hassle.
You'll have to forgive me, but I've never done any plant or seed trading so I don't really know much about how the process works. All I know is that I pay for the seeds and the shipping/handling, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

I don't know whether or not I have any plants you'd be interested in. With some plants I don't know how to actually get the seeds out of the pods. With others, I can see them, but I've never tried drying them. Mostly I just let everything self-sow. Boy, do I feel (and sound) stupid!

Nah, I dont' need anything. Dmail me your address that's all. I need to do a major overhaul to the garden so I really am not planting anything new. I'm going to have to remove a bunch of plants unless we get a shallow well drilled for watering. Too expensive to pay a water/sewer bill here and everything is dying. boo

Here y'all go, this morning after a rain last night, listen to the cussing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b-D3oyR5mo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanks, Mrs_Ed!! That's very kind of you. I'll send you a D-mail.

That's crummy about your plants dying. We've been fortunate this summer with more rain than normal so I've done almost no watering, except with the rain barrel, but that's unusual and our water cost is pretty high, as well. Hope your well idea works out for you. Do you have rain barrels?

OMG, rouxcrew!! It's like a swarm of locusts, except they're much, much prettier. Thanks for that video!

I just viewed your video, and all I can say is "Wow!" Thanks for sending the link.

I'm really enjoying the pictures you all have posted here. Our activity seems slower today, so I'm sure they will be disappearing soon for the winter.

Rose

Wow,rouxcrew, that is an amazing video! Thanks for sending it. I've never seen anything like it.

Roux, That is just crazy! can you watch them long enough to see if there are any kinds other than Ruby throats there?

LOVE the video! I am thoroughly enjoying activity at my feeders, but the most I've seen at one time is 7 birds - it is truly amazing to see the hordes from rouxcrew - thanks for sharing.

I saw this guy before everything went crazy. His throat was never red, but I am assuming he is still a RT. part of the reason I shoot tons of photos is in hopes I might see a different bird. But I doubt any would want to fight these guys.

you need a few of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYgbIKXUwc

Or these:

http://www.loststirrup.com/hummingbird_feeder_building.htm

Wow. I like the one without a top. It reminds me of a feeder/bath I have. Would never have thought they would feed in an open container. I will have to think on this.

There are some bird cams in central america that feature that kind of open container. The good thing is that other nectar birds come up to use it. I think when there are numbers like you have, they are more likely to use it.

http://www.worldlandtrust.org/webcams/buenaventura

Wow...I like that big red open (humming) bird bath!! That was so much fun to watch, I watched it 3 times!


I shot this through my double pane kitchen window this afternoon. The down and feathers on her tummy are so fluffy you can't even see her feet.

Cuties.

Great photos! Here we are a couple days ago, I was finally able to get a lot in the picture. I took more video that morning as well, it is busier than the other one. They are so hungry that they don't wait for me to hang the feeders anymore, they start drinking as I am getting to the chains.
Mrs. Ed, I tried a version of the open red feeder and got no takers all day. Sigh,it would have been cool.

Beautiful shots, Marna and nuts.
roux crew, you've got so many they look like a swarm of Australian bush flies.

Well Joy, I suppose that like anything it would take a while for them to figure it out. And if there were no other feeders but that kind, they' for sure try it. You might try to put a good nectar flower in it. Geeze, with all these, I bet you could hand feed for sure.

My husband said the same thing about it being the only one and they might use it. I don't have the heart to take the others away though. Several years ago I had a half gallon feeder, but I broke it and never found another although I haven't looked online lately. I would like robe able to not have to refill twice a day during the peak migration like now. The other problem is that so many feeders only give you four ports. They get panicky when food is limited, so all of mine have six to eight ports per feeder. When the numbers are less, there is a lot more resource guarding but now they sit for long periods just drinking and resting.

agreed. i don't think I'd take all the others away, but just saying it would take some time. You could start in the spring and maybe just use the tray and place a regular feeder there. Then maybe add some water, and gradually move them over. Could be a fun experiment. I think it was Elphalba that took the cover off of one of her feeders so it was just a moat. worked well.

You know how Orioles are always drinking the nectar from hummingbird feeders? Well, the hummingbirds at my Mom's house started to eat the grape jelly that is for the orioles. I put some out for the couple of birds I have here and so far no takers.

Thanks Margaret!!

Wow...great shots, Joy!! Shear craziness at your place!

I know that "Perky Pet" makes a 48oz feeder and they usually have specials where you can buy multiples for cheaper or specials where you get a free feeder. But their largest feeders are plastic even though their smaller ones are glass.

Don't feel bad Mrs_Ed. My hummers have never expressed the slightest interest in Grape Jelly.

It is cold here in MD so I have time to get some fun stuff done inside instead of working in the garden. I will share some of the hummers we have at our cabin in the UP of MI. I have a large stand of Monarda (bee balm) and I added a second feeder this year. They are so territorial that I am able to stand right next to the action and the underlings get brave and come in to nectar.

ahhh! jealous. Look at all those birdies. and some sort of fritillary too! Where in the UP is your cabin. I think we're going to vacation there next summer. Tough to pick just one place to stay since it's all so wonderful!

Mrs Ed Our cabin is about 12 miles into the woods from a town called Amasa. The nearest larger town is Iron River. The UP is nice, many beautiful waterfalls, miles of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior shore to walk and drive along, great camping facilities and 100s of square miles of National and State Forests. Low traffic and friendly people too. The summer days are really long too in June and early July!

Here are some more hummers.

Great pix, ottahand.

It's really cold here in MD today so I want to think about warmer weather and hummers! These were all taken with a Samsung point and shoot digital camera with 21x optical zoom. That was the highly recommended camera from Consumer Reports last year. I am sure the technology is even better now. Most of the feeder photos were from about 10' away - the perching hummers are less than 3' - they are hiding from bullies.

My season has just started. This beauty has been chasing off another Hummingbird around my yard.

Hi all, I'm new to this forum. Love seeing all these beautiful pics and reading your posts. After many years of trying to attract humming birds, I figured out they come through my area starting in October and stay through February. I have since planted lots of firespike and this year put up a feeder which they actually visit! Now I see them several times a day. Any one else having luck in south florida?

Hi Bumicu, welcome to the forum. You are blessed to get hummers in winter. I will not see my first till March 19th.

We don't get Hummingbirds here until the last half of April - and then I usually just hear them zinging straight north. The usually don't slow down and stick around until May. We get Rufous around the latter half of July, but I didn't see any in 2013.

Yes, take pictures! For ID - and so I can get a second-hand Hummingbird fix!