I'm so excited!!! I just saw my first hummer. I was so surprised, because I'd pretty much given up. I'm in the midst of making some new sugar water. I hadn't changed it in five days, because I didn't think they were drinking it. Now that I know, I'll be even more diligent than ever.
Guess What....
Congratulations they are so much fun to watch
Congrats Jdee!! I bet you'll soon have more then one! Always so exciting when seeing them in your yard for the first time!(And even after that!lol)
Post a pic of your new arrival if you get a chance.
It was so funny. I walked out the door and what I thought was a large bee buzzed by, but when I looked up it was a hummer flying away. I was floored. I was also iritated at myself for scaring it off. I thought "Great! Now it'll never come back." but I was wrong. I looked out my screen door a few minutes later, and there it was again. I went straight to make a new batch of sugar water.
That's so great! I was so excited myself when I saw my first hummingbird at the feeders I put out. You'll never get tired of them and probably find yourself sitting still as a statue to watch them upclose. Don't forget the pics!
I can imagine how discouraged you must have felt when it flew off, But, As you have found out, They usually always come back in a short amount of time, I don't know how many times I've sat and waited to get a pic of one just to have it fly off before I could get a good focus on it! I use a sheperd hook for one of my feeders because they seem to like to take a rest on the top of the hook before or after drinking from the feeder which gives me some extra time to get a good focus on them.
If you get an extra feeder or two, I would suggest moving them a distance from each other as Hummingbirds tend to guard there feeders, I have a couple that fight like crazy over the feeders and I have mine spread out! lol!
Good Luck with your 'Flying Jewel' Jdee, I hope you get many more soon!
Iris:
I have had the same experience: had to put the second feeder on the other side of the house! That one bird was so busy guarding the first one, *he* didn't even get much from it!
So, tell me this -- how come some people get pictures of MULTIPLE like four or more hummers using a feeder at the same time? I have *never* seen it, can't even imagine it!
~'spin!~
Jdee, congrats on your hummer. They are so much fun to watch.
Spin, our Anna's hummers live here. They are not migratory and used to sharing. They are territorial little critters and claim feeders and or plants, as belonging to THEM. You have to put out different feeders for the passersby.
It didn't take me long to discover how territorial they are. I got up this morning, so I could see if it was still there. I sat on my porch steps, and saw it return several times. When it wasn't hovering by the feeder, it was either perched on the nearby highwire, or the Oak I have in my front yard.
Anyway, I saw it hovering by the tree, and when another came to my feeder, it chased it away. I'm going to have to get more than one feeder, because I know there are at least two birds.
CrystalSpin,
I've seen up to three at the same feeder at the same time. When they first started coming they never used to be territorial but now they are. I guess it might have something to do with new feeding spots and maybe the gender- because only one of the males does all the chasing.
Crystal spin, I have one on both sides of the house, one in the backyard, One in the front yard, And they 'still fight!' LOL! I keep trying to move the feeders in different spots to try and make a happy medium, It works for a while.
I'm glad you asked the ? of why some people get a lot of hummingbirds at there feeders, I was wondering that myself ~ What frosrus said about her's not being migratory makes sense to me, But, I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere in these posts about places where they are migratory and they still get a multitude of hummers! I get two different kinds here and I know there is at least 4 of them around but have never seen them eat at the same feeder, Also have a big patch of bee-balm that they love and I've seen them fighting at the patch but have never seen two feeding together on the flowers there. I myself would love to see a multitude at the feeders but I really don't forsee it ever happening here.
...Jdee, I knew it wouldn't take long before you'd get another one and wouldn't be surprised if you got more, I think your definately going to need another feeder for sure! Good Luck, And hope you get lots more hummingbirds!!
Iris --
I guess the point is the migratory ones ARE 'used to sharing', they got places to go, people to see, and can't waste time fighting over sugar water...
BUT: since this is just down the road between me and Frogs, seems like they would have mostly Anna's hummers too...
http://www.treeoflifenursery.com/main/inspiration/IC/IC_wildlife/pages/window_birds.htm
I have no feeders any more, as I have salvias and other things they like on all three sides of the house, with something in bloom year-round or just about (not bragging, just lucky!). However, I can't tell one from another except for gender, so I'm only sure I have one male, one female -- and can't say I ever saw even the two sharing a bush, either.
But I sure do get a lot of pleasure when I catch a movement out a window (any window is possible except the interior attrium!) or the corner of my eye when I'm outdoors, and see one of them feeding, and know I have succeeded in creating a little bit of nature in the city!
~'spin!~
Ah, Spin. Are you peeking at the hummers? I will get multiple hummers at feeders that are only out during migration times. The resident hummers do not share with any body. I have several "families" that have staked claim to various parts of the garden. They are not at all pleased with the migratory birds that are here right now noshing on the cornflower and larkspur seeds. They have the timerity to go after salvia seeds too and that is hummer territory. The large sage out front is about to burst into bloom again and its guardian hummer is on the prowl. Lol.
The ONLY plant I noticed the hummers bothering to drink from (when the feeders are there they never bother with flowers) was cigar plant, Cuphea ignea.
We now have 5 humming bird feeders in our yard and they are all occupied, they are spaced out so you can see them from every where in the yard. They seem to be used to us now and don't zoom away if we're near. It's the first time that I've had to refill my feeders because they've need more food in them we seem to have a lot this year and we're not the only ones with feeders they can fly from one yard to the other and fill up each spot. We have a lot of Orioles this year as well, with 2 feeders for them it keeps me hopping lol but the pleasure of watching them is worth it.
Yes, cuphea is a big draw, I guess -- Blooms took (and posted, back in ?April?) a pic of a hummer at a cuphea at the arboretum, where they have their choice of flowers... Guess I may have to try one or two of that genus next planting flurry.
frogs, what sort(s) of hummers pass through here? I can see where we could have both resident and vagrant birds... the only ones I recognize are Anna's (and ruby-throats when I am back east of course). I *could* pursue the migrants identity in my three books not to mention the Web, but which are you familiar with?
Do you think the hummers get annoyed at other sorts of birds (perching birds, etc) or only other hum's?
Right on cue, I just saw one at the Justicia (shrimp plant)!
~'spin!~
I don't have feeders, but I see mine on:
coral porterweed
hostas
gerainiums
salvias
beebalm
fuschia
crocosima
Usually all I see is the lone male. I've not seen two males at once, but I did see the male chase off a female the other day.
Oh, and congrats jdee! :) I find them hard to scare. They aren't like other birds. If one flies near by I don't have to lower my voice or quit what I'm doing. Once they know you live there they will just go about their business and probably come give you the stare down. lol It's quite something to have those needle nosed little things 6 inches from one of your eyeballs!
Here's hummers:
http://www.wildbirds.com/favorites_Hummingbirds.htm
Hummers get annoyed at anything. They will chase bees, dragonflies, crows, hawks, anything that is in an area the hummer calls home. I do not know that the visitors would do this but my residents are quite vocal about intruders to their territory. The one in front ran off a couple of crows that were thinking HIS mexican sage was looking like a good hideout. Very funny. The big red dragonflies do not take c*** from hummers and will chase them. I first saw this 3 yrs ago and it never ceases to amaze me.
Just a quick question. I just bought some cute feeders today. I would very much like to put one in the front, but I'm afraid my hummer will leave. Are they territorial about the feeders themselves, or the area? Will he notice that it's not the same one? It's so cute. It's a bright red heart with perches. The one out there now is just an inexpensive one I bought, when I wasn't sure if they'd come.
Do you mean you want to replace your cheap one with the ornamental one?
They won't care what it looks like or if it's different as long as it works. They won't be scared off now after finding a dependable food source.
Are these those glass bottle feeders with the tube in a cork on the bottom? Just make sure to check the flow to see that a) the flow is okay and b) it won't keep leaking.
Sometimes these kind leak and it'll empty out throughout a few hours and you'll get sugar water all over the place which attracts alot of bugs, including hornets.
No, it's not a glass one, but its just a prettier one. The plastic is harder and better quality, and the feeder comes apart for easier cleaning. I just didn't know if hummers were as possessive of their feeders as they are their territory. It took me too long to get him to come, and I didn't want to mess it up now. lol
Jdee, I find them to be more possesive of there feeders then anything. But, Don't worry about putting your new one in a different spot ~ 'They 'will' find it' And as CaptMicha stated above, Once they have a dependable food source, They don't usually give it up. I have 4 totally different feeder's out there now and they use all of them, So don't worry too much about your new one being different from your other one, It wont take long at all for him to start using it.