This morning I was late for work. I was already cutting it pretty close to the wire when I went out into the garden with the dog. As I sat on a bench waiting for the dog, a Female Ruby Throat Hummingbird flew over to some nearby flowers. Then she saw me nearby, but instead of leaving she hovered in place for a minute or so, looking me over. She flew up to about a foot from my face and again hovered there for a minute or so. Not wanting to scare her away by staring (eye contact), I looked to one side. Not ot be ignored, she just scooted over to the same side so as to get back in front of my face and yet AGAIN hovered there for a while before flying over to a nearby branch to rest.
The feeder was very, very empty - bone dry - had been empty for weeks (I'd stopped filling it since the raccoons kept climbing the tree, turning the feeder sideways and drinking the nectar). Clearly, she was trying desperately to tell me about this problem, "Hey, yoohoo, over hear! You forgot my feeder - again!" So, much as I hated to be late, I just had to take the time to go inside, wash the feeder, and fill it. A few minutes later she was drinking from it.
The hundreds of flowers that bloomed in spring and early summer have now dwindled to just a scant few. This time of year, due to the oppressive heat and humidity, I pretty much abandon the garden, weeds and all, so the flowers go to seed and stop blooming, except for a few hear and there.
For 3 years now, always about this time of year when the flowers start to run low, she finds me somewhere in the garden, and tells me its time to fill that feeder. The first time I thought it was a coincidence but after 3 years I'm pretty sure she really is trying to tell me something. The 1st time was right after my knee surgery. I was forced to spend most of the summer in bed - watching the gardener have all of the fun, so no one ever put the feeder out. In late summer, I finally hobbled out to complain to the gardener when I saw him pulling up my blue light clematis. That very day she made a bee line to the patio and got in my face. Thus summoned - when a hummingbird talks, I listen - I hobbled on over and put out the feeder despite the pain. And so it has been for 3 summers now, me failing to keep the feeder full for one reason or another and her coming to find me sometime in late summer to DEMAND nectar.
So this morning I was late for work because my hummingbird insisted that I take the time to fill that feeder.
I wonder, have any of you noticed this kind of behavior? Do your hummers let you know when/if you fall behind on the job?
YooHoo! Didn't You Forget Something?
that is so neat lol
LOL.. that is such a cute story and an EXCELLENT reason for being late to work!
I had the problems with the raccoons actually taking my feeder off the hook and off into the swamp with it. I finally wised up and wired the feeder to the hook but like yours.. the little bandits come in during the night and tip them sideways and I find the remnants of sticky/sandy feet on the deck the next day.
that's very cool!! And, how dare you not have his nectar ready for him at all times!! :)
I have not established that kind of relationship with the hummers yet, because this is my first year to have a feeder and a few flowers they like.
I can tell you, though, one does like to "check me out" by getting pretty close to me. He also likes to swoop right over my head as he's going to the feeder if I'm sitting outside.
Very cute story. Doesn't it make you feel loved and needed?!
I do think the hummers get to know and like their humans. Our hummers come up to the kitchen window when they see me washing dishes to remind me to fill the empty feeders.
We have been having trouble with the darned raccoons too. The best feeder we have to out smart them is a little suction feeder that attaches to the dining room window. It's a lot of fun, too, especially when we have (human) visitors who are not accustomed to seeing HBs.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_ol/104-8392036-6760762?url=search-alias%3Doutdoor&field-keywords=nectar+bar&Go.x=11&Go.y=5
We didn't pay that much--got it on sale...
Thanks, tabasco, I've been looking at that one longingly, but all of my windows go down to about 2ft from the ground, and I've been afraid that it will prompt either squirrels or raccoon's to climb the screens that are on the lower part of the windows.
In fact, I had a bird feeder that attached with suction cups and the squirrels - oh my I need to put that back up and get a picture - would jump from the crepe myrtle to the feeder. The feeder was clear acrylic and shaped like an oval or slightly "squished" tire standing upright; the curved sides (image the inside of a tire standing upright) held the seed at the bottom and the "top" portion shielded the seed from rain. Well, a squirrel would actally jump inside of the acrylic "tire" where he would end up formed into the tire shape with his face pressed up against the side of it somewhere all the while still trying to scramble around into position to eat the seeds. I do need to get a picture of that. It was hilarious. Eventually the weight of the squirrel caused the thing to fall.
thanks, everyone, for your comments. I tell you every year when she does this I keep telling myself it's a coincidence, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that the same coincidence happens this time every year if the feeder isn't out/filled.
I think it's a good reason to be late, too; unfortunately, cutting it close is one of my vices. Hey, everybody needs a vice or 2. ; )
Indiana, the 1st few years I kept that feeder clean and full. I also have a cottage garden packed with over 2000 bulbs, perrenials, shrubs, trees, etc, many of which attract the hummers. One year a female raised her family in a tree near the feeder. I began to notice this "cloud" of little hummers moving back and forth from the tree to the feeder.The parents chaised off any other adults that tried ot use the feeder, reserving it for their family only. It was so exciting to watch.
The baby hummers and their attempts to learn the art of dining made for interesting viewing. That year I had a lot of morning glories. The baby hummers tried to drink from the MG but it seemed they couldn't reach. So they started sitting on the side of the flowers and then dipping their whole body down into the flower such that only their butts were sticking out. That was SO precious!
I really hated to see them leave that fall - more than ever. I was planning to have everything ready for their return in hopes that one would set up housekeeping here again. Over the winter I ordered more HB plants for them. Then in early spring I injured my knee. Walking became a terribly painful chore so I found myself doing less and less of it, limiting myself to the essentials. I had knee surgery and was unable to get out of bed (except for essentials) for almost 2 months; consequently, an as much as I hated it, I had to abandon the feeder. During that time I had tremendous difficulty just doing the necessities - and I began to find out how few things were necessary! I had 2 more surgeries and have been struggling ever since to regain my ability to do the little things.
So too bad that your surgeries have kept you from your garden fun. At least you have a few of your HB 'family' to keep you company and provide entertainment!
Your little HB family must have been fun to watch and I will have to remember to put more morning glories in next summer. That sounded so cute!
Too bad your windows are so low for the feeder. Ours are up a little higher and we have good luck with them except for a visiting flying squirrel once in a while.
Oh gosh! I would not wish a knee injury on my worst enemy! I'm sorry about your injury, but at least you are recovering, and you will be back on your feet.
I bet watching the HB family was a delight, and the babies sound so cute and curious! I love watching the baby animals in my back yard.
I do have a male and a female that come to the feeder. The male is at the feeder all morning and afternoon, and then the female is there in the early evening. Maybe they have babies somewhere?
Last night, I had company over for dinner and we were sitting on the patio. The female hummer flitted around the feeder and acted unsure as to whether or not it was safe to drink because there was a stranger in the yard. So, I told her in a very soothing voice that it was ok to drink from the feeder, and after a few moments, she did. That was kinda neat.
Now, if male hummer would stay away from the feeder long enough, I'll clean it today! :)
tabasco, I bought one of those feeders you mentioned. Haven't put it up yet though. Will let you know how it works out - try to put it up this weekend.
indiana, the knee injury has been a real bummer, but I'm getting around a bit more now. I hope that you get a hummer family of your own. Last week I saw a few tiny, "baby" hummers in my yard so there is probably a nest nearby somewhere. I was thinking the babies may also be part of the reason that the female gets so insistant about having that feeder filled this time of year.
Well, now it's absolutely official - I mean about her giving me "heck" when the feeder is empty or missing. 2 weeks ago the raccoon family trashed ALL of the feeders including the hbird feeder. The broke the ports off so the nectar wouldn't stay in. I went out and bought and set up 2 new feeders - which were also trashed that same night. For now, until I can set up poles with raccoon baffles, I'm having to take the feeders in at night and bring them out in the mornings. I don't get up at the crack of dawn so everybody has to wait until 7AM for bfast.
This morning I took the bird feeder out but left the hbird feeder behind because I wanted to clean and refill it but needed to take the dog out first - "everybody" needs their stuff done ASAP when I get up. While I was waiting for the dog to finish, who do you think showed up - in my face? Yep, Ms HBird, apparently again alerting me to the absense of HER feeder. She is so darned cute. Of course, I quickly filled it and hung it back out for her. (And let that be a lesson to me to keep it full!)
I love this story. I am still waiting for the first hummer to appear. I live in a new area so it may take a while.
Can I ask how often you change the liquid in your feeders? Thanks, Karen
Hi Karen,
I change mine every 3 days or so in the summer when it's this hot. In spring and fall I only change it once per week. When I make a batch, I don't fill the feeder. I just fill it a few inches high, and keep the rest in the fridge. If it runs out, I put more the next time, etc. Also, I hang my feeder in a shady spot; it spoils much faster if it's in the sun.
In spring and early summer I have TONS of flowers. I think that really helps to attract them to the yard. They need flowers and insects for a healthy diet. The nectar we supply is only good for sustaining their energy in between. (I've read that they need to eat every 15 minutes, so I think the nectar is very important.)
I make an xtra strong brew. I use the packaged nectar (because I'm lazy) and reduce the water by 25-50% (If you make it TOO strong they can't eat it.). When I started making it stronger I noticed that they visited the feeder MUCH more often and stayed longer. The very 1st time I did that, the hummer took a sip and started sipping and "squealing", sipping and "squealing" gleefully. She looked SO happy and seemed to be saying "Wheeee!" in between drinks. She drank and drank and drank until she "wobbled" off. Since then I've noticed that the feeder is MUCH more popular.
That's a fun story! I wonder if your 'syrup' had turned into liquor?! (like the fruit from cherry trees!)