I saw a scout checking out where I usually hang one of my hummingbird feeders yesterday. I was working in the garden and potting plants, but I just had to drop everything and rush to fill the feeders. I just love these little guys!
The Hummies are coming!
Lucky YOU! Enjoy your little flying jewels! :-)
Wow! Zone 5b. Did you put up lots of feeders?
Hopefully it won't be too long before they get here to Zone 6.
I notice there are dots all over Zone 6 and north on the Migration maps, but no one in our Cincinnati Bird Club has even reported a sighting yet. I guess I just have to wait a bit more.
Do you have something special in your garden?
Yeah Tetley, I got my first one Saturday, I'm on the 6a/6b line. South of you.
I generally put up 3 or 4 feeders. I also have honeysuckle vines a trumpet vine and other nectar producing plants. One of my feeders is placed beneath a rose arbor where I have a bench. Last year they became very comfortable feeding with me sitting there only a few inches away.
Just wanted to report that we spied our first hummingbird at the feeder this afternoon. Our coral honeysuckle just started blooming and the red buckeyes are in full bloom, so it's time around here.
Good luck everyone.
YEAH!!! Just looked out my window to see my first hummer today too!!! Yippee!!! Perfect timing because I'm about to plant some lantana and other goodies in the raised bed right underneath the feeder. Oh, yeah!! Now, if my other plants would get here, we'll be doin' great!!
My Hummers are definitely back, they've been dive bombing me all day. I love it.
I was all excited today about a hummer who flew through the sprinkler and then to a dogwood for a long preening session. I was sure s/he would visit the appetizing flower buffets I have been putting in for him/her and also the feeder that was just cleaned and refilled. But s/he didn't. S/he flew off! Well, I never!
How rude!
Suzy
Suzy, maybe he's a sloppy eater and didn't want to embarrass himself. He'll probably be back when you aren't there. (Or he loves you and is playing hard to get)
Robin
They love playing in the water. I watched one of ours bathing on the edge of the fountain the other day and sometimes when I'm watering they will go through the hose spray. At our old house there were several rose bushes and I once found a hummer bathing in the cup of a rose full of morning dew. One of those times I wish I had a camera mounted on my head!
I finally saw one at dusk tonight on my feeder! Boy, it was a long time coming!
I'm curious about something I've read and don't understand: If Hummingboirds are territorial, or the males are territorial, then how come I see so many photos of hummingbord feeders with a dozen birds on them? Don't they fight?
I don't usually have very many here and naturally I'd like more.
Suzy
Suzy,
Some species do fight quite a bit - mainly rufous from what I hear! The only time I ever have more than one or two at the feeder together, it's late afternoon/evening - maybe their last feeding of the day? We have Costa's and Anna's year round, but lots of others migrate through here.
Kathleen
My hummers are completely ignoring the feeders now - but are hitting the purple verbena HARD! I should just take the feeders down I guess; they zoom in and look at them alot, but not drinking from them.
Red, have you been cleaning them out pretty frequently? You would be amazed at how quickly they sour when it gets warm out. I fill mine about a third of the way full and clean and refill about every three days. I get the powdered mix that you just need to add water to and make just enough to fill the feeders. I too have never seen more than two or three at any one feeder at any given time. It seems to be very busy first thing in the morning and just as the sun is going down at night, but I see them throughout the day when I am home on the weekends. Perhaps mine are just polite and wait their turn since they know the food source is not going to dry up. :^)
I do wash them out alot, ? they just seem to prefer the flowers - but during the winter they use the feeders.
Kathleen,
We only have one kind of hummer here -- the ruby throated. I think that's true of everybody east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon line, but I could be mistaken.
Toots,
What kind of purple verbena? I saw some posts about "upright" verbena being a popular necatir plant for butterflies and also a popular plant for hummers, but I didn't know what they were talking about. All the verbena I know about is "sprawling" verbena.
Suzy
Sounds like you have planted all of the right stuff to make them happy. Aren't they just great to have around? :^)
"My" hummers are so territorial - the Alpha male will hardly even let his female drink from 'his ' feeders, and he often sits where he can see all 4 feeders (2 are about 15 feet from the others), and defends those from everyone else, as well! I know there are 2 males & 2 females, they keep me in stitches! Though, I have scolded "Alphonso" for not sharing! : ) LOL!
I believe my verbena is the ground cover type, but does grow somewhat upright... this year it came back very strong, but it was easy to chop back; I like it so much I planted a white version this year as well.... the hummingbirds (we have Anna's that stay during the winter here) seem to love it. Altho I noticed last night since the Salvia 'hot lips' has bloomed they were quite attracted to that as well.
okay, I took a picture - it is sprawling and somewhat upright, but I think this is the common kind sold. It's blooming much earlier this year now that it's established.
Oh, good! That looks roughly like the one I have, too. It made it through the winter and has very, very tights buds on it. (Will bloom in about 3 weeks at a guess.) I'm glad they like it because as I recall it really took over last year and quadrupled in diameter once it got going. Right now it's about a foot in diameter.
Suzy
I wonder if the "upright verbena" people have mentioned could be Verbena bonariensis? aka "Verbena on a Stick!" Butterflies love it, maybe hummers do also?
Ooooooh! D-uh! That's exactly what they meant! Thanks Critter.
I ought to check on my Verbena bonariensis. I planted it out as very very tiny seedlings and wonder if it made it.
Suzy