Hummingbirds are so entertaining.

While I was using my camera lens to look, up close and personal, at the ants and flies on the hummingbird feeder, this hummer came by to see what I was looking at.

I have tons of pictures with several birds in them. You can see a couple of short movies I made of my hummingbirds at this addy: http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e174/ChSam/ They are far from professional, but fun anyway.

Hi Brugie! Those are some very nice pics! I definitely will check out your photobucket site.
Thanks for posting these! :-) Pelle

Hi again Brugie. I just went to your pb site and all I can say is WOW!! You have such a great variety of terrific plants! The photos of them were beautiful! I went through 7 pages and I was really in awe.

I also watched the Hummingbird videos which were great. You have so many hummers, I've never had that many around a feeder at my house.

Thanks Again, Pelle

Pelle, you're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the visit. It takes a lot of plants and birds to fill up three acres and I haven't made it past the back yard yet. LOL! Visit anytime. I add pictures as I get them unless I'm in my forgetful mode.

Thanks Brugie! Wow 3 acres; lucky you!

You must see a lot of other birds there too.

Brugie,

What a pleasure it is for me to see you in Bird Watching. It looks like you may be as prolific with Hummingbirds as you have been with your beautiful Brugmansias over the years.

Welcome, good friend.

Dave

Now, see, I wish my hummers would share like that!! That would be a lot more entertaining than seeing them chase each other away from the feeder all the time. Once, I had two at the feeder at the same time, but that lasted for just a few seconds, and then they were back at it again. Very nice pictures!

Mine don't share either!!!

Thanks everyone. I have four feeders right now, but sometimes I do six. I have trouble keeping them filled sometimes. Today we went to the market and bought 30 lbs. of sugar for our little friends. I'm sure they will go through about 20 lbs. before they leave for the winter.

We have lots of birds around here. Some good and some that I'd rather they go to someone else's feeder, but variety is the spice of life. I feed them all. My particular favorites other than hummers are the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and the Baltimore Oriole. I fed tons of safflower seed and grape jelly to those guys this year. Finally quit feeding last week. They need to learn to find their own food before winter or migration.

My husband likes birds too....check out his puzzle in the picture.

Hi Dave,

I'm getting tired of brugmansia now. They are either too much work or I'm just getting too old to deal with so many of them. I plan on cutting back to about six or eight.

I have 3 feeders so plenty to go around. Just have always wondered when I see photos of several hummers at 1 feeder. Why won't mine do that??? lol

Great pics! Ours are numerous right now - and swarming like bees around their favorite feeder. They fight and fight, and then they settle down to share - which they seem to do more and more as migration gets underway. One even hovering in over the head of another. I have 3 feeders out now.

Very interesting - last night I went to refill the favored feeder - and lo and behold a male RT was asleep on the perch! I checked on him later and again before daylight this morning and there he was still. About 6:30 am he woke up and started sipping, stayed there while 2 early birds came to feed, and then flew off. I've never seen such a thing - it was one of those great nature moments. My camera doesn't take pics well in the dark, and this morning I wasn't wanting to scare him off.

Wow what a great puzzle!!

You really do get a nice assortment of birds!


bookworm- Thats so great! I would have loved to see that one!

A new camera is on my list! Maybe even a video camera - now Brugie has got me thinking...

I've never seen a bird sleeping at a feeder. That would have been cool.

Thanks everyone. My daughter came from Colorado today and she couldn't quit watching the hummers. I'm glad they were here for her enjoyment as well as mine.

My sister lives in Durango and has hummers in the summer, but not Ruby Throats. When the Ruby's start to migrate in the fall they are like swarms of bees around here, and they come from up north and east of us. Brugie, I wondered if last night's fellow flew in late from maybe your yard in Iowa and was just too hungry to find a safer place to spend the night. It makes for a happy thought!

I hope mine aren't leaving already. I'll have a lot of sugar to store over the winter if they do. LOL!

I have been tring all summer to get to come to the feeder while I held it ...... and tonght I finally did it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got several different ones to come and feed one at a time and the others would be flying around my head!!! So cool!!

I had been trying during the day, but it finally occured to be to do it in the evening when they at this particular feeder nonstop.

What fun. I had one eat from a salvia bloom stalk one time that I was holding up by the feeder. My arms got to tired tho. Now you need to get someone to take pictures while they are coming to your feeder you are holding.

Nice going nanny!!! Congratulations!!!

Congrats!!! I bet that was an amazing thing to experience! And, definitely get someone to take pictures next time. :)

I actually tried that for a few minutes this morning, but you may have a good point there, do it in the evening.

That is just so awesome!!

That is so cool, nanny. I will try it in the evening, as well. The first waves of hummers are here - glad you still have yours up north. I counted over 16 of them fighting over two feeders last night. I've used almost a large sack of sugar in less than a week. They are hungry!!

I tried for just a few minutes late this morning, only 1 male came. I think it does help to watch what time your feeder is really busy and try it then. Hope to try to get a photo!

This message was edited Sep 2, 2007 9:06 PM

I don't know why but my hummers are always in better numbers at the feeders in the later part of the day.

I hear others say morning & evening but that hasn't been my experience.

Ours seem to be busy all day, but right before dark, they are whizzing busy.

Brugie, that's how ours are. They are here all day chasing, but dusk it is time to get some serious feeding done and they are hitting the flowers and feeders nonstop!

This one still thinks he owns this feeder. This afternoon he kept close lookout for other hummers by perching two feet away from the feeder. I ended up getting around 150 pics of him.

Great picture, fchisolm. The hummers rarely let me down.

Great pic, fchisolm!
It will be interesting to watch the numbers as they migrate south from Iowa and Indiana and other parts north towards Mississippi, LA, and Texas. Tonight we had 25 - 30 at our two feeders - the most so far. (we have very few May thru mid July). I've filled 3 feeders up 3 times today and used 4 pounds of sugar since last Monday. This only happens during fall migration, but this seems to be a big year.

Wow thats incredible; I can't even imagine that.

Do you prepare a gallon of mixture ahead of time?

How long do these large numbers of Hummers last for you?

I prepare 4 cups at a time - mostly because I don't have any refrigerator room to store it. Yesterday they went through 10 cups! It really is incredible to see - and hear. I'm inside now, and can hear them chirping from here. As I remember the last hummers leave here sometime in mid-October. When they are finally gone, I really miss them.

Agree, that must be an incredible sight!! I was wa tching ours yesterday and we seemed to be missing sombody. Went out to do some yard work and on the diveway right by garage door, I found one of ours dead. I think it may have hit the door or got caught by it as it was going up or down. I felt so bad......was a female or juvie.

nanny - that is so hard. One of our hoardes flew into a window and I was sad for quite a while. My DH hates it, but I have sticky notes all over our windows during migration. Anybody who has a more attractive solution, please share it.

I just put up a 26 oz feeder with 6 ports. I'll time it to see how long it takes them to drain it. Before I changed it out, I saw two birds sharing the same port, so I decided I'd better get out that new one and get it up.

When do you all up north see your last hummers?

I thought mine had left but I was wrong their still here. I expect my little ones to be here a few more weeks, Than I'll just be seeing migrators for quite a while.

I just went out and got one of my feeders to clean and change. Before I could get in the door I was being fussed at. Maybe I need an extra to just swap. I hate to get fussed at. But it was cute.

I still have plenty of hummers in my yard. A few regulars plus some visitors. My hummers usually are gone by mid September but I leave my feeders up a bit longer just in case. :)

I leave mine up till the end of November just in case there are ones that were injured and could not make the trip till later.

Great idea pelletory! I never thought of that. I will do the same. Thanks! :)

Hi Frank (fchisolm)- Did you get my D mails? :-)

I keep feeders up almost year round. I've had one stay all winter two different years - that was down in Houston. Right now I'm north of Houston in Montgomery for a few months. Also - I have several feeders of different sizes - depending on how many there are at a time.

I also have lots of nectar plants for them and the b-flies that usually bloom most of the winter. It's good to know that if you are still seeing good numbers, so will I for a good while. This does seem to be a heavy year for them.