Hummingbirds are so entertaining.

I took all my feeders down (I have six total in my yard) Saturday and brought them inside for a good scrubbing and refilled them with new sugar water right out of the fridge. I was bobmarded by hummingbirds as I made my rounds from hook to hook replacing the feeders. They love the ice cold stuff. My cocker spaniel, who usually accompanies me on my bird feeding ritual, headed for the house because she was tired of getting dive bombed.
I probably had 15 humminbirds in my backyard chasing after each other at any one time this weekend because it didn't get over 82 Saturday. I had a pair wrestle each other to the ground, they were so fussy over the cold stuff!

I'll have to try it cold! I usually let it get room temp - can't wait to see 'em wrestle each other.

Brugie said....

Nice pic Dave! I haven't seen a mature male for a few weeks now.

I'm sorry... something about not being able to find a mature male made me giggle...
Oh wait... this is the bird forum... My bad!!!!!!!!

LOL, Oh you would be the one to pick that out Judy! :-)

I love a good laugh. You guys/gals are funny. I was afraid to say anything, not knowing who I'm talking to. I'm good at using the term "guys" to cover "a group of people", so if I use the term loosly, ahhhhh, be kind. LOL!

I have had one feeder guardian in the front yard. Now a male has decided to be the guardian for the feeder in the back. That is a good thing since that feeder is closer to a window. At first he had a little problem getting a grip on the shepard hook.

Finally he got a grip and settled down.

This message was edited Sep 7, 2007 7:28 PM

He kept a careful watch for other hummers.

Sometimes he would glance my way.

Our regulars our still here, but we got a group of migraters today. When I lifted the blind on the front window there 8 hummers at that feeder!!

Judy, I love your sense of humor!!! lol

I bought some film today because I refused to miss this opputunity for pic of sooo many hummers I might have coming my way over the next few weeks! I have 3 rolls waiting to be developed from earlier this summer & spring and told myself no more film till those all developed. *sigh*

But while the guardians would be chasing other hummers; some would sneak in for a sip.

Great pics Frank! Especially like the one where he's glancing your way!

Hey Judy - that was funny... Brugie - down here we say "ya'll" which works just like "you guys." LOL...

Here any guardian migrants have given up ownership - they do fight a bit, but I've seen all 6 ports of two feeders filled with "bowed heads," and if one takes too long, another will flip it with a beak to say "my turn." I've also seen one hover over one who's on a perch and drink over its head. At the same time several will hover and one or two will land on the crook to rest. Just bought another 4 lb. bag of sugar today. You send them down here, and we'll feed them before they go to Central AMerica! I really miss them in the summer when they are up your way making baby hummers...

fchisolm and dwdruly - love your pictures! What kind of camera? I need a new one so I can post some.

I love that last shot in Post #3949100. I don't think I've ever seen such a tiny hummer.

Bookworm...I use a canon 400D.
Brugie..I thought they were all tiny.

Bookworm...I use a Lumix FZ50.

Maybe the flowers on your feeder are larger than mine. LOL! I was thinking that maybe it was a baby.

Here's one from this morning. And, it's getting to the point where it's getting dangerous to go outside!! I had one come within 6 inches of me this morning just to check me out. Then, of course there's the divebombing and antics when they chase each other.

The flowers are large. It makes it pretty but I doubt it attracts any more hummers. It gives me something to look at all spring and summer till the hummers start using it.

They are really wild at our house today. I'm making almost two quarts of sugar water each day for them now. They must be bulking up for the trip south. I'll sure miss them.

I hear ya, Shirley. Mine are getting fat, so I guess it won't be long now, and I'll miss them too. I do still have an adult male, though.

I think I'm going to try and keep a feeder out this winter, just to see what happens. There was someone in Kentucky that had a ruby throat stay for the winter, so, you never know.

LOL! How would they get anything out of the feeder.....mine would be frozen solid.

well, yeah, but they had heat lamps on the feeder. ;) I don't know, thought it would be something to do since I can't play in the garden during the winter. :)

I'll have a garden in the house to tend to. Good luck. I hope if one happens to stay back, that it will survive winter.

I just saw 4 around my Trumpetvine. They are coming to the feeders alot but they don't look fat yet.

Do you think a 32 ounce or a smaller one would work best with a heat lamp? If they were only part filled would the air trapped inside help hold the heat better?

I need to find that thread Melody posted. She went to hear a hummingbird expert, and he had a lot of interesting information about the hummers staying up north during the winter.

Here it is.... look at Melody's post from August 18.... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/753275/#new

You can always bring the feeders in at night and put them back out in early morning. You would still need a heat lamp though.

Frank- maybe so.

Since my hummer was having trouble gripping the shepard hook; I put some duct tape on it. It takes away from the pic but it must be better for him.

That was very nice Frank!

Front view

While holding the feeder...

Another one...

How cool is that.....I've got to try this next year.

So cool, nanny. I've got that kind of feeder, too. If it weren't so blasted hot and humid, I'd go try it. I'm such a wimp...

Here in southeast Texas, my first huge wave of hummers seem to have moved on as of yesterday evening. After having 20-25 at a time, we had only 6-7 last evening and the same this morning. I guess those got fattened up and are now heading further south or across the gulf. It's so quiet out there today. Bon voyage, little ones!

We will still have hummers through October, sounds like the ones you in Iowa, Indiana, NJ, and Miss. are still seeing. I'll be ready for them...

Thanks for the camera info! Anyone else have good ones for close-ups as well as distance? I also want to take closeups of b-flies and caterpillars.

I use a Kodak Easy Share Z710. I love it because it takes pictures at any distance as well as short movies and it's easy to handle.

Brugie - sounds like a winner. On my list it goes. How does it do for closeups? That's where mine falls short. All the pics of my swallowtail or monarch cats look blurry.