I sent this email off to Steve:
Hi Steve,
I came across your website. I am new to hummingbird watching and this is my first year ever seeing one. I have planted quite a few hummer nectar plants in my yard over the past 2-3 years in hopes of attracting the little birds. And I put out feeders. It finally paid off this year!!
I live on the east coast in Sebastian, FL (zip code - 32958). My plant zone is 9b/10a. I saw my first hummer around November 20, 2007. Not sure if it was a female Ruby-throat or a young male. This bird or others that look like it have been visiting my feeders ever since. I saw an adult male for the first time at the feeders this past Sunday, February 11, 2008 along with the other hummer that is showing up. Of course, I may have multiple birds and can't tell the difference between them.
A co-worker said that one weekend about a month ago she counted 8 hummers (Ruby-throats) on her Jasmine hedges. She said that was the first time she has ever seen that many hummers at one time.
I have no idea how many different Ruby-throat hummingbirds are coming to my yard and using my feeders and plant blooms. But I see them quite frequently during the day up until about an hour or less before sundown.
I have a question for you. How common is it for Hummingbirds to stay year-round as residents here in Florida? I am surprised that the hummers have been here in my yard since at least November. I wasn't expecting them to stay all winter. So I am thinking that perhaps they are permanent residents in my area.
Thanks for any info you can share.
~Becky Cook~
Info I received about southern states Hummingbirds...
This is the reply I received from him:
Hi Becky,
I knew a Becky Cook in Illinois about 20 years ago.
It is very likely that if you see a hummingbird after October (if you're landscaping for and feeding them) you will see them throughout the winter. It is not as likely that you will see them in the summer though. Many hummingbirds winter in Florida and even in the states to our north. The more north you go the less likely that you'll see as many of them but with work and a little luck they can be attracted to just about any yard during the winter throughout the state. The farther south you go, the less likely you'll find a breeding bird in the summer.
You're likely to see hummingbirds pretty much anywhere throughout spring and fall migrations (March-May and August-September). These birds are not likely to stay more than a day or two so birds seen during these months most likely represent a regular turnover of migrants rather than the same resident birds. You'll likely notice that the birds are not seen everyday doing the same things, although in some cases, different birds will sit in the same perches or act the same because that's what hummingbirds do. These birds may not be as territorial because they're just stopping by for a quick meal and don't wish to expend anymore energy than they have to. This is also why during migration, hummingbirds are more likely to show up in less than ideal hummingbird "territories". The yard doesn't need to supply all of the hummers needs, just a quick meal without competition.
Your co-workers description of 8 hummingbirds along her hedge concerns me because they are very territorial and typically don't allow other hummers to feed nearby. I've documented 10 or more hummingbirds in my yard each of the past 4 years (based on different species, ages, gorget patterns, and sex, and banding results) but I never see more than one feeding in the same area. I have seen a number of them perched quietly in their respective territories from one view point but never feeding together.
There are a number of species of sphinx moths in Florida that are often referred to as hummingbird moths due to the way the feed at flowers, hovering like small hummingbirds. These will feed together. Close observation of these moths will reveal antennae, six legs, and a lack of a tail. I receive quite a few photos of these moths from people asking me to identify their hummingbird. With close examination of the photos one can see the antennae and six legs as well as a curled proboscis instead of a bill. These moths typically come out in low light conditions (dusk and dawn) and unless you're aware of the moths, it's a reasonable first reaction to call it a hummingbird.
I'm assuming that you found me through my Tripod Website: Florida Hummingbirds just because that's the one that shows up with a search of Florida and hummingbirds. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to follow through with that page but I am keeping an informative page with notes and photos from my yard at: http://mysite.verizon.net/resu64md/yardhummers/ I've also included a FAQ page that answers some of the more common questions I've received. It's also got a couple of photos of sphinx moths.
I hope this helps,
Steve Backes
Valrico, FL
backes1@verizon.net
What a nice and very informative response! So interesting about the habits of the hummingbirds, too.
I hope we can put this in our HB sticky!
Good suggestion, T! :-)
I saw Steve post on another forum concerning this very issue in Florida. Here is what he posted:
"Ruby-throateds arrive in Florida between August and September and leave between March and April. The young birds and adult males may begin to show up in late June to July but I believe these are birds that hatched or summered here and are just beginning post-breeding dispersal. The adult males don't help with the nest so they just move around looking for love or getting fat in preparation for migration. They will almost double their weight from on around 3 grams to as high as 6 grams before migrating. They may need that much for the flight over the Gulf. The last birds to come through will be the young from the last broods and the adult females who will need to wait until the kids are gone before she can begin to fatten up in preparation for the long flight south.
Ruby-throat migration north begins in late February to March or once they've completed their molt and built up enough weight. I've had birds stay into May before leaving and they've been the ones whose gorget filled in last.
There are a number of other factors that may influence when a bird shows up or leaves. Territorial disputes and food availability are among the most common reasons. A bird who is comfortable with its territory may be pushed out by a later arriving bird or by one who has "lost" its territory. Later migrating birds may be more aggrassive and capable of moving out a bird. The Rufous is known for its aggressiveness. Loss of a food source is also a reason for sudden failure of a territory. It may be due to the loss of a feeder or more likely a change in weather or the blooming season of the predominant flower.
Your discovery of a bird in December may be due to a cold snap that that killed off (or removed blooms of) a major food source in its old territory (or one of a competitors)near your neighborhood. Similar events can also remove the bird from your yard. This is why I always encourage offering feeders even if you're offering a good selection of blooming plants. I actually hope for freezes prior to our banding sessions because it increases the number of birds in my yard for a short period if time. I offer a number of feeders but I also have a number of my plants near the house or under trees and shrubs which help to warm them just that little bit that reduces the loss to freeze. "
Makes sense to me!
I am sitting here calculating this and by Steve's statement above, we could possibly have hummers in Florida 9 months out of the year (August - April) if not the entire year! That's much better than I was originally thinking. And if the birds come back to their territories each year, then I would have to guess that I will have hummers from here on out unless something unexpected happens!
WHOO HOO!!! Can you see me SMILING!!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
So ... that would mean that hummers "vacation" in the northern states, not the other way around! LOL! They go north like the snowbirds (winter folks) do when the temps start heating up! LOL LOL LOL LOL!
This message was edited Feb 18, 2008 9:47 AM
Well, I didn't sit down with a spread sheet to figure out Steve's dates and which HBs were visiting and which were putting down roots, but to me it sounds like there is an excellent chance that you will have a few of the birds all year 'round, no?
Especially with the HB buffet you put out!
Isn't it wonderful that all your hard work to create a hummer buffet is paying dividends? Are you getting any pictures?
T - That's what I am hoping for! Visitors all year! We shall see!
NL1950 - I've only gotten a few photos. And some video that I uploaded to YouTube.
Photos:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/812269/
YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MINATURE2
The best video is the "Hummer & Frog" video clip.
This reply popped up on another forum:
"It should be noted that Steve's dates apply to southern Florida, the border would be somewhere just south of Osceola county and further south. Valrico fits this pattern.
For the rest of Florida the dates are reversed. Rubythroats come with the migration from Mexico starting in early March and leave sometime in late August to early September. "
So ... what do I expect to observe over here on the east coast of Florida???? This is soooo confusing! LOL!
Saw that Steve posted in response to the above message by another person on that same forum:
"Yes and no.
I explained in my post that summering birds are more likely the farther north you go and wintering birds are more likely the farther south you go but you will find them throughout the state year round.
They are hard to find in the summer south of Osceola but I had them at my Tampa apartment every summer prior to moving in 2000. I'm also aware of recent reports of nests in Naples and the Miami area. The Birdlife of Florida published in 1994 lists Ruby-throated Hummingbird breeding in almost every county of the state. So, they do nest in the south but I would not suggest that anyone could be successful in attracting one in the summer. It would take a considerable amount of luck.
On the other hand, many Ruby-throateds are being banded north of Tampa on into Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. There are more Rufous and possibly Black-chinneds being banded in these areas than Ruby-throated but with some luck and feeders there is still a better chance of attracting wintering hummingbirds in the north than summering birds in the south. I will say that without a feeder in the north, you have very little chance of seeing a hummingbird in the winter. I strongly urge anyone interested in attracting hummingbirds in the state (especially north of Osceola) to hang and maintain at least one feeder where it can be regularly watched. This is especially true just after a freeze.
Use a minimal amount of solution in the feeder. Change it out every couple of days before any mold occurs and all you need to do is rinse it with hot water. You can make a cup or two of sugar solution last a week or so even with regular cleanings if you use just enough solution to be able to see it in the feeder.
Fred Bassett and Doreen Cubie are the banders who have banded in my yard. They are both associated with the Hummer Bird Study Group (see the link below). I am pretty much the most southerly yard where they band so there are plenty of hummingbirds to the north of me.
Steve"
Here is the weblink he was talking about:
http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/
I was not quite sure where Sebastian was so I looked it up on the map:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=27.817193~-80.475167&style=r&lvl=6&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=17496053&encType=1
According to this map, Sebastain is very close to Palm Bay on the east coast of FLA, right?
Yeppers! Palm Bay is just north of me.
I brought the feeders in last night to clean and refill them. I figured I would hang them up outside in the morning. At 7 am (daybreak) I walked past the livingroom window and see a hummer outside in my front garden bed nectaring from the porterweed and then zipping around the pole that the feeder hangs from. Ack!!! Can't believe they are up and eating breakfast that early in the morning! LOL! So ... I hurried and hung all the feeders up outside. (sheesh) I guess the early bird gets the nectar! :-)
And then I was out working in my back garden bed after work before dark, right near the other feeders and heard the buzz of the hummer as it had tried to come in to tank up on sugar water before retiring for the evening. It saw me working there and took off! I guess it had to hit the front feeder instead! :-)