I hung my feeder yesterday, they are getting close! http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html
Does anyone want to share their the date of their first sighting of this year? Do you remember what was in bloom that day?
I always notice the sightings near me are a lot earlier than I see them. I wonder if the people that have the earliest sightings sit and stare at the feeders! lol Or maybe they splurged on one of those hummingbird feeder cameras, so they can go back and check the feed at night.
Ruby Throat Hummingbird Migration 2008
I saw my first one today, 04/15/08!!
The only thing I have blooming are some tete-a-tete daffodils and Hyacinths. I was in the front yard when it went flying right by me!
Yay! That's great! I always wonder if they visit hyacinths for nectar. The flower shape seems right. Do you have a feeder out for them?
2 hummer feeders plus the oriole feeder are out right now. When our regulars start to show up I will be putting out at least 2 more hummingbird feeders. Don't know if they will hit on the hyacinths or not. Of course there are flowers on shrubs around the neighborhood and some trees have blossoms on them now. Plus they eat insects, and with the warm up now they are out!
We are just beginning to warm up enough for insects. I saw the first fly of spring yesterday. I know they drink from sap drips that have been created in trees by woodpeckers. I think that is something the early birds go for around here.
Added - The map shows a sighting 50 miles south of here, on April 13th, so they should be arriving any time now! :)
This message was edited Apr 16, 2008 9:20 AM
That is right the do drink the sap...we have lots & lots of woodpeckers around here! From the little Downy to the Pileated. The Northern Flickers came back 2-3 weeks ago. So lots of sap flowing I guess!
i saw my first three tonight. two males and a female. yes so glad to have them back
I just put out two feeders late this afternoon, with big red streamers too. According to the Journey North maps, they have made it past me into Wisconsin. So I'm ever hopeful!
Congrats imzadi!!
They'll get there eventually Mrs. Ed!
yep they will hit your door step in no time. was just talking to Dh saying all mu honey suckle vines are in bloom and no hummies and just as i said it they zoomed into the yard. i was so tickled. so i know they on the move,
Well I dunno… I am not usually a stop on the spring migration. But I've got the red everywhere now, Including Cubs and Redsox baseball flags! Feeders on three sides of the house.
:fingers crossed:
Here are my welcome mats!
Mrs Ed,
Do you think that the red streamers will make a difference? Will they scare the birds when they are moving in the wind?
gosh, I hope not. I had read that putting red ribbons out would help attract them. Of course I can't remember WHERE I read that, but I'll look and keep you posted.
Okay, here are a couple sites:
http://www.avianweb.com/attractinghummingbirds.html
http://www.birdsforever.com/hummers.html
Thank you for the links. I wasn't trying to scare you, I just had not heard of adding the ribbons.
supposedly to help them see the feeder. Since I'm wary of putting out plants yet, that is what I did.
Still no takers that I have seen.
We had several flying around the yard this week. Our lilacs and crabapples are in bloom and the red buckeyes too. And I hung baskets of red geraniums out next to the feeders 3 weeks ago. The HBs have been checking them out, too.
They say the HBs follow the lilac bloom north--I think the warm weather helps the migration too. One of the local ornithologists said that the northern (spring) migration follows the weather fronts too, which is interesting. They can tell big bird migration movements at night by using the weather radar. Don't ask me how!?
It was in the eighties today and so warm and dry that I turned on the yard sprinklers for a little while to see if the birds would like it and the HBs came out and played in them. So did the robins. I have to remember to get my little birdbath fountain repaired! Or get one of those dripper/mister things for the summer.
I have read in various magazines and online that the HBs are attracted to the red color and can see it a mile or two away (?)...so quite often birders will put a Christmas ribbon or something red near the feeders. I have also read that putting plastic red flowers out is an effective lure to the feeders. I do it, but I can't say if it makes a difference--I'm not very scientific that way. And I haven't found a real academic paper on the question, either.
"They" say that orange fake flowers or ribbon will work for orioles and yellow for goldfinch. There is some discussion whether a blue lure will work for bluebirds. Some say they can get a bluebird to a nestbox within minutes if they place a blue bird shape on the box. Others say it will 'spook' the birds. I don't know....but worth a try...
Good luck with your Cubs and Red Sox flags, Mrs Ed.-- You should be able to get some bluebirds and hummingbirds, if not a World Series win!
Got my first hummer tonight at 7:55 pm. It was dark and cold after the front came through. I can't wait until the sun comes up!!!
I wonder if he has been visiting all day and I didn't know it!!! My feeders were down last night overnight for cleaning, so I'm glad that he was there tonight. Assuming a HE. Couldn't really tell.
Interesting info, T! I put red ribbons around my yard and the feeder pole to attract them and I don't know if it was that or all the red blooms I had around my yard that attracted them in November and throughout the winter, but I did finally get my first this year.
The last I saw of my hummer was almost 2 weeks ago. I continue to keep the feeder up, but it may have headed North. Or it could be nesting since it was a female. I read that when the mother bird is tending eggs, she doesn't frequent the feeder as often and will look for spiders and other small insects instead for protein to feed her babies. I am hoping that is the case! But I suspect she may have headed North. Time will tell. (sigh)
Still no sign of them here...the lilacs in my garden will bloom on Monday, I expect. Just in time for a forecasted freeze. I cannot help but think it's a false alarm. The ground soil temp is awfully high for a freeze, although I don't know that has anything to do with it, it seems like it should make it warmer somehow, doesn't it? (Grasping at straws here, peeps...help me out!)
Suzy
Sounds like a good theory to me. I'll buy it!! Some of my lilies are to tall to try and cover...
My DSs saw our first hummingbird today! I was in the shower so I missed it.....my bad luck. Anyway, we had a feeder out last year and only ever saw one customer at it. I had the food that came with the feeder, but now I am out of that. I know I can make my own, but want to make sure it is right. Is it one part sugar to four parts water? I think I read that somewhere, but I'm not sure now. Thanks for any help you can give!
That's it!
Thank you!
Should the water be boiled first?
mgh, I've read a couple of things about humming bird feeders that I didn't know here lately, you don't have to boil the water and you can rinse the feeder out with a little bleech and water instead of using dish soap which is not good for them or they don't like it one. I still need to get mine out today I just made some food for them yesterday but I haven't seen any here yet.
The columbines are usually the first flower for them to nectar on here but all I have blooming right now in those are chocolate solider (sp) and they are so short not sure if they would even go to them, didn't realize they were going to be so short or I wouldn't even had planted those I do have others that will probably bloom this week :)
Yes Suzy, I'm worried about my wisteria, it's almost in bloom and the lilacs are blooming too, I don't want to lose any blooms! I left all of my seedlings outside last night and although it wasn't freezing out the winds made it soo much colder, the daturas and veggies were fussing at me when I went out this morning lol
I still haven't seen a hummingbird here. I think it was right around now that I saw one last year. If memory serves me correctly there was one male that I only saw once, even though I kept watching the feeder for his return. He was probably a scout, I don't think he even took any nectar, just inspected the feeder, looked towards me (looking out the slider) and buzzed off. Then about a week later a regular visitor started. I remember that I had bought some coral bells that were in bloom and watching the hummer go to them. Then I got some bleeding hearts that were in bloom later that week. So I am thinking they should be here soon because I have coral bells budding and bleeding hearts starting to bloom. I am curious to see if the lilacs are in bloom when they show up, I don't have any in my yard because my husband says he's allergic to the smell, but all my neighbors have them. I think my lonicera sempervirens had just started lightly blooming when they got here last year, or maybe shortly after. I myself am doubting the warm spring will make them show up earlier, because it's been very warm here for close to two weeks and it hasn't made them show up here any sooner than usual. I think I remember seeing somewhere that it is the length of day that tells them when to migrate. It's probably for the best, so if there are any late cold snaps, they won't be effected :)
Thank you, LeBug. I went ahead and boiled the water and then let it cool. The feeder is all cleaned up and full and hanging under the eve out front. I just used warm water to clean it...no soap or bleach. It had been sitting out all winter, so I was shocked when my DS said the hummer stayed and fed at it. Maybe it was just testing and found that it was bad. I sure hope it comes back.
I have very short columbine also...I've never seen any hummers at it. My lilac has tons of buds on it this year. It has been very sparse the last few years. We are just now getting some good weather....finally! We've had so much rain this month I thought we would float away. Makes it easy to pull weeds though. ^_^
When I make my nectar solution I boil water in my tea kettle and pour 1 cup into a glass measuring cup and add 1/4 cup of sugar then stir until it's dissolved. Easy peasy :)
Mgh - I think you should consider sterilizing your feeders somehow. They might get mold and that could keep the hummingbirds from using your feeders. Are they dishwasher safe? I clean mine with dish detergent then sometimes I run them through the dishwasher for the sterilizing. The dish detergent I use is called Planet - the only ingredients in it are coconut oil based cleaners, salt and sodium bicarbonate. It is certified biodegradable, so I am pretty sure it is safe for the hummers.I figure if I can eat off my dishes after using it - it can't be bad. I make sure I rinse them extremely well after washing too.
You can also disinfect your feeder by cleaning it with vinegar and water and cleaning it out real good using a baby bottle brush. That's what I clean mine with. It is pretty hot here, so I recommend cleaning and changing the sugar water every 2-3 days. Hummers can get sick and even die from bacteria and fungus that might be multipling in a dirty feeder. Sugar seems to grow bacteria. I do boil my water too. I heard that it keeps the nectar good longer. Just my .02 worth of advice.
Added: If you find it hard to clean your feeder because it is too narrow, use some hard rice added to the container and shake it with the vinegar water really good. It acts as a scrapper against the bottle and other parts that are hard to get to (that the rice won't get stuck in!). Works like a charm for me to get my odd shaped feeders sparkling clean! :-)
This message was edited Apr 26, 2008 7:27 PM
Becky that is a great way to clean a bottle shaped feeder! I have resorted to only using saucer shaped ones because I find them easy to clean. Now maybe I can get a prettier one and try your cleaning method! :)
Hey beckygardener :) I'll boil my water if that makes it last longer, anything to help lol This time of year when you don't put much in them it seems to go to waste so much faster so that's good, and I like the rice trick, my last brush wore out and haven't been able to find another brush to clean the bottles with, no good baby bottle brushes anymore like I used to use I sent for a brush set from the fuller brush people lol Cost $20 for two cottin pickin brushes and still not one that's small enough to reach in my bottle one lol I miss my baby bottle brushes!
Hmm...I'm not sure if my feeder is dishwasher safe or not. I guess I could try it and see how it turns out. LOL I don't think it was that expensive anyway. If I don't get any customers, I will put it in the dishwasher and start over. I do have a bottle brush left over from my babies......they are 10 and 7 now!
The mold that can grow in a dirty feeder....is it clear or would you be able to see it? I didn't see any mold on or in the feeder at all when I washed it.
Sometimes you just don't see bacteria or mold growing even though it might be there. But it can certainly make the little birds sick. I always err on the side of caution. But that is just me. If it is in a shady spot, the sugar water may last a day longer before it starts to spoil. I buy the gallon jugs of spring water (nothing too good for my hummers! LOL!), boil it all in a big pot, and make up a batch of nectar, pour it back into the jug after it has cooled, and then refridgerate it. I think it will last 2 weeks in the fridge. So ... I just clean and change out the feeder twice a week ... every 3 days. My hummers have gone north I suspect, but I'm keeping my feeder up for a bit longer just in case the female is nesting and is still here.
I had 3 feeders up, but decided to just use one. I may go back to 2 in the Fall. Most of the hummers are territorial and will try to run off other hummers unless it is during certain times ... like nesting and migrating or drought conditions. Made it easier for me to maintain just one feeder. But I may put another back up in the front of my house so that I can entertain 2 hummers instead of my one Fall/Winter visitor. It's best to put the feeders out of site from one another. That way one hummer won't dominate 2 or more feeders. They are fearless warriors!
Added to say: I use vinegar always when cleaning mine instead of soap or bleach. I am so afraid I won't get all the soap/bleach off the feeder which might also make the birdies sick. The vinegar helps to retard fungus/mold/bacteria growth as well. So it does double duty! I also use Q-tips to clean the nectar holes if they are not too small. These are little tricks you learn and share when using feeders.
This message was edited Apr 26, 2008 7:31 PM
I bring my water almost to a boil, then add the sugar and boil for one minute. The hot water allows the sugar to dissolve more easily. Can't remember where I read about the one minute thing though.
But here's this:
http://hummingbirds.net/feeders.html#recipe
To clean I use really hot water and a bit of bleach. Then lots of rinsing with hot water. Use q-tips to clean the tight areas if you don't have a small brush.
Great site, Mrs. Ed! Thanks for posting that. Yes, the water only needs to boil for a brief time. And I also rinse many times after cleaning so that there is no residue of vinegar in the feeder.
I am so happy for all of you that now have hummers. I already miss mine. I can't complain though. They were here in my garden from November (maybe earlier and I didn't see them) until about the beginning of April. I am still holding on to hope that my female is still here and is nesting and eating bugs instead of nectar at this time. :-)
Do post photos if you can get some! I love to see them! :-)
Well heck yah becky, they could be nesting.
Mrs_ED, I want to post some notes from that link that you sent:
Please, do not put honey, Jell-O, brown sugar, fruit, or red food coloring in your feeder! Honey ferments rapidly when diluted with water and can kill hummingbirds. The effects of red dye have not been not scientifically tested, and it is not necessary to color the water to attract birds to your feeder. Further, there are unverified reports that red dye can cause tumors in hummingbirds; this may or may not be true, but why take the chance?
I still read where people put red food coloring in their feeders!!!
Distilled water may be used instead of tapwater. However, some researchers are concerned that distilled water lacks minerals that hummingbirds need, and believe it would be prudent to add a pinch of sodium-free salt, which contain potassium chloride, to feeder solutions made with distilled or demineralized water. This should help bring the salt content of artificial nectar back in line with that of natural nectar and help prevent electrolyte deficiencies. Do not use table salt (sodium chloride). Adding salt is not necessary if well or tap water is used.
Every filling, flush the feeder with hot tap water; a bottle brush can be very helpful. Do not use soap - hummers apparently don't like the taste, but bleach will remove it if you have this problem. Visually inspect the entire feeder for black mold; a bleach soak (see the next paragraph) is the best way to remove mold. Discard any unconsumed sugar water - if the birds are not emptying your feeder between cleanings, just partially refill it. If the sugar solution in your feeder turns cloudy, it's spoiled and needs to be replaced When the temperature is over 80 degrees (F), clean and refill every three or four days. Over 90°F, it might spoil in two days.
At least once a month, clean the feeder thoroughly with a solution of 1/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water. Soak the feeder in this solution for one hour, then clean with a bottle brush. Rinse well with running water and refill. Any remaining traces of bleach will be neutralized by reacting with the fresh syrup, and there's no need to air dry before refilling. Bleach is both safe and very effective.
I still need to paint my yellow holes red!
Bees, Wasps, and Yellowjackets
It was recently discovered that bees and wasps are attracted to the color yellow. Since many hummingbird feeders have yellow plastic "flowers" or other parts, try removing such parts or painting them red before hanging your feeder in the spring - once bees learn where food is, they fly right back to the hive to tell all their friends, so avoiding their attention up front works best.
Also, reducing the sugar concentration to 1 part sugar in 5 parts water will make it less attractive to insects, but probably won't make the hummingbirds lose interest.
These paragraphs are very important and thought it was worth pointing them out, thanks for the link Mrs_Ed :) I lost most of my links in a virus a while back.
Lea
My hummers seem to arrive late this April. This is the first week I have seen them at the feeders. This morning, I had 3 so maybe I will have some to nest close by.
Does anyone know how close they will nest together? My neighbor has out feeders and she always seems to have more and me. Maybe that where they have been :)
I can remember my Mom feeding them years ago and I have kept up the tradition. She is now 81 and still enjoys the little flying jewels.
Teresa in KY