Follow the 2009 Hummingbird Migration!!! Vol.2

no hummingbirds yet for me but YIPPPEEE got my first oriole a little bit ago. He must have been there awhile though because the feeder is already low on nectar. I was gone collecting plants from a friend. He has not found his oranges and jelly yet. I need to get some cleaning done but that will be on hold now as i hang out by the windows. LOL

All my summer friends are here except the hummers. Last year they were here 3 days after the orioles.

Good going Lynn!

Carol, the minute I see an HB, I'm going to put out rotten bananas and nesting material. Maybe they'll stay the summer then

I have nesting material out for regular birds. Do hummingbirds use anything special? I make sure to leave spider webs alone.

Hi there and welcome ChefsMom. I'm watching all this hummer action here also. My kids saw there first oriole today near our feeder. Now where's those little hummers at!!

Cuckoo

yes, thanks to tigerlily, last year we saw pix of the hummies using cattails. So i have some of those. They like the silk from milkweed pods too, so I saved some of that.

Hello folks;,,

The hummers showed up here early this morning... Made my cup of coffee and headed out to the greenhouse and there were four of them... All males.. I'll be putting up a second feeder tomorrow as I suspect more to follow behind shortly.. By June I'll probably have four to five feeders going to keep the fighting to a minimum.. A few days early this year because of the warm weather we've had and that caused all the fruit trees to blossom out... They seem to follow the blooms on the lilacs and fruit trees.. The orioles are here also.. House wrens arrived three days ago, and the bluebirds are building nests in the boxes...

Happy Spring everybody!!

Dave

Congrats Dave !! And Happy Spring to you too!!

Thanks for the welcome!
I have 2 feeders just waiting for those hummers ... tonight I bought a couple of oranges for the orioles - we had one last year which was the first one since we've lived there since 1984.

Mrs_Ed -- my parents lived outside of Dixon on the Rock River for years ... small world!

Welcome Chefs Mom. We were originally from Rockford/Cherry Valley. But, we moved down here 25 years ago and never looked back. We still have family in Rockford and in Milwaukee. Small world.

Our regular HB family has arrived plus 2 more. Total of 5 so far. Everything is starting to bloom and I have had to change the feeder about every 3 days. Now just waiting for the Monarchs to come back.

Hey Chefs! I'm in Rock Falls and Lynnbird is in Dixon, so yup, small world!

Okay...is this an Illinois conspiracy???!!!!

Hey welcome you all!

I got my first hummingbird today! How exciting. A lovely male came to feed several times. Two full weeks earlier this year than last.

My first hummingbird was observed yesterday in a autumn purple ash in our front yard.Only seen him once so I will keep watching.

Cuckoo

Congratulations guys!

I have had them for weeks but they are few and far between.. I don't know why.. I usually have them buzzing around everywhere.

The funniest thing this morning. i now have two male orioles. One is a younger one ( he was here first). The other one shows up and he is just as funny as a hummingbird because he is trying to guard the hummingbird feeders from the younger oriole. Chases him off then sits on the top of the shepard hook or on the deck railing 'guarding' 'his feeder'. Can't wait until a HB shows up and then see what happens. So, the younger one goes to front yard to get a drink (I have a HB feeder in the front and back yard) and he is chased from there and then goes to the oriole feeder and can't get get on the feeder but no matter cause he is chased from there also. The older finally quit chasing him (found the jelly on the oriole feeder) and the younger one finally goes to the back and gets the fresh orange I just put on the top of the shepard hook.

Hilarious way to wake up this morning.

That's great Lynn; they are fun to watch!

They must know I miss the HB so they are taking on some characteristics of them for me until they arrive. LOL. I cannot believe how vivid orange they are. So darn gorgeous they are!

Still waiting for the hummers and orioles here - have lots of goldfinches though!
I leave for FL Thursday for vacation (taking my 86 year young mom) so my husband may be the first to spot the hummers - it is a small contest we have every year! LOL! Hopefully I'll spot them between now and Thursday!

My Dad grew up in Rock Falls and most of my relatives on his side are still there. My sister lives in Dixon. Truly is a small world!

This message was edited Apr 30, 2009 9:31 AM

Got a male HB today. Nothing like the feeling when you look at the feeder and see a HB there. Still having fun watching the dueling orioles. Sure wish my flowers were blooming.

My parents just got back from FL. They go down for 7 months of the year and then do nothing but complain about Illinois the rest of the year. They are back early this year for my daughters' graduation and did comment how nice it is to see everything budding out and coming to life. This is one of my favorite times of year. Have a safe trip to FL, Chef. Hope you see a HB first. I do not want to tell my hubby because he wants to chase the hummers with his remote control helicopter this year. LOL

Just saw our first hummingbird last night in West Des Moines. We were watching TV around 7 last night, and I happened to look out the back window. He was feeding on our saucer HB feeder right next to the goldfinches and pine siskins who were eating their nyjer. Hubby was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him, too. Now I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting to see our first oriole!

congrats wicks. hope the orioles stop by soon.

Congratulations wwicks!

congrats wicks!

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding -

HB at my house - 1st time EVER this early in the season!! Yea, me.

Congratulations Carol!!!

Yeah for you Carol!

Congrats carol13!

Awesome Carol!

Cuckoo

Saw a hummer this AM - sort of! It dive bombed me as I was walking by the feeder, haven't spotted him since though!
There's been a Rose Breasted Grosbeak at the feeder all morning.
Yesterday on the way to my Mom's a beautiful bald eagle soared through the sky - his head and tail feathers were just magnificant in the sun. Took my breath away! (My in-laws have a nest of eagles on their property here in Northern Illinois, but somehow watching them near their nest isn't as exciting as it was to see this eagle soaring yesterday!)

Had another male at 10:00 am today!

That's great Marna!!

and then gone! LOL. such torture sitting there tonight with no activity, when I know Rose is having another feeding frenzy down there in Missouri!

Don't feel bad...we have had our one little male a couple of times and then nada! :(

Same here.

Had a couple males for weeks, one female last week. This week, no hummers. Guess they all went north. I know y'all will take good care of them til fall migration.

No more sightings since that 1st. Have had my 1st catbirds of the season, tho. Sure sign
of spring around here. Except that it's been raining & in the 50's. Lots of regular bird acti-
vity. And SOMEBODY has just about destroyed my fake wreath that's been hanging on
my patio for a couple years. The last 2 days it's been styrofoam & fake nuts & leaves all
over the place. 70 bucks, torn to shreds. Oh well, an excuse to buy something else!

Tree rats?

Huh?