I did have 2 hummers but thy have disappeared. Any idea what happened. I have several feeders that I kept filled and also plants that I know they were feeding from. Sharon
Hummers have flown the coop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Sharon, I had my first hummers of the season in mid-March and was so excited! I'd put out three feeders two weeks before, and kept refreshing them thinking it would be any day they'd arrive. They did, and drank from my feeders for maybe a week, and disappeared, and I haven't seen them since!!!! Does anyone know why this would happen? I had so many hummers last year, I'll be devastated if I have none this year!
I know what you mean. Same thing here.
Two reasons come to mind: They are nesting somewhere nearby and not buzzing around feeders much. Or, they were just scouts and passing through heading north.
It seems like your places would be lovely for them, though with all the feeders, so I'm sure they or others will set down for good soon.
I wish mine would come around too. I saw them last week and now not a sign of them. And every time I go into the yard I put my (red) Cincinnati Reds cap on to try to lure them out of hiding!
I'll keep hoping that they will return and bring family and freinds along. Sharon
Kgb4013,
I have several hummers that showed up in March. At first they were hitting my feeders pretty hard but now that there are lots of flowers in bloom, they are hitting them instead and hardly touching the feeders. You're in the same zone as me so I wonder if that's your problem too? Mine are still "in the neighborhood" but I see them flying in and out of the areas where they like to nest so that's probably another reason I'm not seeing them at my feeders. I expect that soon they'll be back with their little broods in tow :-}
I saw them 1 day at my snapdragons, but I haven't seen them lately. I'm scared that they left. 1 even followed me into the greenhouse once. Last summer it was even later than this when they arrived, do you think they were just scouting on this first trip? Sharon
I saw a male just this morning flitting around right outside my kitchen window on my star jasmine. The flowers have just begun to open on it and he checked out almost every one of them :-} I'll bet yours will show back up.
Thanks for the encouragement. I will keep you'll posted. Sharon
I don't have many flowers out quite yet, so I'm afraid they were disappointed I was only offering nectar in feeders. I hope they'll come back and give me a second chance, I have a lot of buds and plants ready to pop!
If they showed up in your area already, they're likely still there somewhere. They're probably busy raising their babies and not venturing very far from their nests. I'm still seeing several but I'm sure later I will start seeing dozens at a time at my feeders. They won't hit the feeders hard until the flowers aren't as readily available.
I have lots of snapdragons, maybe they are feeding from those now. Sharon
I have also noticed the first hummingbirds of the year seem to be just passing through. I believe they are a combo of scouts and birds on their way north just stopping in for a rest. I think of us that keep feeders out early, as rest stops for them. :) It seems to take a little longer for the ones that are going to stick around and raise their families to get here. I also notice in fall that my resident hummingbirds seem to leave a lot earlier than the last time I see hummingbirds in my yard. The ones I do spot after the residents leave are usually just a couple times in a day, usually early in the morning or later in the afternoon and then they are on to someone more south. : )