Where have all the hummers gone... long time passing...

Seriously, where are they? Is anyone else experiencing a hummer drought? I usually have hummers ten months out of the year. I have tons of nectar producing plants in full bloom, but absolutely no hummers. I even hung a couple of feeders which I don't usually do in the summer, but still no takers.

Is anyone else having this problem? If so, do you know why? Maybe the hurricane? Some areas that were lush are still just buried under sand. Maybe the extremely dry winter and the resulting lack of spring wildflowers? I sure wish they would come back. There are tons of butterflies. I thought the two went hand in hand. Maybe a neighborhood cat is getting them all. Wondered what y'all knew. Thanks.

This pic was taken last October.

Maybe they all have nests with small chicks, when they need to find a more high-protein diet? If yes, they'll be up in the tree tops looking for flies.

Resin

I hope that's the case. If they need high protein, they should try the ants at my hummer feeders! I guess those would be harder to feed to the little ones.

That is a great pic. My hummers have too seemed to slow there visits to my feeders. I went out and bought a few of there favorite plants. But still no luck!

I am!!!!! We are only getting a male a few times a day right now.....TOTALLY BUMMED OUT!!

I have one lone male.

He comes and visits frequently all day long.

If we are standing next to the railings of the front porch, he will come feed at a feeder just inches away.

I thought early this morning I saw two of them going into the canopy of a saw tooth oak in my front yard.

Our numbers are down also from earlier this month. We had about 15 last night and about 6 or 7 this morning and a few in and out all day long. We have both male and females. Earlier this month we would have swarms of about 50 in the evening. I think this happened last year also...as the summer arrived the number of Hummers increased. I hope they are just nesting as Resin mentioned.

Elphaba....that shot of yours is my dream shot!!

I thought they were slow arriving this year also. Finally got a couple fussing over the feeders but it has ben a slow start. I believe they likeit better when it warms up. We have had a cooler spring than usual, so maybe they will start streaming in now. We have always hope. They are such beautiful, entertaining little birds.

What a beautiful picture. We've seen a few at our crabapple trees.

My hummer activity has declined, too, but a couple weeks ago I had a hard time keeping the feeders filled. The bees have started coming around though.

I came here to see if anyone else was experiencing a hummingbird drought and it seems to be widespread! I had a couple visiting each day (which is still considerably down for the normal for this time of year), but I haven't seen any at all in 4 days. I have honeysuckle blooming like crazy, coral bells, columbine and plenty of feeders but no hummers now.
My parents live a short distance away say the same thing and so does my sister-in-law in Tennessee. Very odd. I sure hope they come back soon.
Beautiful picture Elphaba!

I usually only have one or two but this year i have only had a few glimpses. ...until yesterday. there is a lone male that has been around for the past 2 days. I have seen him more today than any all season. he isnt really stopping at the flowers yet but mine are all slow to bloom this year and are just starting to take off.

During the summer, I usually have 3-4 hummers that visit my feeder everyday. This year I saw one in early spring and then nothing. Today, I had one flying around a tree; but it never even went close to the feeder. Resin's explanation ... looking for bugs ... is probably right on target for this one; but I haven't seen a nest anywhere.

Wow, your responses are fascinating and worrisome. I posted on the Texas forum too. On that forum, it seems that people near me -- Sugarland, Humble, College Station don't have any hummers this year either. I started to think maybe it was just this spot, but it sounds like there is a hummer drought in many parts of the country.

Dellrose, you are indeed lucky! I did see a ton of hummers when I visited CA over x-mas. You don't have Ruby-throated ones though, do you? Maybe something is going on with the Ruby-throated hummers.

That is one of my favorite pictures and as it turns out one of my last! My other favorite hummer pictures were taken in March last year, so it's not my imagination, the hummers are usually around almost all year -- not this year.

I was pretty sure they had arrived, as I got "buzzed" a couple of times while bending over in the garden (didn't see him), so I put my feeders out several weeks ago. I hadn't seen any at the feeders until yesterday, when a female dropped by but moved on after one quick check.

I put those new Hummzinger guards on that are supposed to (and do) deter yellow jackets, but maybe my hummers don't like them. They're a soft plastic cap with an X slit that fit over the underside of the holes, the idea being that hummer bills will slip right through for the food but yellow jackets will be denied.

Maybe I need to take the caps off at least one of the feeders.

Elp...I live in Missouri and have the Ruby-Throated. I will go to the wooded area today and sit for awhile as last year I saw them there and thought they must be nesting in the Juniper trees. Note to self...apply tick and chigger spray....LOL!!

Well of course you live in MO. Why on earth was I so sure that you were CA! LOL! Well, that's good news.

Critter, maybe? I just made a clinging birdfeeder and modeled it after these woodpecker feeders that I saw online. From what I read, only certain birds are supposed to be able to cling. I have yet to find a bird that can't cling and eat from the feeder that I made! Even a couple of doves have managed it although with great difficulty and not frequently. I think the hummers should be able to figure it out.

I had probably a couple dozen until the heat hit last week. Am now seeing just three or four, and seldom, at that. ;(

LOL I hear you on birds eating what/where they're "not supposed to." Juncos aren't "supposed to" eat sunfower or cling to the PB or suet feeder (they are supposed to eat little seeds like millet from the ground and from platform feeders), but they eat everything I put out here!

I think you're right that the hummers will figure out the nectar guards. It's just a little "different." Meanwhile, I do have other yummies blooming for them. :-)

I am having the same issue, I have only seen a few and that was earlier this year. Elphaba we live in Friendswood, just south of Houston. I have lots of plants and things they normally love. We were in Leakey, TX (hill country) at friends in mid April and they had 50 or better. Pat was refilling 6 large feeders every day. This is one of my favorite pictures that I took last fall. I miss my little birds.

That is so weird. If they are in other parts of Texas as it seems they are, why not here? BTW, that's a great pic Danea! I miss them too and sure wish they'd come back. The garden has been blooming its head off for months with no hummers. An Orchard Oriole feasted for a while though.

I have not seen an Orchard Oriole. My treat was the Hooded Warbler.

Hola ya'll - just barging in ere...
we live in the sticks between
Dallas and Waco, TX.

we love hummers and yet we
dont usually spy as many as
we would like.

Nrmally, ruby throats only
appear EAST of the Rocky
Mountains. And east of the
Rockies, we dont see many
of the other types of hummers.

But srangely enough, this year
we have seen a rufous but
hardly any rubies!

I am pretty sure that the cold
has something to do with it.
After all, why be here when
it is cold and cold for your
little chickies when you could
be basking in the sunny
warmth of climes further south
and in Mexico.

One way to attract proteirn to
your garden for them to eat
(which might help you see
the ones that are around- is
to put out banana peels (after
you eat the banana).

It will atract fruit flies, gnats
and other bugs that the
hummers like to eat.

You can also set out other
fruit attractants like pieces of pineapple, mango, papaya,
orange, etc.

Cold? lol! It hasn't been cold here. Today, is a really nice day much drier and cooler than it has been. Temps have frequently been in the 90s though. In fact, yesterday felt like a nice cool day and it was 89. Never heard that about banana peels although I'm reluctant to try it since I do have a lot of flies this year.

I have the Ruby-throated, up in Canada. Their numbers is about the same as last year. And it's a cold Spring this year. We still have some night with frost. They are busy keeping themselves warm.
.

This is the the only time I have seen one this year - he seemed to be resting in the Crepe Myrtle. I thought I had just not been around at the right time. Good to know otherwise.

I'm so glad that I noticed this thread. I have been really bummed out by the disappearance of our rubys!! We had about 10 here a few weeks ago fighting over the 2 feeders that I have which is a lot for us. And they were there all day long. I was even considering ordering another feeder and then the numbers dropped off. Now I only see one at a time but have noticed that it is actually 3 different females.....no males. I guess it is possible that everybody got busy with nests at once which would have them feeding the first round of babies but still..... :-(

I am also glad to hear this! I had my usual small group of Ruby -Throated here in NJ and they seemed to be at the feeder constantly, but all of a sudden they vanished. They were all females that I had seen and I hoped they were nesting. I will be on careful watch but I do have a great picture for you. This is another visitor that I have had at my hummingbird feeder!

LOL, cute one brushlady!

Ah he's got a sweet tooth.

Adorable!! I love those little guys!

OMGOSH...FUNNY!!! That is the one place that I have not had my chippies get...YET!!!!

Hello.. everyone takes such great pictures here. :) I was lucky enough a year ago to have a nest right off my patio, it was about 10ft off the ground. Here are a few pics.

time to eat

closer

This is from a week ago, not to many sitings this year so far, its been raining often.

those are so sweet!!!

I think all the hummingbirds left Houston and came to my house. I have about 25 of them at my feeders in the evenings and morning times. They are LOUD and fuss a lot!

Elphaba, maybe it is the pollution? Btw I was born in Stinkadena....ahem Pasadena. We never got to see the stars at night because of the smog....unless we went to Granny's house up into the Lufkin area.

The hummers here usually only come by at sunup and sundown this time of year unless it is raining. Then they come anytime it is actually raining. We have lots of wildflowers blooming and all those flowers are covered with insects. They can find both food and nectar in one place. The hummers did disappear while the honey suckle was blooming. At work we have sold three times the feeders we normally sell. Maybe that has spread them out some. But I think I have more hummers than I have had in past years.

Burd_Fotos your pictures of the hummer's nest are amazing!!!!
I recently watered my garden and immediately after, as if it had been watching, a female hummer flew in, landed on a large hosta leaf and began drinking from the water droplets on the leaf. It sat and drank for a few seconds from several droplets, went to another leaf to repeat, and then flew away again. It was fascinating!