Songdoghunter
Twelve Pointer
Thought you were going to see a piece of hardware didn't you? I love these little guys!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dytEdPUE3kA&feature=youtu.be
Pictures of my Hovercrafts
- Thread starter Songdoghunter
- Start date
We have had fewer hummingbirds this year than most, and I've seen no babies as of yet. A couple of years ago we went through 8 cups of sugar water every day , it was like a swarm of hummingbirds had found our place. We ran 4-6 feeders at all times, this year we have only two feeders out and end up changing the water out weekly.
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
We have several Hummers this year at our two feeders. A couple keep guard and chase some of the others away. Its kinda funny at times watching the aerial maneuvers they can accomplish when chasing each other..
Songdoghunter
Twelve Pointer
I have 7 feeders and am going through about 50 ounces of food a day. I make my own with 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water. I've seen 1 banded bird. I wish there was a way to catch him so I could see where he was banded. I've done considerable reading on hummers and am amazed that they migrate alone and not in a flock. It takes the average bird 18-22 hours to cross the gulf of Mexico in the spring and lose half of their body weight in the process. Amazing birds!
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
I have read quite a bit about Hummers also and the most amazing thing is some of them cross the Gulf of Mexico . How that tiny bird can fly that long and that far is unreal to me. Probably quite a few of them never make it across the open water. I also read where they come back to the same areas they left from when cool weather approaches. Hummers that are used to feeding at the artificial feeders will close right in and feed immediately if they have been there before. Birds that have never fed at the feeders before are hesitant at first but soon adapt to taking the free food...Never have seen a banded hummer yet but I keep looking..
They have a very short lifespan, so alot of the birds that we see are a first at any feeder. I saw a Anna's hummingbird earlier this week, something that is not supposed to be very common, but we see several every year here in the foothills.
Songdoghunter
Twelve Pointer
I understand that a small group of them winter on the outer banks.
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
Not surprising they have a very short lifespan at all with the energy they expend. I have never seen a baby hummer nor the nest of a hummer. I saw one fly into a bush we have by our fence back in May . The bush is big enough and has good concealment for a birds nest of any kind.. I went and carefully looked but I saw no birds nest there. I was hoping to see a Hummer's nest with eggs in it.
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The typically will nest in the short leaf pines behind my house every year, I have several nests that I've saved over the years(they are really cool little tightly woven nests about the size of a golf ball). The babies look alot like the female hummer, but with scattered grey and green instead of the distinct markings of an adult. They are almost as big as the adults and are great flyers right out of the nest.
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
Hmmmmm, with a nest no bigger than a golf ball I could have easily missed it when I looked in the bush but I surely didn't want to disturb nor destroy the nest if it was there. Actually you couldn't call what I did a search. I will look again just to see if I can find it..
their nest is almost round, and is very strongly constructed with woven grass and moss..it's a really neat thing to see. They spend alot of their time in and around the pines catching bugs too..and up in the eaves of the house getting those long thin spiders....
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
I went and looked the bush over pretty well. No nest, maybe the Hummer was just resting there or looking for bugs..
Songdoghunter
Twelve Pointer
Probably just where he/she is sitting to keep watch on a feeder so they can run others off.
NCdoe
Ten Pointer
My sister had a tiny hummingbird nest. Her cat got it and tore it up. I hate cats.
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Neat as it can be !
Was very disappointed with no hummers at our place this year...had a couple feeders hanging next to a couple pots of colorful Petunias, saw a single hummer on two different occasions in 2.5 months...
Firefly
Old Mossy Horns
When we first hung up our feeders this year for the Hummers the house Finch's learned they could land on the side of the feeders and their weight would tilt the feeder just enough for them to get at the liquid inside. They became a nuisance and spilled a lot of the mixture onto the ground. I kept running them off until they finally gave up and went elsewhere. First time I have ever seen any other bird feed at the Hummingbird feeders..
We have at least 15 - 20 at our feeders, and are going through about 1/2 gallon of sugar water a day.
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Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk
Greg
Old Mossy Horns
If you want hummingbirds, plant flowers in addition to your feeders.