She just won't leave
We've got one remaining female hummingbird that will not head south. Didn't see her yesterday so we thought she had finally left; but no, she appeared this morning with temperature in the 30's last night.
I hate to remove the feeder with her hanging around because she would probably starve. I'll have no choice when the temp drops to freezing.
I wish she would go south.
I hate to remove the feeder with her hanging around because she would probably starve. I'll have no choice when the temp drops to freezing.
I wish she would go south.
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If you are along the Gulf Coast or south in the west, some stay year 'round. The sugar will help lower the freeze point of the water. 0 -
she's got to bulk up for maybe a long trip to the next feeder 0 -
"What you do for the least of us, you do for me." (Or something to that effect.)
I love hummingbirds. Although I do not put out a feeder, (I should) I have hummingbirds that hang out on my back deck. I have a dog trolley line and a clothes line out on my back deck. Back of the house is mostly all glass, going up three stories.
A rare treat, is when the hummingbirds land on and rest on these lines, so I can get an up close look at them via binoculars.
Second favorite bird, after Loons.
Something about hearing Loons in the wild while out and about, always gives me chills/leaves me content/satisfied. Akin to hearing Wolves howl. You know you are in the Wilderness, when you hear the call of a Loon.0 -
quote:Originally posted by 84Bravo1
"What you do for the least of us, you do for me." (Or something to that effect.)
I love hummingbirds. Although I do not put out a feeder, (I should) I have hummingbirds that hang out on my back deck. I have a dog trolley line and a clothes line out on my back deck. Back of the house is mostly all glass, going up three stories.
A rare treat, is when the hummingbirds land on and rest on these lines, so I can get an up close look at them via binoculars.
Second favorite bird, after Loons.
Something about hearing Loons in the wild while out and about, always gives me chills/leaves me content/satisfied. Akin to hearing Wolves howl. You know you are in the Wilderness, when you hear the call of a Loon.
You're either in the wilderness, or DNC headquarters! [;)]0 -
We live in in SW Washington and have a handful of hummingbirds that never leave. We do leave food out all year long. Feeder hangs off of the eve of the house so it is somewhat protected from the cold. 0 -
Next year, put out feeders, 84. Your delight in these tiny marvels will triple. My absolute recommendation for feeders are Best-1 https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-BEST32OZ-Best-1-Hummingbird/dp/B000PBXESO in either the 8-oz or 32-oz size. I have both.
Use cane sugar (I mix 1/4 cup to 8 oz hot water) not that red crap they sell. No coloring needed.0 -
We live in in SW Washington and have a handful of hummingbirds that never leave. We do leave food out all year long. Feeder hangs off of the eve of the house so it is somewhat protected from the cold. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Rocky Raab
Next year, put out feeders, 84. Your delight in these tiny marvels will triple. My absolute recommendation for feeders are Best-1 https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-BEST32OZ-Best-1-Hummingbird/dp/B000PBXESO in either the 8-oz or 32-oz size. I have both.
Use cane sugar (I mix 1/4 cup to 8 oz hot water) not that red crap they sell. No coloring needed.
I have some of "that red crap," left behind in a cupboard by the previous owner, that I came across the other day. Maybe mix it 50/50 with the good stuff?0 -
Wish my humingbirds would return...
They are gone.0 -
quote:Of the four Pacific Northwest hummingbirds, Anna?s is the only one that doesn?t always migrate south to warmer climes in the winter. Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds have enough sense to leave for Mexico and the Gulf Coast by late summer. Most of the males are gone by early July. 0 -
I have always thought that the hummer's needed the jet stream winds to carry them safely on their journey southward.
If this is true, wonder if your lone bird misssed the wind boat.?0 -
Aw c'mon now! Ya'll miss the call of the loons so much you're on GB at first light! 0 -
We have the Anna's Hummingbird year round up here in the NW. 0 -
large H bird population migrateds thru our lake place in eastern kansas...one variety overwinters on the gulf coast ..the other makes it there then bulks up for a 20 hour flight southwest to the eastern coast of old messico...if the winds don't favor them or they run out of gas they simply drown..... 0 -
Some hummingbirds are just to old and they don't have the energy to migrate. They know there time is up. He will more than likely die in the night and be found dead near a spot where he roosts at night. 0 -
Have hummingbirds 365 days a year because the climate is the same all year long. Not very hot or cold.
Each hummingbird species has its own migration strategy, and it's incorrect to think of "hummingbirds" as a single type of animal, all alike. This article will discuss Ruby-throated migration, because it's likely that more people see that species than all the others in North America combined, and its dynamics are similar to other species, although the dates and locations vary. An exception is Anna's Hummingbird, which typically does not migrate but may wander up- and downslope following seasonal food resources.
Hummingbirds net; Migration http://www.hummingbirds.net/migration.html0 -
Bravo there is some evidence that the red crap is bad for the birds, something about the dye. Toss it. We make up 1:4 solutions, 1 cup sugar, 4 cups of water, boiled to retard bacteria and mold, then refrigerate. We go though 15-20 pounds of sugar per summer with three feeders.
I concur with Rocky that Best-1 is the hands down choice for feeders.
We also use these to keep ants out of the feeders:
https://www.songbirdessentials.com/store.php?prodID=37151&title=Nectar_Protector-Clear/Bulk_itemno_SE610
I make little rings of Styrofoam 1/2 thick that we put around the central column of the ant guard. That allows wasps and other flying insects a way out, so we have to clean rotting bugs out less often.
They do still grow algae, and need cleaning every couple of weeks.0 -
We had a female Ruby Throat hang around until a week & half ago here in central Nebr. She left 2 days before 5" of snow. 0
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