Quite a few here on the Central Coast. We have flowering bushes out front of our home and they love them….. I just recently started a feeder - but placement is key. I want to put it in a place that’s advantageous - not just so we can see them - but our trees (huge oaks) are too huge to hang a feeder. I may need to place a tall stake and hang them from that in the middle of the garden.
Here near North Branch MN we have seen a pretty typical number of Humming birds. Lately, though, they have really been hitting the feeder hard! I expect them to be gone by early September. Thanks for all you do, Laura!
We have more hummingbirds than ever at our four feeders in Keene, NY(the result I believe of four breeding females each raising two broods of two each, plus a few males).
I, too, have had a pretty normal hummingbird attendance at my single feeder this year. I always put up one feeder in May and keep it stocked all summer. If it is hot weather (30 degrees C) for a period of time, then the feeding seems to slow down. The slow-down could also be due to the female sitting on eggs and getting away from the nest to feed less often. I was surprised that you stop feeding altogether for a time. I always thought hummingbirds were territorial enough to allow only one family to come to the feeder. I am confused with the fact that a male has been to my feeder seemingly throughout the summer, when I thought that the male “takes off” as soon as mating is done in the spring. I realize that I may be seeing migrating birds more recently. I live in Ottawa Canada.
Males stick around while there's still a reasonable chance that nearby females may want to mate. When all the females are on nests, there's still a chance that a nest might fail and that female will have to start over. And if a nest succeeds and the young thrive, there may still be time for the female to attempt a second nest. I usually assume that the latest Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to pass through my area--those coming to my feeders in mid- and even late-September--are the products of late nestings.
Quite a few here on the Central Coast. We have flowering bushes out front of our home and they love them….. I just recently started a feeder - but placement is key. I want to put it in a place that’s advantageous - not just so we can see them - but our trees (huge oaks) are too huge to hang a feeder. I may need to place a tall stake and hang them from that in the middle of the garden.
Here near North Branch MN we have seen a pretty typical number of Humming birds. Lately, though, they have really been hitting the feeder hard! I expect them to be gone by early September. Thanks for all you do, Laura!
We have more hummingbirds than ever at our four feeders in Keene, NY(the result I believe of four breeding females each raising two broods of two each, plus a few males).
I had a good year for hummingbirds here in Maine, fortunately. They particularly like my Cardinal Flower & Jewelweed.
You mention the sugar but not how much water in your recipe. Most people that follow you probably know, but the proportion is obviously important.
Oops--I'll fix that!!!
That was really helpful, Laurie. I try not to let the email go out with egregious errors but sometimes they do get away from me! But now it's fixed.
I, too, have had a pretty normal hummingbird attendance at my single feeder this year. I always put up one feeder in May and keep it stocked all summer. If it is hot weather (30 degrees C) for a period of time, then the feeding seems to slow down. The slow-down could also be due to the female sitting on eggs and getting away from the nest to feed less often. I was surprised that you stop feeding altogether for a time. I always thought hummingbirds were territorial enough to allow only one family to come to the feeder. I am confused with the fact that a male has been to my feeder seemingly throughout the summer, when I thought that the male “takes off” as soon as mating is done in the spring. I realize that I may be seeing migrating birds more recently. I live in Ottawa Canada.
Males stick around while there's still a reasonable chance that nearby females may want to mate. When all the females are on nests, there's still a chance that a nest might fail and that female will have to start over. And if a nest succeeds and the young thrive, there may still be time for the female to attempt a second nest. I usually assume that the latest Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to pass through my area--those coming to my feeders in mid- and even late-September--are the products of late nestings.
That is so cool that there has been banding of hummers that are 8 years old! I never would have guessed they live that long!!