Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?

[sixdogs]

Ours are gone now but in a Rural King today I bought some of their $6 powdered food for only $2.50. Wife prefers the commercial powdered stuff because she thinks the birds like it better. Also picked up another stick-on-the-window feeder for only $5. We now put up a few feeders sometimes and as many as six or even seven when things get hopping. We've gone through some lean years early on but it seems to have paid off.

We're going to put up one feeder before they're expected in the spring and see if we can have another banner year. Hope the little fellas make their journey OK because the birds apparently return to the same feeders the next year. How do they do that? Should be the second week of April.

Spring 2018 Migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

 

[goeduck]

I was making dinner and looked up at the feeder by the kitchen and there one was, drinking away. Dang, my feeders are almost empty since filling up on the 15th. Not a lot by any means, but still some stragglers going through. Hope they make it!! :thumbsup:

I saw two more this morning at the feeder. The level is down an inch since refilling on 10/23 and it is now November.

 

[sixdogs]

I saw two more this morning at the feeder. The level is down an inch since refilling on 10/23 and it is now November.

Is this typical for your area? You must have one heck of a mild climate.

 

[dragoneggs]

Is this typical for your area? You must have one heck of a mild climate.

We do... relatively speaking. Weather is turning but still some 60degF days and no frost yet.

 

[goeduck]

Is this typical for your area? You must have one heck of a mild climate.

We do and the Rufus hummingbird is what kind am seeing now, they have the longest flight path of all North American hummingbirds coming down from Alaska and Western Canada. I looked at the feeder again and it was down not an inch but almost two since Oct 23rd. I wonder if I should freshen it up.

 

[dragoneggs]

We do and the Rufus hummingbird is what kind am seeing now, they have the longest flight path of all North American hummingbirds coming down from Alaska and Western Canada. I looked at the feeder again and it was down not an inch but almost two since Oct 23rd. I wonder if I should freshen it up.

I do freshen mine every couple of weeks especially if it starts showing anything but clear. I just use boiled sugar water. No coloring needed.

 

[goeduck]

I must be about the only one still keeping my feeder filled, I am still getting birds. Word must be out. Last Saturday I made 1-1/3 cup of food to use up the end of a sugar bag and tonight I was putting up Christmas lights and thought about taking the feeder down. But I noticed the level was down about 3/4 inch so now the feeder shares the hook it is hanging on with a string of Christmas lights.

 

[sixdogs]

I must be about the only one still keeping my feeder filled, I am still getting birds. Word must be out. Last Saturday I made 1-1/3 cup of food to use up the end of a sugar bag and tonight I was putting up Christmas lights and thought about taking the feeder down. But I noticed the level was down about 3/4 inch so now the feeder shares the hook it is hanging on with a string of Christmas lights.

That is amazing. Must be some of those birds that make it up into Canada.

 

[craig huffman]

I just moved back to the states from the island of Roatan.... I had 4 feeders up, they were drained daily... I have counted as many as 150+ birds all fighting for a drink. There were two types a smaller green version and a larger brown... They became so used to people taking their pics you could get within 2 or 3 feet from them when feeding... sometimes in the morning when I was outside and the feeders where empty they would buzz me me until I refilled them. The most interesting things was one day i saw a nest it was smaller than a teacup and the eggs were tic-tac size, I have pictures on my phone of them... I need to post.

 

[dragoneggs]

I must be about the only one still keeping my feeder filled, I am still getting birds. Word must be out. Last Saturday I made 1-1/3 cup of food to use up the end of a sugar bag and tonight I was putting up Christmas lights and thought about taking the feeder down. But I noticed the level was down about 3/4 inch so now the feeder shares the hook it is hanging on with a string of Christmas lights.

We still have a few as of a couple days ago. Going to refresh with a half a batch today. One of the feeders is yellowing.

 

[sixdogs]

I just moved back to the states from the island of Roatan.... I had 4 feeders up, they were drained daily... I have counted as many as 150+ birds all fighting for a drink. There were two types a smaller green version and a larger brown... They became so used to people taking their pics you could get within 2 or 3 feet from them when feeding... sometimes in the morning when I was outside and the feeders where empty they would buzz me me until I refilled them. The most interesting things was one day i saw a nest it was smaller than a teacup and the eggs were tic-tac size, I have pictures on my phone of them... I need to post.

We got loads of those small green one late in the season as transients. None during the regular season.
Post those pics. That's our goal for next year along with getting them to eat out of a feeder we are holding.

 

[goeduck]

Dang. Feeder almost needs to be filled again. I always used to quit in October but I will keep the feeder going into November for these guys from now on. I couldn’t get a picture but there we’re at least two fueling up today. I use organic sugar so the yellow color is from that.

 

[dragoneggs]

Dang. Feeder almost needs to be filled again. I always used to quit in October but I will keep the feeder going into November for these guys from now on. I couldn’t get a picture but there we’re at least two fueling up today. I use organic sugar so the yellow color is from that.
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Yes, amazing they are still around. I am going to keep one feeder up til at least the end of the year and see if they keep coming.

 

[Diggin It]

I'm beginning to wonder if keeping the feeders out is lulling them into staying around longer than normal. One of the things that signals them to go may be a dwindling food supply.

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm beginning to wonder if keeping the feeders out is lulling them into staying around longer than normal. One of the things that signals them to go may be a dwindling food supply.

I'm thinking it is temperature and innate behavior that drives them.

 

[sixdogs]

I'm thinking it is temperature and innate behavior that drives them.

That, and a biological clock is what is supposed to motivate them, not the sugar water that makes up only a portion of their diet. Still, I've never heard of birds this late.

This is just me but I would see if there is a Nat'l Hummingbird Institute, or something like that is DC or wherever, and call someone that knows. Otherwise you'll just get personal opinion. You need fact. You also could maybe research on-line for a double opinion. Just my two cents on this.

 

[goeduck]

I'm thinking it is temperature and innate behavior that drives them.

Right, with our moderate climate along the coast the weather does not chase them south as fast. And who wants to fly through all that smoke from the fires in CA?

Plus We have a few things still in bloom that I see them at as much as the feeders. Some of my fuchsias are still blooming.

 

[sixdogs]

Actually, I read that the diet of hummingbirds is mostly bugs and the feeders are a side dish boost or for the little birds. I've also seen them in cedar trees and I'm pretty sure they were eating buds.

 

[ArlyA]

Rubythroated hummers are omnivores. We've seen them chasing down little moths near our feeder. I can't speak of the other species.. They show up here looooong before any flowers bloom.

Actually, I read that the diet of hummingbirds is mostly bugs and the feeders are a side dish boost or for the little birds. I've also seen them in cedar trees and I'm pretty sure they were eating buds.

 

[goeduck]

Well I made 2 more cups of sugar water today and put it in the feeder. We will see if they empty it this late in the year.