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

[dragoneggs]

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.

I didn't see any today but I didn't have an eye on the feeder. Did just get a game cam in the mail today :cool2: that I will eventually move down to figure out who the critters are in my lower property. In the meantime, I think some testing aimed at the feeder would be prudent!

 

[goeduck]

I went by the feeder a few times today and saw a bird at it twice. So they are still moving through.

 

[sixdogs]

I went by the feeder a few times today and saw a bird at it twice. So they are still moving through.

Do you know what kind of hummingbirds they are? Maybe they just go to California?

 

[goeduck]

Do you know what kind of hummingbirds they are? Maybe they just go to California?

I do not know, they may be Annas. From this link some are resident. I do not have a good camera to get a close up picture to know for sure. The Rufous birds have moved on through it appears.

Hummingbirds found in Washington State, USA | Beauty of Birds

 

[sixdogs]

We've started on next year and wife found some 70% off pricing on hummingbird stuff at a local farm supply store. We'll put one feeder out a week before expected next spring and catch the scouts for 2019.

Spring 2018 Migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

 

[goeduck]

It looks like I added food on the 13th and today I walked past the one feeder I am keeping active and danged it if it was not empty. Refill time. These have to be the resident Anna痴 Hummingbird which I knew nothing about until now. My wife said she has seen males with the brightly colored heads but I always seem to see immature partially colored head ones or females. I saw a bird yesterday so it has not been empty for long.

Anna's hummingbird - Wikipedia

 

[dragoneggs]

We had a couple visitors this weekend with the decent weather. Not the colorful ruby throat. Don't know the species. Looked online and can only guess. Raining hard now... 1.5in today so far.

 

[goeduck]

We had a couple visitors this weekend with the decent weather. Not the colorful ruby throat. Don't know the species. Looked online and can only guess. Raining hard now... 1.5in today so far.

1.5in as recorded by your new weather station? That is something that I have been interested in as much for wind speed as for rain. As for wind blown rain and now knowing that I may have resident hummers I need a better rain shield. I only have an upside down aluminum pie pan over the center of the hooks and I need something with a larger diameter. I may look at a plastic platter that won’t be missed until the next big family shindig. Yikes*. I also now wonder about a freezing glass feeder.

*WIFE - why is this turkey grease dripping from the platter? Oh there is a hole in it! Where did that come from? And where has this platter been anyway? I have not seen it in a while.

ME - I will be in my tractor if you need me.

 

[sixdogs]

It looks like I added food on the 13th and today I walked past the one feeder I am keeping active and danged it if it was not empty. Refill time. These have to be the resident Annaç—´ Hummingbird which I knew nothing about until now. My wife said she has seen males with the brightly colored heads but I always seem to see immature partially colored head ones or females. I saw a bird yesterday so it has not been empty for long.

Anna's hummingbird - Wikipedia

View attachment 580570

Amazing discovery.

 

[dragoneggs]

1.5in as recorded by your new weather station? That is something that I have been interested in as much for wind speed as for rain. As for wind blown rain and now knowing that I may have resident hummers I need a better rain shield. I only have an upside down aluminum pie pan over the center of the hooks and I need something with a larger diameter. I may look at a plastic platter that won’t be missed until the next big family shindig. Yikes*. I also now wonder about a freezing glass feeder.

*WIFE - why is this turkey grease dripping from the platter? Oh there is a hole in it! Where did that come from? And where has this platter been anyway? I have not seen it in a while.

ME - I will be in my tractor if you need me.

Ha, ha... yes, really enjoying my new weather station. The real time data/graphs of wind gusts, rain measurement/rate, etc. are easily checked on my phone or laptop anywhere.

On the feeder, I am worried about freezing too since this is the latest by far I have had it hanging, and now thinking of keeping out all winter.

 

[goeduck]

I was outside talking on my phone today and stopped near the feeder that I am keeping active. A bird landed on a branch right in front of me, I assume waiting for me to leave. I was able to get a good look at the little guy (girl actually). It was most definitely a metallic green colored female Annas Hummingbird which are resident year round out here. So I can end my speculation on what type of bird it is. Pictures attached are stock photos from an Annas Hummjngbird website and it is exactly what my bird looked like. Also attached is this birds range. The males are quite colorful and I think I mentioned that my wife has seen some of them.

 

[dragoneggs]

I was outside talking on my phone today and stopped near the feeder that I am keeping active. A bird landed on a branch right in front of me, I assume waiting for me to leave. I was able to get a good look at the little guy (girl actually). It was most definitely a metallic green colored female Annas Hummingbird which are resident year round out here. So I can end my speculation on what type of bird it is. Pictures attached are stock photos from an Annas Hummjngbird website and it is exactly what my bird looked like. Also attached is this birds range. The males are quite colorful and I think I mentioned that my wife has seen some of them.
View attachment 581667View attachment 581668View attachment 581669 View attachment 581670

Yep, those are what we still have around. Had sub freezing temps last night. Lots of frost. Hoping they stick around... it's been a few days since my last spotting.

 

[sixdogs]

Yep, those are what we still have around. Had sub freezing temps last night. Lots of frost. Hoping they stick around... it's been a few days since my last spotting.

What amazing photos. You must have a wonderful climate for HB's to year around.

 

[sixdogs]

Here's a pic of the cattle panel fence I mentioned earlier. I think we had 60 ft on each side and used to support our hummingbird flowers. Worked great. When full grown they were two ft over the top and three ft wide.

 

[goeduck]

Here's a pic of the cattle panel fence I mentioned earlier. I think we had 60 ft on each side and used to support our hummingbird flowers. Worked great. When full grown they were two ft over the top and three ft wide.


View attachment 582776

I recall you mentioning the plant but do not recall if you mentioned what kind it was. It might be a fun plant for next year if it grows here.

I refilled my feeder yesterday and put a rubber band around the fluid level for better tracking usage. It was almost empty but the sugar water had been in there for a few weeks so I freshened it up.

 

[sixdogs]

I recall you mentioning the plant but do not recall if you mentioned what kind it was. It might be a fun plant for next year if it grows here.

I refilled my feeder yesterday and put a rubber band around the fluid level for better tracking usage. It was almost empty but the sugar water had been in there for a few weeks so I freshened it up.

Post #43

 

[goeduck]

I refilled the feeder last weekend and it is down an inch today from the rubberband marker. I saw a hummer yesterday and again today at it but it is not in a location easily visible so I do not know when they are feeding. One buzzed me up at one of my properties last weekend. In regards to the birds living in colder weather (not that our marine climate is that cold), My reading :reading: tells me that they enter into a state of torpor.

Source: birdwatchingdaily.com
Annas also take advantage of the hummingbird motto — When things get tough, the tough go to sleep. A hummingbird in torpor can drop its body temperature from about 40C to about 9C (from 104F to 48.2F) and reduce its respiration rate from 245 breaths per minute to 6. It can even suspend its breathing for up to five minutes. The metabolic rate of an Annas during torpor can be 300 times lower than when in flight. The savings are significant; they can help a hummingbird sleep through a severe weather period.

 

[stuckmotor]

That torpor explanation is interesting. I don't remember ever seeing a humming bird in winter.

 

[ArlyA]

They're long done from our neck of the woods. That is the Rubies that we see here. We will see them in the fall, when temps can fall in the freezing zone overnight. Love those silly little birds!

 

[goeduck]

Well so much for our year round resident Annas having to wait too long for bloom to start. The bloom is on.