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

[TractorGuy]

Mine have been fighting over the feeder. Found this little guy dead on the floor board of my tractor this morning.

 

[dragoneggs]

My activity seems to be picking up. I do not know if it is just the overwintering Annas getting more active or if travelers are reaching th8s far north. Either way I am thinking about putting a second feeder up.

Both of our feeders are up. Both feeders are same brand, both have same flowers (feeder ports) but one is bigger than the other. They definitely favor the smaller one regardless of whether I swap there hanging locations. I am looking out the window from my seat and there in fact is one perched at the smaller feeder now!

I find this interesting but I am sure others are starting to question my sanity. :laughing: :confused2:

 

[teejk]

That would be a bad bet lose.... fly north to check it out.... fly back south to tell the other birds..... then fly north again for the summer.... that is a LOT of flying. :confused3:

I think it's simpler than that...when the scout doesn't return the others know that maybe they should stay put for awhile.

 

[sixdogs]

Both of our feeders are up. Both feeders are same brand, both have same flowers (feeder ports) but one is bigger than the other. They definitely favor the smaller one regardless of whether I swap there hanging locations. I am looking out the window from my seat and there in fact is one perched at the smaller feeder now!

I find this interesting but I am sure others are starting to question my sanity. :laughing: :confused2:

We have the best results with the suction cup feeders that stick to the window. You have to be careful inside not to move when they approach the feeder but if you can manage that it works well. Wouldn't work with kids that move around a lot.

I think it's simpler than that...when the scout doesn't return the others know that maybe they should stay put for awhile.

I was under the impression the scouts go just a very short distance from the flock in order to search for food and that there were numerous scouts. That is, the flock could be in the immediate area and the scouts went looking for better food or housing.

 

[sixdogs]

We have hundreds of trees in the yard and on a walk through yesterday I noticed loads--20+ --of last year's hummingbird nests either in the barren trees or blown on the ground. They are, as you would expect, really tiny. We've noticed as our tree and bush habitat as increased, our population of birds has grown. HB's seem to like the magnolia trees here. I've seen some in evergreens but the 15' bushes/trees seem to be where I find the greatest sign. The trees on the east and protected from the wind seem to be the most populated.

Point is, increase your habitat for more birds over the years.

 

[goeduck]

Wilco in Bremerton had a nice selection of hummingbird feeders. I might get yet another for a 3rd feeder. I like ones that I can clean with a bottle brush and those that have roosts for the little guys while they fuel up.

 

[dragoneggs]

Wilco in Bremerton had a nice selection of hummingbird feeders. I might get yet another for a 3rd feeder. I like ones that I can clean with a bottle brush and those that have roosts for the little guys while they fuel up.

A 3rd feeder? Crap! I moved out of King County so I didn't have to keep up with the Jones'a. :laughing:

 

[goeduck]

I had 5 birds at one feeder at once today, more than I have ever seen before at this house (3rd year here). I do not watch the feeders much other than to keep an eye on the level of sugar water but I usually only see 1 or 2. The activity at the second feeder is picking up and I need to get to Tractor Supply and get a 3rd feeder.

 

[sixdogs]

Saw our first hummingbird today and it came up to the feeder near the window. It was a big green one and we remembered a couple of little green birds last fall. They came though late in the season after our local birds were gone. Maybe this is one of those green birds, now big, heading north from here and he just stopped by for a drink. They say the same birds return to the same feeders year after year. We're hoping for a good year.

 

[ArlyA]

So, you guys promoted me to look at the migration map. Journey North Maps

We're in the northern part of the Upper Peninsula of Mi and the map shows them just to about to the UP, along the west shore of Lake MI. That's still quite a ways, from us. Is that overly complicated? So it looks like the hummers will take some time to get up here.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Our usual group never showed up this year. We have 2 or 3, but usually have 20 - 30. I sure don't know where they went, or if they're coming this year. We love 'em, and hope they get here soon.

 

[sixdogs]

Our usual group never showed up this year. We have 2 or 3, but usually have 20 - 30. I sure don't know where they went, or if they're coming this year. We love 'em, and hope they get here soon.

We often have delayed groups that don't show up until summer. They're here but eating bugs or busy on flowers. We just expect stragglers until mid summer when things start to get busy at the feeders.

 

[goeduck]

I am going through about 2 cups of feed per day :cool2::cloud9::cloud9::cool2:

Organic sugar 4:1. Love those little guys !

 

[oosik]

I'm still waiting for my first ones.

 

[JimWalch]

Just had our first last evening here in Springfield Illinois!

 

[jfh28]

started to show up last monday here.......not many just a few......but its still a little cold here dropping into the 30's at night.........Jack

 

[dragoneggs]

I am going through about 2 cups of feed per day :cool2::cloud9::cloud9::cool2:

Organic sugar 4:1. Love those little guys !

Same mix ratio... maybe i need to switch to organic? About 1 cup usage between two feeders per day now here.

 

[goeduck]

Same mix ratio... maybe i need to switch to organic? About 1 cup usage between two feeders per day now here.

I use organic largely because the water then is beer colored and the level is easier to see. And it is what we use in the kitchen. I do not know what turns the sugar from golden (organic) to white, probably similar to what turns natural brown napkins to white. Makes no sense to me why sugar and napkins have to be white.

I am mostly seeing the native Annas Hummingbird, but more than those that wintered over. My feeders are not easy to see plus I am not one to sit still long enough to watch, but I try to look out for the Rufous Hummingbird.

 

[sixdogs]

Something odd is going on because we saw four this morning already and don't recall that many early birds in prior years. They don't look at all like the natives that were on our feeders last summer but more like the late season birds that were on their way south. They must remember where the feeders are and are fueling up on the way back to the further north. It's great to see them again. This really is pretty amazing.

Just saw two more right after I posted this.

EDIT--We had as many as 15 birds at the feeders today. We used to get none. Good thing we persevered.

 

[Oaktree]

I'm still waiting for my first ones.

Same here. Still a little early, nothing's in bloom yet and it's been a much colder than normal spring.

I am going through about 2 cups of feed per day

Eek! We don't go thru that in an entire summer. We get a few, but that's it. Dunno if we're too far north or if once summer comes there's enough flowers that they don't need to visit a feeder.