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

[WVH1977]

We have 5 right now. Having to refill every day right now with just the one needed. Going to need another feeder!!

 

[sixdogs]

Normally, we have dozens and dozens of birds. Not this year with only five or six regulars. maybe things will pick up as summer goes on.

 

[goeduck]

I am not seeing the normal drop off at this time of year now that everything is in bloom. Daily haircut going outside.

 

[sixdogs]

Normally, we have dozens and dozens of birds. Not this year with only five or six regulars. maybe things will pick up as summer goes on.

That's my post above lamenting on how few birds we've had so far this year. Today it all changed and they've been buzzing the feeders all day. We went from a few a day to 20 or more today and it's only mid-afternoon. Here's hoping.

Of note is the birds were taking much longer drinks but not sure why.


EDIT--update to the day after and we have even more birds than yesterday. It's as though someone flipped a switch.

 

[goeduck]

Summer slump is on here. Went from 1-1/2 quarts a day to very, very little.

 

[sixdogs]

Very quiet for the last couple of weeks. It's hard to remember from year to year but it's definitely quiet at the feeders this year. I hope they recover going forward. We miss all the HB activity.

 

[Oaktree]

Very quiet for the last couple of weeks. It's hard to remember from year to year but it's definitely quiet at the feeders this year. I hope they recover going forward. We miss all the HB activity.

Haven't seen many here last 2-3 weeks either, though there were quite a few back in May/early June. Of course everything's in bloom now and plenty of insects too.
As far as birds in general, pretty much an average year, though not as many jays as usual.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Summer slump is on here. Went from 1-1/2 quarts a day to very, very little.

Everything is in blossom. They'll be back when the plants set seed.

 

[ArlyA]

I am not seeing the normal drop off at this time of year now that everything is in bloom. Daily haircut going outside.

That is normal that bird visits decrease this time of year. Seems that the females won't got to feeders and as you say, there is plenty of food near by.

 

[psvfd]

Busy here, more than last year.

 

[goeduck]

Summer slump gave way to summer bump right now. Nowhere near spring or even fall, but the little guys are on the feeders a lot more the last few weeks.

 

[sixdogs]

After two boom years with zillions of birds we only have a handful this year. Mortality or bird flu, let's hope things improve next year.

 

[lman]

We've only got about 20 so far this year. Had a few more last year.

 

[Cycledude]

Quite a few around here

They even have a mud nest with babies

 

[lman]

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We have a 30' mimosa in the yard that just burst into bloom. You can hear the tree buzzing, but very few hummers at the feeders. They like the butterfly bushes too. When the blossoms drop they will be back to the feeders. Late summer before the migration they swarm the feeders like crazy.

 

[sixdogs]

Quite a few around here
View attachment 756653
They even have a mud nest with babies
View attachment 756654

Great setup. If I was a hummingbird, that's where I'd go.

 

[sixdogs]

View attachment 756662

Do you often get that many birds at one time? I had to look for a minute to count them all. We're the next state over and have only had two birds a couple of times. Maybe they're all related?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Do you often get that many birds at one time? I had to look for a minute to count them all. We're the next state over and have only had two birds a couple of times. Maybe they're all related?

How are you doing for nesting sites? I have plenty of hummers because I have a lot of snags along a creek where woodpeckers excavate nesting sites. By familiarity and preference, birds will return to a location where they had a successful nesting the year before, or where they were born. My numbers built up over a few years. They fluctuate depending on winter kill, but by the end of summer I always have a nice population. Last year they went through a couple quarts a day, but we were in a terrible drought and the nearest water was three miles away. I kept a wading pool full for wildlife, and the hummers made use of it. Nectar is not all they drink. This year there is more natural food and the creek is still running, so nectar consumption is less than half.

 

[lman]

Do you often get that many birds at one time? I had to look for a minute to count them all. We're the next state over and have only had two birds a couple of times. Maybe they're all related?

We've got six feeders up. I counted 20 the other day at all of the feeders. I don't know how much sugar water my wife is feeding them every day. We've had feeders up for about 20 years so I believe most of them are regulars and some of them were probably hatched out this year. We've got a birder's paradise around here with all of the trees and a river at the back of our property. Great Horned owls hatched out in our pine trees early this year.