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

[NoTrespassing]

Anybody have downy woodpeckers eating sugar water? We have one that's addicted to it out of our Oriel feeder. We have never seen that before this year.

Kevin

 

[goeduck]

We have what we believe are this years babies showing up at the feeders. They are tiny and voracious feeders and really cute to watch. We are pretty sure we've seen a number of birds that were here last year either as regulars or migrating fly-bys. Imagine a tiny bird flying 1000 or 1200 miles one way and then turning around and flying back to the place they left?

I have not seen any babies yet but sure look forward to seeing some.

 

[dragoneggs]

I guess my wife's flowers are running out of juice. I refilled a feeder this evening and the suckers didn't even wait for me to hang the feeder! And they are loud when only a foot or so away! I think they know me now and don't feel threatened. Don't bite the hand that feeds you... they say.

Mixed up another quart at 4:1. Ran out of ingredients... "HONEY... we need more sugar!"

 

[sixdogs]

I have not seen any babies yet but sure look forward to seeing some.

Here you go. This is what I believe is a baby from this year and we have many buzzing around. They keep approaching my red hat when I'm wearing it. Pics taken with a telephoto from inside the house.

 

[psvfd]

I guess my wife's flowers are running out of juice. I refilled a feeder this evening and the suckers didn't even wait for me to hang the feeder! And they are loud when only a foot or so away! I think they know me now and don't feel threatened. Don't bite the hand that feeds you... they say.

Mixed up another quart at 4:1. Ran out of ingredients... "HONEY... we need more sugar!"

Checked the feeder this morn, "empty". I know when I checked yesterday late afternoon it had some. Put fresh feeder out this morn and there was one waiting for me to hang it up. Not sure how many birds there is but they are drinking it up.

 

[goeduck]

Here you go. This is what I believe is a baby from this year and we have many buzzing around. They keep approaching my red hat when I'm wearing it. Pics taken with a telephoto from inside the house.

Thank you. Cute little buggers they are. My activity dropped off, I assume Dragoneggs wifes flowers must be in bloom and they are over at his place.

 

[goeduck]

Here you go. This is what I believe is a baby from this year and we have many buzzing around. They keep approaching my red hat when I'm wearing it. Pics taken with a telephoto from inside the house.

Thank you. Cute little buggers they are. My activity dropped off, I assume Dragoneggs wifes flowers must be in bloom and they are over at his side of the peninsula.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

People forget hummers also eat small insects like gnats and mosquitoes. A few dozen hummers can really reduce the mosquito population. Sugar is for energy, but they need protein too. I haven't seen a mosquito at my house yet this year.

 

[sixdogs]

For a number of years we went through all the motions and didn't get many birds. Then it exploded last year and we had dozens of birds. This year started strong and we actually saw birds that were here the prior year. So they returned and now have had lots of babies. It's hard to tell how many but I'll bet we are having maybe 400-500 bird visits to the feeders per day. Likely more. Wife has already gone through a year's supply of food and the birds and now the babies are all over the place. It was worth it for the years of few birds to now have this abundance.

Here's another baby at the feeder. Look how small it is compared to the feeder and flower.

.

 

[dragoneggs]

People forget hummers also eat small insects like gnats and mosquitoes. A few dozen hummers can really reduce the mosquito population. Sugar is for energy, but they need protein too. I haven't seen a mosquito at my house yet this year.

I didn't realize that... we don't have mosquitoes either.