seems like there's a marketing opportunity being missed here. Instead of Hims, maybe Hums... "having problems with your beak being soft and flexible....?"
Hummingbirds?
- Thread starter bwcoach
- Start date
We’ve seen another uptick in hummers. I now have 15 feeders out and fix two gallons about every other day. I figure about another 2-3 weeks before they head out.
My feeders are busier than they've ever been now. Funny how early in the year, it was the least amount of activity I'd ever had, and now, 4-5 weeks later, it's the busiest. I'm making 6 cups of nectar every 2-3 days with 6 feeders. I also bought a couple of the little feeders to try and hand feed and hoping I can get them to come to those this year before they're gone. I'm in Rock Hill SC/Charlotte NC and guessing they won't start migration here til mid Sept.
I assume the migration south is underway and that's the cause of the additional activity. I've been out west and hope I come home this week to near-empty feeders.
I feel like my visit #s start dropping when they start migrating. My "regulars" hit the road and then it's just the transients who happen to find my feeders. This was a very different year though, and I haven't heard a good explanation for the initial scarcity, nor why they picked up a few weeks ago.
Would the numbers have picked up because the chicks had all hatched and now out on their own?
Yeah, I'm sure that's part of it, but that happens every year and I don't remember getting a noticeable uptick like this year. Probably just that and that I'm starting to get more returnees each year, and that there's no bully on my front feeders running the others off. If I sit out there there are probably 7-8 that are just perching and coming down and feeding at all times. Pretty constant activity. Not at the levels I've seen at yours and others, but definitely the most I've had among my handful of feeders.
I think my hummers are getting ready to head south. Usually when they are getting ready to go there are a few days where the numbers increase at different times. By 10:30 in the morning it’s usually slow (5-10) at a time. At the same time this morning every feeder -15- had one or more on it. Maybe we’re picking up one heading south. Anyone farther north than Indy see a decrease? We live just outside of Nashville.
NW Indiana--hitting the feeders hard so we assume it travel time.
See ya next year--best eats in town (lotsa flowers here too).
See ya next year--best eats in town (lotsa flowers here too).
2 websites--2 different dates--2 hummer holidays!
Wife said ours usually don't leave til October.
Just wondering where you live for them to be leaving that late? The latest we’ve recorded them leaving was the third week of September.
I kind of wondered if some of the males around here (Charlotte NC area) haven't already started leaving. I just see very few males right now. Still have lots of females around. I think ours start leaving mid-late Sept and I see the last ones passing through into October.
I didn’t notice it till you brought it up about the males. I’ve only seen a few in the past couple of days.
I don't know when I last saw a male at my house. I probably see a couple dozen throughout the day and can't always identify them, but I haven't notice a male in probably 2 weeks.
the longevity of this post is astounding
Not really. If you are a hummingbird enthusiast, you really enjoy seeing and hearing about them, so it doesn't surprise me there are a handful of folks like me who really enjoy keeping up with them. The F1 thread longevity; that's astounding!
I'd definitely rather get a hummer than watch F1
getting to be about that time of year. Enjoy while you can and hopefully you'll snag some migrators too. Someone on a FB group I am on says they often migrate and feed at night. I don't know how they would find feeders at night, but maybe come during the day, rest and then feed at night before departing?
Near Atlantic Mine shores of Lake Superior.
Had 2 males, maybe 3 all summer. Seemed to regularly have about five this year. 2 male 3 female. Didn't t see young ones. The larger male left a couple weeks ago. Seemed early. The smaller male I last saw early on the 6th. Two remaining females I saw Monday the 9th. But yesterday, after three days of no activity, saw a big female in the morning (day off work). I changed the nectar, then saw the same one drink a very long time in the afternoon. I assume a migrator, as had nothing for three days and it's the biggest I've seen this year.
None seen so far today.
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Had 2 males, maybe 3 all summer. Seemed to regularly have about five this year. 2 male 3 female. Didn't t see young ones. The larger male left a couple weeks ago. Seemed early. The smaller male I last saw early on the 6th. Two remaining females I saw Monday the 9th. But yesterday, after three days of no activity, saw a big female in the morning (day off work). I changed the nectar, then saw the same one drink a very long time in the afternoon. I assume a migrator, as had nothing for three days and it's the biggest I've seen this year.
None seen so far today.
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Was just through there about a year ago on the way to Copper Harbor and the ferry to Isle Royale.
Pretty country on the peninsula.
Still a good sized female visiting up here in the Keweenaw. Just now Sunday 15th, 11:30a, explained to a sister I hadn't seen but one all week since Monday, that one on Friday, and a few minutes later she pointed and said 'there's one'. Then it returned a few minutes later.
I've never seen them this late, The 12th is the latest I have marked in the bird book. But then again I've sometimes let the nectar and cleaning go about this time, usually do nothing much after the 12th-13th. I'll keep it fresh the next couple weeks for migrators that want a drink. Unseasonably warm the last few days.
I've never seen them this late, The 12th is the latest I have marked in the bird book. But then again I've sometimes let the nectar and cleaning go about this time, usually do nothing much after the 12th-13th. I'll keep it fresh the next couple weeks for migrators that want a drink. Unseasonably warm the last few days.
Do you have a restaurant up there? I know someone on here has (or had) a place in the UP.
Always a thrill when you spot one after you think they may have all gone! Keep holding out hope!
No, not me. I'm a mech engineer but in a sales team support job. I remember seeing that though. Can't remember if it was in the keweenaw, but what I remember it might have been around Escanaba.
Most of them left by this morning. We still have about a half dozen or so but sometime between late afternoon yesterday and this morning most of them are gone. I can finally start taking down most of the feeders. Love them but was using over 30 lbs of sugar a week for the last two weeks.
Holy crap, that's about 60 bucks. I remember when hummers were cheaper...inflation is real.
It wasn’t so bad a few years ago when we were putting out over a gallon a day for the last couple of weeks. The young lady who wrote for the Bloomington HT nature section worked out a deal with Kroger where we could get some of the bags of sugar that were ripped or damaged in some way that they could not be sold. Saved a lot of money.
We have had a lot of hummers the last week in Central Illinois. Have had to catch 3 this week in the garage with a pool net. Luckily all 3 survived with breaking a wing.
Poor things fly for hours up at the white garage ceiling. Catching them with a pool net is a hell of a short cardio burst.
Poor things fly for hours up at the white garage ceiling. Catching them with a pool net is a hell of a short cardio burst.
Never had any get caught in our garage but bet that would be a REAL cardio trip. We’re down to just a few females right now. Starting to take the feeders down.
Came home Fridayto find I had two hummers still hanging around. Didn’t see them Saturday. That’s the latest we’ve ever had them.
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