Hummingbirds 2020

[openwell]

starting to see females more often daily now.
started 2 min. boil of 4parts water 1 part sugar.
Purdue County Extension recommends boil then cool to slow fermentation.
lasts 3 to 4 days in low 80s I'm having in Indy.

 

[63PGP]

Three at our feeders for the last several days.

 

[Principal Skinr]

I had a bunch this morning, mostly females. I'm guessing 10 to 12 over a 30 minute span. One feeder type is clearly preferred over the other so I bought another this evening and hung it from another branch on the same tree. We'll see if it is the feeder type or specific location that they prefer.

 

[Principal Skinr]

We've seen lots of birds, and more consistently, since I put out a 3rd feeder. Tonight is the first night I've noticed an aggressive male patrolling and chasing others away. He's an aggressive little stinker. I'm guessing these little alpha males will let females in or do they chase them off, too?

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Mom, how are you feeding grape jelly to your hummingbirds?

 

[mom45]

I stopped putting jelly out as they hadn't touched it much in the last week. I have some small votive cups for candles that I fill. The picture below is the feeding station I use for the jelly. The pole is topped with a spoked motorcycle rim. We have wire hooks around the outside of the rim to hang the various feeders. The votive cups of jelly fit perfectly between the spokes so I fill three or four and set them on the top. The baffle below the feeder prevents the coons and squirrels from getting to the feeders. The orioles only eat the jelly and fruit when they first arrive, and then their diet changes to seeds/bugs. I believe they also are a different color pattern in the summer so I always thought they left, but apparently they stay in the area but are not as easily spotted.

 

[Butch627]

My feeder is in deep shade, combine that with my poor eyesight and I don't pick out the colors very well. Today though for the first time I saw one with a very distinctive red stripe around its neck. No matter how bad my eyes that is the first red stripe I have seen in 3 years of feeding. I typically get one visitor every 5 minutes, and and have only seen more than one near the feeder at a time on a few occasions.

 

[WhitleyStu]

This little mummer comes in at least 20 times a day…

 

[openwell]

@butch627

I get females feeding about every 15 mins for a few hours about dawn, mid-day & evening.

according a Purdue University publication hummingbirds are very territorial, so seeing them one at a time is common.

I only see a few males until they start migrating in August. then I see them fighting & driving others away from nearby feeders.......

it's fun to watch.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Not as good of pic as some others, but it's all I could get

 

[2in1evtime]

We are not seeing near as many hummingbirds at our feeders this year so far, wondering if a lot were killed in the storms down south??

 

[EyeCarry]

We are not seeing near as many hummingbirds at our feeders this year so far, wondering if a lot were killed in the storms down south??

Same here which is why I haven't had much to post lately. Been thinking about putting up a second feeder like a previous poster.

 

[EyeCarry]

Really great picture there WhitleyStu. Thanks for posting it!

This little mummer comes in at least 20 times a day…

 

[ghitch75]

we have about half and more coming everyday.....have between 25 and 30 now should be about double that by July....older video...

[video=youtube;zNjIZPubD8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjIZPubD8A[/video]

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

We have some, but they've been hitting the honeysuckle and fuschia more than the feeders. There's one that is interested in pink geraniums, too.

 

[Sniper 79]

Haven't seen squat this year. Added more feeders and plants. Nothing. Had a bunch last few years that built their nests and stayed all summer.

 

[openwell]

last week has been slow to see them

I suspect (guess) they are training their young on flowers since they need insects as well as nectar.

will probably return to feeders in next week or so.......

 

[openwell]

gave up on father's day....
have not seen ANY for about 9 days.....
so feeders cleaned & boxed.

will hang them again in August for fall migration.

 

[NKBJ]

Have feeders front and back of the house and flowers. The milkweed will be feeding them soon. The bee balm has started blooming.

So far we think we've only seen a pair of black chins and a pair of ruby throated.

There's either two pair of orioles or two males and one female. They visit the hummer feeders regularly. The berries brambles are fruiting now so they're feeding on those and I'll cut back on the fruit feeder.

 

[Hkindiana]

Have feeders front and back of the house and flowers. The milkweed will be feeding them soon. The bee balm has started blooming.

So far we think we've only seen a pair of black chins and a pair of ruby throated.

There's either two pair of orioles or two males and one female. They visit the hummer feeders regularly. The berries brambles are fruiting now so they're feeding on those and I'll cut back on the fruit feeder.

We don’t have black chinned hummingbirds in Indiana, ONLY Ruby Throated hummingbirds. I have WAY fewer hummingbirds at my feeders this year than I have had in the previous ten years.