Hummingbirds
 

Since 1976 or 1977, my mother had said "Make sure the hummingbird feeders are up before Mother's day." Well, we always made sure they were up, and Mom's been gone for 3 years now, but the advice still holds true. Put the feeders out over this past weekend, and a hummingbird was at the feeder this evening. Just another great thing about the lakes region. :cool:

Thanks for the reminder!
 

Mine will be going up this morning! Thanks for the reminder. Can't wait to see the first flying jewel of the season. :look:

As is the case in most of Bird-dom, the males are the most colorful.

It is the male hummingbirds that arrive first in the season -- scouting, I guess.

:rolleye2:

I had never heard that before, thanks upthesaukee. My wife loves hummingbirds but we seldom see one. Now I think our feeder has gone up too late.

They appear quickly!
 

Seems they appear within hours of us putting the feeder back out -- and return many times a day until it is put away in the fall. I'll be putting it out next week.

Put my feeder up last night and today at about 1:00PM a little geen hummer appeared ;)

Bumblebirds
 

My latest Science News magazine shows hummingbirds are doing just fine on bugs.

I'd known that they fed their nestlings on bugs, but this article shows hummingbirds snapping fruit flies (black flies?) out of the air for protein needed for migration and egg-laying.

The pictures show that hummingbirds can flex their lower bill, though there's no joint where it bends. The corners of their mouths (bird lips?) can also flare out to snatch the bug.


:look:

Looking forward to seeing those little cuties again. They are truly amazing. I was very surprised to have them show up on Rattlesnake Island since there are not too many flowers around because of the deer.
Had a bit of trouble with ants wanting to drink the sugar water. We took a small plastic cup (I cut the handle off a 1/8 cup measure) and drilled a small hole in it. Put the line the feeder hangs from through it and epoxied into place. When it cured, filled the cup with water. The ants couldn't make their way around it. Worked like a charm.

Wish I had done that. I bought that little cup for $8.00 and the looked at it and sid I could have done that for .50 :laugh:

Hummingbirds
 

My hummingbird feeder was up this past weekend -- no takers so far. Hopefully this weekend will see some activity!

Did you know...
 

Hummingbirds are also known for stealing bugs from spider webs?? All packaged up like take-out, I guess.

Hummingbird Migration Progress
 

I hope I'm doing this correctly - I'm going to try and add a link to a site that tracks the "first sightings" of ruby-throated hummingbirds during their northern migration. Here goes: http://hummingbirds.net/map.html
Enjoy! :)

Interesting Site
 

Pepper -

You did it right! That's a very interesting site.

Our feeders have been out a couple days now but we still haven't seen our first hummer. Once they come, we usually have many of them all summer until they migrate in the fall.

Curious...
 

Anyone try a little Gatorade in the mixture of sugar water?

Also, if the flower is left out of a few holes so that they are larger, the Oriole will utilize the feeder.

They share; but it's best to have several feeders - the hummers tend to be territorial.

Hummingbirds use spider web in constructing their nests.

I've left a dead hemlock standing which gets lots of small spider webs spun in its branches in the early morning -- and lots of hummingbird visits during nesting season.

Wonder why other birds don't regularly pick spiders out of their webs. I've do a lot of birdwatching, but only seen it once.

Tend? Tend? The fiercest fights among birds takes place among hummingbirds!

You seldom see two hummers on a feeder at one time. When they defend, you have to follow the "fights" with your eyes set at "hyper-speed". Awesome manuvers.

They also vocalize while they're fighting -- with noisy (for tiny birds, that is) "beeps".

the Hummingbird link
 

Thanks for the site. I really enjoyed reading what kind of flowers and vines attract the Hummingbirds.

More Bird information
 

I find one of my best resources for bird information is the Wild Bird Depot in the little plaza across from Shop-n-Save. They've recently launched their website at www.wildbirddepot.com. Additionally, Steve offers an e-mail service called Bird Droppings, which he puts out on a regular basis - it's loaded with timely information. That's where I got the link I posted above. Check out his site, and sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to get info "Just when you need it!" I buy all my seed and feeders and baths there, as he stocks only good quality, and is priced right! In the seven or so years that I've been shopping there, I've gone from having only sparrows, starlings and house finches, to having cardinals, indigo buntings, redpolls, orioles, hummers, gold finches, evening and rosebreasted grossbeaks, juncos, and too many other birds to mention. He offers great advice based on your location, the season, etc. I can't say enough about what I've learned from him, and how much more enjoyable he's made my at-home birdwatching! It's way more than just a store, it's like a resource center for bird freaks. Check it out, or at least check out the site and sign up for the newsletter. ;)

fast birds?
 

There are some birds around that fly almost as fast as hummingbirds. They are larger than humming birds. Does anyone know what they are ?

Hummers
 

I get those beautiful little creatures at my place and I don't even have a feeder. :rolleye2: I have two bushy hanging petunias and windowboxes with flowers that the hummers apparently like and visit repeatedly. You can find really nice hanging petunias either here or here Try it!

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...g_1754-med.jpg

I believe our lake hummingbirds are Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. The females are more likely to be at the feeders and they don't heve the ruby throat. Correct me if I'm wrong.

In the Eastern U.S., it would be a very rare hummingbird if it wasn't a Ruby-Throat. The females are much less "showy", have more green than red coloration, but still have the iridescence in their feathers. The males have the bright-ruby throat.

The color must catch the light in a certain way to appear iridescent. Males will "flash" a rival in its territory by turning its throat in the rival's direction.*

It does seem as though the females use feeders more than males, but males live a shorter (25%) lifespan.*

Females have been observed chasing off hawks, crows, and people from their nests. These "attacks" are accompanied by loud vocalizations.* (I've heard these "loud vocalizations". If you attend Meadowbrook, or have a noisy boat, you won't be able to pick up on these "loud vocalizations").

Feeders should have a sugar-to-water ratio of 1:4. Feeders should also be located away from housecats, who constitute a major threat to hummingbird populations.*

*= The Sibley Guide to Bird Life, 2001

Ant Trap Revision
 

As I was setting up my humming bird feeder I realized I made a mistake in instructions for the ant trap. :o We made a hole in the cup and used epoxy to attach a piece of wire. (Wire clothes hanger.) Then fashioned hooks on both ends. Works very well.
It is nice to share the enjoyment of our little feathered friends! Looking forward to seeing them again.

Hummingbirds are pretty old as bird species go.
 

In my May 8th issue of Science News (just getting around to reading it), there's an article about a pair of hummingbird fossils that date to 34 million years ago.

The previous hummingbird fossil -- from Central America -- is just 1 million years old.

This fossil was found in Germany, and is remarkable in that there are no hummingbirds in Europe, Asia, or Africa today. Lucky us!

Our loons are still the oldest bird species appearing today on Earth, with the first appearing 60 million years ago.

Feeder Question
 

I've put out feeders before, but generally they attract ants not hummingbirds. Do other people have this problem?

Also, how often do you have to change the sugar water? I'm only up on weekends. I put some up one week and by the next week it had gone bad. Bacteria or something seemed to be growing in the water, sometimes the ants managed to get inside and drown too.

We've had a few visit some flowers nearby, but never at the feeder.

Any suggestions?

Hummingbirds - Courtship
 

I've heard that you should change the nectar frequently. I do it every couple of weeks and I think I should do it more often than that. They still come and visit in the morning usually.

Last weekend, we had two hummingbirds at the feeder and one was doing some kind of mating dance or something while the other one was eating. The one that was doing the mating dance (or whatever) was flying up and down in a large "U" shape fashion in different directions. It was interesting to watch. I even got some pictures of them at the feeder. I have to download them to my laptop and put them up here soon.

Hummer Info
 

The sugar water does need changing fairly often, especially when the air temperature is warm. We generally change ours every week or so. Many people put red food coloring in the water, which the experts say should be avoided because chemicals in the food coloring may be toxic to the birds. They say the hummers are attracted by the red feeder and yellow flower petals, not by the color of the sugar water. We use clear sugar water and the birds like it fine.

We are fortunate in that our area in West Alton seems to have an abundance of hummers. We have put out three individual feeders in different spots because the male hummers are so territorial. I believe the "U" shaped display you have seen is actually one male asserting himself to another male who has invaded his territory. We have seen this fairly often, usually by one male while another male is feeding at a feeder the displaying male considers to be "his". The display is often accompanied by lots of loud chirping by the displaying male.

Every year within a few days of putting out our feeders in the spring, dominant male hummers claim each of the feeders as their own. Each dominant male sits on a perch somewhere within eyesight of "his" feeder and aggressively goes after any other male who attempts to feed there. They often seem to leave the females who feed at "their" feeders alone, although sometimes even the females are chased away. Usually the invading male will leave when chased away by the dominant male, but sometimes the invading male is just as courageous as the male who claims the feeder, and he refuses to leave. That's often when we see the "U" shaped flight display by the hummer who thinks the feeder is "his". At other times, the two males will sometimes each land on the feeder and drink the sugar water together.

The hummers are always interesting to watch! At our house, the most feeding activity often occurs at dusk, when it appears that the birds are all stocking up for the night.

Hummers II
 

When we moved to the new place, we never put up our hummingbird feeder. This spring, we put up sheperd's hooks around our deck planning to hang our hurricane lanterns there at night. The first warm night, we lit the lanterns and sat down. We hadn't been there for long when in flies a hummingbird to check out one of the lanterns. Then he flew on to the next one, and then the next one, and finally flew off rather annoyed. So up went the hummingbird feeder. Now we have two males who fight over it, to the point where one of them bumped the other one off the feeder the other night. We literally heard the thump only being 5 feet away. :laugh:

Birth of 2 Hummingbirds
 

Wow!
 

Thanks McDude! Those photos are fantastic! The little hummers change so much from birth to flight. I'm still smiling. :D

Is there nectar of some kind on Hemlock branches that Hummingbirds would drink? My hummers look like they are feeding off them as if they were flowers. Or is it more likely that they are eating bugs?

One of this year's 10-best photos
 

I found a hummingbird feather on the dock, and showed it around. Everybody asked what it was -- when I thought it was obvious~ (Admittedly, it was extremely small -- like one of those hemlock needles).

Now that is some amazing photography! Great post Madrasahs.
Some years back, my son heard a bird hit the window. We went to check it out and it was a humming bird. Almost thought it was dead because it was lying there lifeless, with its tongue hanging out. I picked it up and realized that it was alive, just stunned. It was so minutely tiny and delicate. It took quite a while for it come around. It was a happy feeling to see it fly away safely. If Jeff hadn’t heard it, I’m sure it would have died. The neighbor’s cat likes to hang out near the patio and it was a very hot day. Good memory.
I just love watching these birds and the marvelous way they take flight.

hummingbirds/bees
 

Hi RG... I have a hummingbird feeder at my house and I seem to be attrackting lots of bees :eek: ...any suggestions?

Great pic...

Lakegirl: unfortunately bees and hummingbirds go hand in hand. Try using feeders that have "bee guards" on them. The guards would be a mesh that the hummingbirds can get their beaks into, but the bees can't get to the sugar water, and usually reduces the number of bees, if not eliminate them.

Migration?
 

We had an abundance of hummers this summer (hmmm, sounds like the name of a boat!) http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_5_136.gif We put up three feeders in different locations to accomodate them all. Even so, one dominant male often rules over each feeder and chases other males away. We changed the sugar water weekly to make sure it was fresh and we use feeders with bee guards. We've had some trouble in the past with ants getting inside the feeders so we now hang the feeders on water-filled ant traps.

After a summer of having many hummers every day, we noticed a little over a week ago that they have all disappeared. It happened almost overnight. We've kept the sugar water fresh, but they haven't returned. Am I correct in assuming that they have likely migrated for the winter? Interesting how they all left at exactly the same time.

Loving my Hibiscus blossoms!
 

I haven't had much traffic at my feeders this year, but the hummers just love the blossoms on my hibiscus plants! Just yesterday I saw a lone hummer drop by for breakfast. This is the right time for them to begin heading south, and usually they disappear nearly overnight, so I'm not surprised you suddenly don't see any. Leave the feeders up anyway, because you'll get some traffic as those which were farther north start coming through this way!

Countermeasures
 

At this time of the year it is more likely that you have attracted yellow jackets. The difference between the two is in how aggressive they are. Honey bees are docile and present only a minimal sting hazard. Yellow jackets are quite prone to stinging and will even chase the hummingbirds away.

Homemade Yellow Jacket Traps:
--Suspend a piece of fruit over a pan of soapy water, only an inch or two above. It helps if the pan or container is broad and shallow and for some reason, colored yellow. The wasps fly erratically, and if they drop into the water, the soap breaks the surface tension, so they can't "tread" on water to the edge of the container to escape. They drop in, sink, and drown.
---Plastic clear pop bottles with the tops removed and a 50:50 concentration of frozen apple juice concentrate, water, and a few drops of soap will have the same effect. Screw the lid on and dispose the bottle after a few days.
--Take a plastic gallon milk jug. About halfway up the jug, cut down slits into the jug and about 3/4 of an inch across and petal the edges inwards. Next, poke a hole, very small, into the bottle top. Feed a wire into it. Now, bend the wire, and jab a piece of salami, if they are still in the meat-seeking mode, or fruit onto the wire. Suspend the wire over the same mixture of juice, water, and soap, within an inch or so of the soapy juice solution. This can also be placed at ground level or suspended from grapevines, bushes, or fruit trees where the yellow jackets are most active.
--If you can, eliminate the fertile female in the spring, no later than May with the above traps. You can also use a piece of fresh meat that time of the year as a lure. If you do use meat, be sure that you change the bait every few days as Yellow Jackets, including the fertile female, will not be attracted to decaying meat.

Link to another good homemade trap. You will have to scroll up to the top of the thread.

Gardens Alive Yellow Jacket & Wasp Trap Excellent site for all sorts of things.

Leaving feeders up will NOT influence when healthy Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate south. Take most down by October1st, but try leaving one up until Thanksgiving (or even later if you can keep the mix from freezing); stray hummingbirds from the western U.S. may wander in and stay all winter (see Winter Hummingbird Research).

woodpeckers
 

Here is another question for you.... we have a woodpecker that thinks our house is his tree.... :eek: any suggestions?????

There are most likely two possibilities-

1- You have some sort of bug infestation, and the woodpecker is hungry :). In which case, you owe the woodpecker a debt of gratitude as the problem might otherwise go undetected for years, and repairing wood boring insect damage is not cheap.

2- The woodpecker is hammering for territorial reasons. They tend to gravitate towards whatever makes the loudest noise when they hammer on it. (I thought that it was only the 'Big Boaters' who 'need to draw attention to themselves'. :) See, it's instinct! It's a natural thing!:) ) (I'm only repeating what I read on the forum, of course.)

To stop the woodpeckers, you can use the same kinds of things that people use to stop seagulls and other birds- streamers, those fake owls, an old CD on a string will spin around and reflect, or even (I have heard) a mirror placed where they peck the most.

If the pecking is one big hole, (and especially if it is not on wood, but metal, which is very noisy), that's more likely to be a territory thing. If the holes are smaller, but spaced closely together, you have a bug problem, and you want to adress it asap.

If you google woodpecker + damage + house, I'm sure you will find plenty of info.

Hope this helps.

Rob

Had the same woodpecker at my house. Thought the corner board was a tree -- I had the Audobon folks here about it and another reason that Woodpeckers may use your house as a tree, it the area they are using emits a sound, like bugs do and that is what attracks the wood pecker. This 'sound' can be caused by the electrial wiring. So if there is electrical wiring on the inside of the house in the area where the bird is pecking, this could be a reason. My house is 200 years old, so anything is possible

Boy that's one busy woodpecker!He was at my house last year and did some pretty extensive damage.He/she pecked about 20 3/8 inch diameter holes all over the north side of my house.The siding is cedar shingle and the bird stopped when it got through the cedar and to the plywood.I never saw any sign of bug infestation.After about a week of that bird waking me up in the morning,he was gone.No clue what the attraction was. SS

Hummingbirds aren't all that fast. (they're just tiny, so it just looks that way).
 

Not a lot to go on here, but I stumbled on a few answers in a September 2003 National Geographic.

'Turns out, a hummingbird can fly between 30 to 70 MPH, depending on what it wants to do. When they cross the Gulf of Mexico non-stop, they travel fairly slowly -- 35 MPH.

Lots of birds fly faster. Pigeons can hit speeds of 110 MPH, with merganser ducks (at 100 MPH) close behind. Normally, a peregrine falcon just flaps along at 30 to 60 MPH speeds.

A scientific test to determine exactly how fast a peregrine falcon can fly was conducted by a skydiver. He trained a peregrine falcon to eat pieces of beef from his hand, then jumped off a cliff (presumably properly attired).

He used a meter to scientifically determine that falcons reach 200 MPH. A recording speedometer was attached to the bird for confirmation.

(Here's thanking SS -- in advance)

Our first sighting of our hummers was yesterday with at least one male up here on the mountain. It or if there is more than one were at the feeder all day long and were back again today. Guess we will now have our friends for another wonderful season.:)

First hummer appeared at our feeder two days ago (5/7) but haven't seen him since then. Finches are also here.