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-   -   Dorothy's Hummingbirds. Crump, TN. 2010 season is over. We fed the hummingbirds 144 lbs of granulated sugar (https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/dorothys-hummingbirds-crump-tn-2010-season-over-we-fed-hummingbirds-144-lbs-granulated-sugar-t56548.html)

dsb38327 08-31-2010 04:49 PM


Originally Posted by Andii
I love them!
Have you ever made a quilt with hummingbirds in it, Dorothy? The colors would be gorgeous. I bet there are some pretty paper pieced beauties out there...has anyone made one that has pictures to share?

Hi, no I haven't made a hummingbird quilt. I have seen applique kits. It would be unique. Their colors are so brilliant. Thanks for looking. Come again. I am hoping I will finally get the photo that has all the feeder holes with a bird on them. I am feeding 2 gallons of sugar/water a day now. I judge that to be 100 to 150 birds. I would say 200 birds but they are feeding heavy because they have to double? or triple? their weight before they start their long fly.

dsb38327 09-02-2010 10:31 AM

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Today just may be my first 3 gallon sugar/water day.
I put out two gallons at dark last night after the birds went to roost. They will be well into their 3rd gallon before they go to roost tonight. It is hard to imagine how many birds are here. My neighbor next door took her feeders down, said she didn't have any birds. I don't know how they pick and choose but they do. A master gardener lives across the street. Her landscape looks like a nursery. She has very few hummers.
Hope your having a great day.

The feeders were full 6 hours before the photo was taken.
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dsb38327 09-03-2010 07:33 AM

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September 3, 2010
It was about 8:30 am. There is at least 200 hummingbirds right now. I want to say more but they are still just feeding 2 gallons of sugar/water so I guess there is not. It is cloudy. If it thunderstorms these will go or more will come in.
Thank you for looking. Please feel free to add photos of your hummingbirds for us to enjoy.

dsb38327 09-08-2010 04:08 AM

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September 7, 2010
My photos today were averaging 55 hummingbirds on the large feeder pole. The small feeder pole averaged 20 to 30. For every bird in the photo I feel there are 2 or 3 we don't see. They are eating 2 1/2 gallons of sugar water a day now. We normally top out at 3 gallons a day.
September 8, 2010
Please feel free to add your hummingbird photos to this post. I will enjoy seeing them.
I loaded the photos so you can download them to your desktop and enlarge them to see the birds better. I hope you enjoy them.

54 birds
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49 birds
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39 birds. Feeding.
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23 birds. Taken right behind the one above of 54 birds
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34 biirds
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56 birds
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50 birds
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56 birds
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loopywren 09-08-2010 04:25 AM

Dorothy you are so lucky, I would love to see a humming bird in real life.

Suzanne57 09-08-2010 05:06 AM

I sure wish mine would play that well together. I only get one at a time feeding and that one will get chased off by another.

dsb38327 09-08-2010 05:25 AM


Originally Posted by Suzanne57
I sure wish mine would play that well together. I only get one at a time feeding and that one will get chased off by another.

I almost believe they feed in groups. In so many of the photos there is a bird or two sitting on the top of the feeder pole while others are feeding. I have watched and the bird is looking around like a scout. Generally the bird watching has the red throat and we think that is the male? I am wondering if they feed in families. We have tons of babies. So tiny. That means we will continue to grow in numbers because they will have babies and bring them too. I really enjoy them but it is a job all by itself. Then they will be gone in a heartbeat and I will be lonely for awhile.
Thanks for looking.

dsb38327 09-08-2010 05:50 AM


Originally Posted by loopywren
Dorothy you are so lucky, I would love to see a humming bird in real life.

I am sorry, I wish you could too. They are such fragile creatures, yet so powerful and strong for their size. They make nice sounds. It is like chattering, squeeking, and when they go to sleep at nice they make a sound like a cricket does, very loud. They fly so fast, swoop and dive. It makes a whoosh sound. There are many species I believe. The ones I see will not look like the ones in other geographical locations and/or countries. Thanks for looking.
If anyone has photos they want to share please feel free to add them to this post.

Feather3 09-08-2010 06:55 PM

Dorthy:

The hummingbirds you have are all of the "Ruby Throat" species. The male has the red throat. Young males usually have not gotten adult coloring yet, but a few may have a darker throat or a few red feathers. On the East Coast all we have are Ruby Throat species, with an occassional "Anna's" species. The Migration will soon be over. We saw a lone female 2 days ago, but my feeders are not going down. They hit them hard 2 weeks ago, before heading south. This site has tons of info on migration & great close up photos of many species of hummingbirds:

http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html

I just want to say thank you for taking the time to care for these little jewels. Without humans to help, many would never survive migration.

dsb38327 09-09-2010 06:03 AM

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Originally Posted by Feather3
Dorthy:

The hummingbirds you have are all of the "Ruby Throat" species. The male has the red throat. Young males usually have not gotten adult coloring yet, but a few may have a darker throat or a few red feathers. On the East Coast all we have are Ruby Throat species, with an occassional "Anna's" species. The Migration will soon be over. We saw a lone female 2 days ago, but my feeders are not going down. They hit them hard 2 weeks ago, before heading south. This site has tons of info on migration & great close up photos of many species of hummingbirds:
Thank you so much for your update, your thoughts and the information. I can understand it is hard for some to understand what we hummingbirds 'co-parents'? feel. I feel totally responsible for them from the first bird to the last. During peak (now) I do not travel because I might have to fill the feeders morning, noon and again at night. I leave my feeders full one week longer than I see my last bird. They know when to leave. I am going to feed them while they are here. I made 4 gallons of sugar/water yesterday, they drank 3 gallons. My photos of the large feeder pole are now averaging 70 birds that I can see. (I can't see the backside of the feeders in the photos.) I have 2 feeder poles and can't get them both in the same photo. I judge 'for every bird I can see to count, there are 3 more I can't see to count'.
I agree how important it is for all of us to help. If you have only one bird he is as hungry as all the others are. Thanks to each of you who care to feed them.
Yes, they will be leaving me soon. I go through withdrawals when they leave. Like I am supposed to be doing something I am not doing.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html

I just want to say thank you for taking the time to care for these little jewels. Without humans to help, many would never survive migration.

Grandpa. No one bothered him or tried to fight him away. Was easy to tell he was old. There is respect for the elderly even in nature. Amazing!
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I could count 42 birds in this photo. Taken Sept 9 am
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