humming birds
 

Just saw our first humming bird of the season. It was at the wigelia bush out side the kitchen window. No pictures tho, it was to fast and I was to slow getting the camera:)

Already? I better buy the fuschia plant they love and get out the feeder...chore of the day.....

My husband and I watch a pair of hummers that showed up here in Maryland about May first: usually we don't figure on seeing them until the middle of the month. So far, there's only been the single pair.

Still waiting for mine to show up. All ready for them! Mom has her first one come the same day we hung the fuschia.

Our hummingbird feeder has been taken over by squatters/ thieves. Not sure what kind of birds but did see a cardinal, blue jay, woodpecker and few others. DH is refusing to put any more "juice" in it til they leave it alone. These squatters get on the edge and just send that feeder swinging like a trapeze bar. Funny but we enjoyed watching the hummers.

I'm so lucky, I have several that stay all winter! If we get a freeze I'm kept busy replacing the frozen nectar. The Anna's and the Rufous are 2 kinds we get. With my ankle broken, my DGS used a command hook to hang a tube feeder outside my window that I can fill! Many pleasant hours hand-quilting and watching the birds! Because I can only manage the one feeder at the moment, it truly needs filling twice a day! Surprising how late into the evening they feed!
Sorry, didn't mean to hi-jack this post, and I hope everybody's hummer come back soon! Enjoy!

Ours come back in March. We have mostly the ruby throat in my yard. Love watching them and the grand kids love them.

Our hummers have been here for about a month. Last night there was quite a dual. As far as we can tell there are 3 different kinds. Each have their own personalities.... some wiggle their tails the entire time they feed and others hold perfectly still. Ours stay until about 9ish in the evening. We love them.

Ours came back three weeks ago. I had to take down the regular bird feeders since we have a hungry bear. But they do not bother with the humming bird feed. Yah...so I have three out and many hummers. They love to battle...even though there is plently for all.

Our hummers usually show up about April 10th or 12th. I have decided to not feed them. I have enough chores ans decided that is one I can stop. We feed the other wild birds. I do have flowers blooming and Honeysuckle bush. There is a younger neighbor up the street that feeds them.

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*** We have Ruby Throats.
*** We put out feeders March 31st and take in October 31.
*** They stay a long time.
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Put a container of red jelly someplace away from your feeder. The birds will go to that and it won't hurt the hummingbird either.

Living in Iowa this summer so as soon as I read your post I dashed to the store to buy sugar to make the hummers, I call them the Jetsons, some food! Can't wait to see them.

Do u make your own hummer juice or buy redi-made? I made one year...not popular, so now I invest in redi- made

tessagin, it might be orioles, they get on my hummingbird feeders all the time.. I love them as they are so colorful. Even tho you get squatters if you don't keep the feeders full your hummers won't stay. I just put out several feeders then they can all share. My hummers have been coming for over a month.

Our hummers have been here since sometime in April. We have 7 feeders out in the front yard and 4 in the back yard.
They definitely keep one busy filling them all. We too have had squatters, they began last year, with some orioles and this year we have had field sparrows and just regular sparrows as well as a few orioles. We don't seem to have as many this year as we have had in the past. I know for sure we have at least 6 hummers this year. They have darling stand off battles all day long, especially late in the evening. We have one n the back and one in the front that acts like sentry guard for some of the feeders- protecting it's feeder.
DH and I have found that the tube or cylinder feeders aren't bothered by squatters as much as the short circular feeders are. We make our own feed, 4 cups of boiled water and one cup of sugar. We do not use any coloring. I keep a supply in the fridge at all times. It has been so dry that there aren't flowers for them to feed on. DH has planted some new vines hoping this will help them. We have been feeding them for at east 10 years now and they return very year.
We have light tan, one green with a beautiful purple throat, and several with a black head a white ringed neck. I haven't seen a rufus this year, but we have had some in the past. I watch them every morning while drinking my cup of hot tea, and all through the day. Morning and evening are my favorite times to go out and watch their little battles. Just more of God's beautiful creations.

I live in southwestern Manitoba, Canada and after our long winter our hummers returned last week. I read a hint on Facebook that to attract the birds tie red ribbons near the feeders. this really works! my husband did this a couple of days ago, and the little fellows are in the yard all the time now. Before that we would just see them once in a while.

I am still waiting. I have 2 feeders up.

Homemake - I C plain white sugar, 4 C water. I micro for 6 minutes.

Just remember, please, please, please, to clean the feeders with the liquid before refilling it. If mold starts to grow in the little openings, there's a good chance that it will make the hummers tongue swell so they can't eat. Not to be an alarmist, but just be aware. Letting them feed on nature's bounty is, of course, the best, but not always possible. We have some that visit a plant that is called "Mexican petunia" here...it's purple, but they come to it.

Mine were back the beginning of March. I have one feeder over the living room slider and there he was staring at us as we were watching the TV so I filled the feeder. Only put up one to begin with as we were still getting freezing weather so I had to bring it in sometimes at night. Have 5 up now and if you walk out on the deck you are likely to be buzzed. I set my camera up a couple of weeks ago on tripod and set to movie mode, got some good film and I can take screen shots from the movie. They would stay the winter if I kept feeding them but we are gone often on weekends and would hate to have them show up with frozen necter and not have anything to eat, they usually disappear in October.

We have seven feeders up now. Three of these feeders are shared with Western Orioles (Scotts Orioles). The Orioles visit often and do not drink a lot, however in total we do use 8 cups of nectar daily. We use one cup cane sugar to four cups of boiled water, mixed daily in 8 cup batches. The clear nectar does not seem to attract bees as much as the red nectar. In the spring and fall when the migrations come through, 9 to 10 feeders are needed and this lasts a month or so. I enjoy the humming bird swarms in the yard.

I had to quit feeding wild birds and hummers. Squirrels and coons kept my feeders torn up or spilled.

Since we switched to just humming bird feeders (we also make our own) we have had no chipmucks or Squirrels in the yard. Its also a lot cheaper than bird seed.

When we leave our garage door up, we sometimes get hummers in there and they stay to near the ceiling to get back our the open door. But if we leave a red cloth, shirt or jacket drapped on the stoop/door, they will fly out that way.

I love the hummers and make sure they have plenty of flowers and feeders. We also have Baltimore Orioles and blue birds. The blue birds love their houses I have out for them. Love watching all the birds except Blue Jays who are nasty to the rest of the birds.

We are one of the lucky ones. We have hummers all year long and my hubby makes sure there is food in their feeder all the time.

I used to boil the water/sugar mixture but now I just use warm water from the tap and make sure to stir thoroughly until all the granules have disappeared. We have plenty of flowers around for them to feed on also.

I also open the feeders up and clean them out with brushes. Mold can grow quickly. It is such joy to see them buzzing in and out and dueling that it is worth the extra work.

My granddaughter gave me a blue aganpantha flower for Mothers Day-was only out on deck about 2 hours when hummiingbird was fluttering by it. I always plant red flowers for them but this has the trumpet shaped flower groups

We had some hummingbirds and I love watching them with our feeder. Haven't seen them lately and just found out last week that a person in our subdivision is caging them. I want so bad to find out if that is illegal. That person has robbed me of one of my favorite things.

It is definitely illegal. Report them.
http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/laws.php

Saw my first one this season about 2 weeks ago. I keep meaning to get the feeder loaded. I've never seen them this early.

Hummers and Orioles show up May 8 or 9. We set out the feeders and grape jelly on the 7th

We've had a pair for about 3 weeks now.