illinois

I have a new hummingbird feeder but so far I've only seen 1 bird come to it and it quickly left. The cane sugar that I'm using is not fresh. (I have kept it especially for the hummers.) Do you think that is a factor in the lack of birds or what has happened? I have moved the feeder to the edge of the deck now, thinking that perhaps they were seeing their reflection from the window glass but no change. I preferred the feeder I had last year but those little flower petals had gotten brittle and disintegrated. Suggestions?

Eva Knight

How not fresh is it? Maybe they are late in finding it. I've had mine up for about 2 months and just now getting several.

bungalow59

Hummingbird sugar solution should be changed weekly to prevent bacteria from growing and making the birds sick.
They will find your feeder, especially if you had hummingbirds visit before.
Good luck! Enjoy the birds!

Three Dog Night

I fead a pair of hummers all winter and then found one of them dead on my deck, the second one was around for awhile and then it disappeared also. I clean and refill my feeders regularly and have been for over 40 years so I couldn't figure out what happened. I kept 2 feeders up and filled for over a week before I noticed two new hummers and they only came about every third day for short sip and off they went. They are now feeding everyday and one is taking baths in fountain by one of the feeders. Keep feeders clean and filled and they will come back.

ekuw

Fresh is good, but that's probably not the main factor. There could be other feeders in your area they have already claimed OR this is really big; if you feed other birds (seed) and you have any breed of Jays that are around a lot. This will keep them away as they are predators.

tesspug

Also when hummers' babies hatch they spend most of their time catching insects to feed the babies. They'll hunt strongly for about two weeks and then go back to the nectar. You might have caught them during hunting season.

tranum

When I had a kitchen window box, I made sure the flowers were red so the hummingbirds came. I also had red petunias on the corner of our lawn and in the evening I could stand out there and they’d fly circles around me.

coopah

Those little yellow flowers can be purchased. We had hummers for a few weeks. Then disappeared, and now are back. Because of the heat and quick mold growth, I change the syrup every other day. More than that, and mold appears. I use 1/4 c. Sugar to 1 c. Water. I let it boil a short while to help it thicken just a tad. These little birds are so fast that it's difficult sometimes to see them unless you're stationed close by. As others said, keep the feeders clean and filled. They also seem to have a flight plan! Good luck!

themachinelady

Oh those little sweet birds can be elusive. I don't have them here at this house like I had them out in the "country". At times I would have as many as 50 + around my feeder outside my kitchen window. They got so used to me that when I would go out to get the feeder to replenish it they would swarm about my head and upper body. I even had one come and drink out of a little lid I held in my hand. At this house I haven't had many but this year seem to getting more. The other night while sitting out on the deck wearing a brightly red flowered top I had one come up and light on my shoulder trying to get nectar out of the red flowers. I sat perfectly still and he finally gave up pecking and went back to the feeder. He was soooo pretty close up. I find they come and go and have seen them on flowers etc in the flower gardens.

Jingle

I had to stop feeding them because a big raccoon hung from the feeder and pulled down the soffit on the house. I really miss seeing them as much. They still get nectar out of flowers on the rose of sharon bush.