Are your "hummers" leaving early?

[QRTRHRS]

We got off to a slow start with the hummingbirds this year here in south central Kentucky. We might have had a half a dozon until we put up several more hanging flower baskets then we jumped up to 20 plus birds. Around the middle of August I treated our well with the clorine tablets specific to water treatment as opposed to just dumping clorine bleach into the well. I had flushed the clorine out, waited several days to use the well all the while using water from jugs that we had filled prior to treating the well.

About the time we went back to well water (which was brought to a good boil), our hummer numbers dropped off to maybe a dozon overall. It just seems that they left earlier than we would expect. Of course my wife is concerned that we killed them with the water but I would expect that all of them would have been wiped out. Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[whistlepig]

We just didn't see as many hummers this year as in years past. And not as many deer or rabbits. Maybe the rough winter last year? My wife says a worse winter this year. Last year our horses shed their summer coat a week earlier than ever and she said bad winter. This year they started shedding even sooner. I'm starting to believe her. We do have a well but have a reverse osmosis system with a single spigot for drinking water and hummer water. About $80.00 in filters that have to be replaced once a year.

 

[/pine]

Here in N.E. GA they started moving south a few weeks ago...we've had literally swarms of them...there have been two waves of them moving through since we noticed an increase of activity...the masses taper up to a peak and taper down over a week or so...(the same happens in the spring) some are here all season...
Had lots of juvenile birds this year...hope it adds to the ones that stay here all summer...

 

[doxford jim]

Up here in central BC, the hummingbirds started to leave around the beginning of August or late July. We didn't have as many as we usually do, but didn't think much on it at the time.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the coming fall/winter ?
The Farmers Almanac forecasts another cold winter this year.

 

[Clint S]

I usually only have 4 or 5 residents per summer. This year it has been 3 residents that I have consistently seen, 2 females and 1 male and a few oddballs every now and then. They are still here.

 

[dragoneggs]

We have the normal crew... and lots of rabbits and deer taking residence as well. It is getting late in the year now for the hummingbirds though. They are now having to fight the bees that are starting to get angry over the sugar water.

 

[Ken45101]

Our numbers were terribly low this year with only 3 adults early on. Now there are the babies too so it's a bit better but nothing like the 20+ we would see at one time.

I assume that some disaster happened to them either during their migration or their wintering

We haven't noticed them leaving yet.

 

[wngsprd]

We have 19 feeders out right now and they seem to have 2 or 3 hummers feeding on each at peak times, along with flowers that attract them...so about a normal number this summer. They normally leave during September with a few stragglers into early October. The bumble bees have been heavier than normal on the feeders this year, but they seem to have kept the yellow jackets and bald faced hornets away.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Here in central Georgia we've had 4 or 5 hummers all summer. In the last two weeks that number has jumped to about a dozen. I'm guessing that they're beginning to move from the north down to the south? The Canadian Geese are also beginning to group up for their migration. Early winter?

We'll have two or three hummers every year that hangs around. Sure hope a cold snap doesn't get them.

As an aside, we have two water wells. Both were tested last week for just about everything, and had no chlorine period. My suspicion is that they don't really like the chlorine odor nor taste, but before back in the city all of the water was treated with chlorine, and that didn't seem to make any difference.

 

[Pepsiboy]

Here in SW Missouri we have had much lower numbers than in years past. The last 2 weeks have seen only a couple now and then. I think the heat we have had is keeping them away. Maybe next year there will be more.