Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?

   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?
  • Thread Starter
#491  
psvad--great videos. Thanks for posting.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #492  
Two pairs at the same feeder at the same time? Must be a different variety than what we have here. Ours are quite territorial, I've seen one chase another away from a feeder. We have 2 feeders, out of sight from one another for this reason.
I went the other direction, I moved my feeders closer together (about 10 feet apart) and am getting more birds. I have seen 5 birds on one feeder at the same time a few times. Often 2 or 3 at once on each feeder. I use the sit down type. They used to fight more and still do a lot but there is more drinking going on. The last week I have been putting out almost a quart a day. With the feeders completely away from each other it seemed one aggressive bird would dominate each feeder. I do not know if they can not dominate two feeders and give up or if they adapt to a "there's plenty to go around" midset or what.

 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #493  
From one year to the next, I am certain I see some repeat birds.
I agree with U.
B4 we got the feeders up they would fly up/down the windows where we usually hang our feeders, sort of saying 'Hey, where is it'.
Only a returning bird would know which window had the feeders.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #494  
The first hatch is showing up at the feeders, little half sized hummers. They'll grow fast.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #495  
Ten day after "first sighting" and still the same two pair. Perhaps this cold weather is keeping them elsewhere.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?
  • Thread Starter
#496  
I agree with U.
B4 we got the feeders up they would fly up/down the windows where we usually hang our feeders, sort of saying 'Hey, where is it'.
Only a returning bird would know which window had the feeders.

Can you imagine those little birds left last fall, flew all the way to somewhere much warmer in the Deep South and then returned to your place in Quebec? That's thousands of miles for those little wings and lots of dangers.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?
  • Thread Starter
#497  
We've had great results with this feeder. It attaches with a suction cup.


I think there are two versions with one made of plastic and the other of glass. Plastic is lighter while I have read that the heavier glass one can fall off. Ours is plastic.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #498  
Can you imagine those little birds left last fall, flew all the way to somewhere much warmer in the Deep South and then returned to your place in Quebec? That's thousands of miles for those little wings and lots of dangers.
I've been told hummers hitch rides on migrating geese. I don't know if that's true. I do know that we had a swarm of rufous hummers last fall that all disappeared in one day. I assume that was a mass migration as a group. This spring we have at least one nesting pair, but the majority never came back. I don't know if they went elsewhere or died.
 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year? #499  
I've been told hummers hitch rides on migrating geese. I don't know if that's true. I do know that we had a swarm of rufous hummers last fall that all disappeared in one day. I assume that was a mass migration as a group. This spring we have at least one nesting pair, but the majority never came back. I don't know if they went elsewhere or died.
That's a myth... here is a link to some hummingbird myths/truths.

 
   / Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?
  • Thread Starter
#500  
Put on Youtube

I have alway seen pictures of nests that look like your but around here I'm not sure of nest construction. After a big storm in the fall I often see very small and fluffy birds nest the size you would expect a HB to use. They aren't made of clay and such but rather pieces of a certain hard type of grass stems. No wide grass but rather the short and hard stems only. Do you think these are HB nests?

Saw our first two baby HB's at the feeder today. About half normal size but drank up and left in a hurry.
 

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