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

[Oaktree]

That is great info. We feed about 50 birds during a typical summer day. More when it's busy; less when other food more abundant.

Yikes! I'd say we don't have more than a half dozen or so. Dunno if we're just too far north or if there's just so much "real" nectar here they don't need to visit a feeder.

An hour East of Atl and I saw 2 at once, just a single time. I took down the feeders, cleaned them real well and made a new batch of nectar and I haven't seen any for 2 days.

On the upside we have 12 or more Goldfinch which is more than normal.

Maybe yours have headed north for the summer? Not sure where ours winter but I've heard a couple buzzing around last couple days, so they're coming back north.
We had an unusual number of finches this past winter at our feeder. Feeder came down end of March, but I'm sure they're still around. Been a few years since we've had many.

 

[LouNY]

Well I was standing here at my kitchen window this morning watching the Gold Finches feed,
got a whole flock of them 18-20 at one time some times.
But saw my first Humming bird of the season, so hurried and put up my two feeders for them,
about an hour latter had two of them squabbling over the feeders. Usually have 2-3 pairs in the spring
is all and they are very territorial little beggers, they will chase the others off constantly.

 

[ponytug]

We set multiple feeders normally, out of sight of each other to keep the squabbles down. Mostly it is just the males, but every so often a female gets annoyed and gives the male what for.

Always fun to see them.

All the best,

Peter

 

[sixdogs]

sixdogs said:
That is great info. We feed about 50 birds during a typical summer day. More when it's busy; less when other food more abundant.

Oaktree said:

Yikes! I'd say we don't have more than a half dozen or so. Dunno if we're just too far north or if there's just so much "real" nectar here they don't need to visit a feeder.


We didn't get to that many birds overnight and it took a few years to build up the numbers. Wife always had clean feeders and frequently changed to new food. We put feeders out early and left them up late in the season. Each year there were more birds than the prior year.

This year is another slow start but she doesn't let them birds down with delayed cleanings or food. If they are out there, we will get them as the season progresses.

This year, we just had our first oriole ever and it came to the HB feeder. Anyone know if they will feed off an HB feeder?

 

[goeduck]

We didn't get to that many birds overnight and it took a few years to build up the numbers. Wife always had clean feeders and frequently changed to new food. We put feeders out early and left them up late in the season. Each year there were more than the prior year.

Same here, except that the wife does not do the feeders, I do

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We set multiple feeders normally, out of sight of each other to keep the squabbles down. Mostly it is just the males, but every so often a female gets annoyed and gives the male what for.

Always fun to see them.

All the best,

Peter

I have a feeder on each side of the house. They segregate by species. The Annas have staked out the north side feeder, and the south side is primarily visited by rufous. The Annas are very numerous and drink more.

 

[ponytug]

I have a feeder on each side of the house. They segregate by species. The Annas have staked out the north side feeder, and the south side is primarily visited by rufous. The Annas are very numerous and drink more.

That is wonderful, we just see the rufous as they migrate through Spring and Fall. In contrast to the Anna's the rufous seem more curious, for lack of a better word, often stopping to check us out. But that could just be a result of the Anna's always seeing us. With patience, my father in-law did get some of the Anna's to land on his finger.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ArlyA]

We finally got our feeders out. They are already north of us, so yes, we are late.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

They’re real slow showing up this year. Maybe the recent storms in the south pushed them up the eastern seaboard.

 

[sixdogs]

They’re real slow showing up this year. Maybe the recent storms in the south pushed them up the eastern seaboard.

Something happened because we usually see repeat customers that survived the winter. We'll know better in a couple months but so far it's all new faces.

 

[ArlyA]

Just a reminder for everyone; All bird poplutions will see large fluctuations. Even if the numbers are the same, maybe food scoures have changed so birds moved 5 miles left or right.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I'm also expecting bird flu to wipe out entire flocks. Some will pull through, but it's going to be a rough summer for birds.

 

[goeduck]

Something happened because we usually see repeat customers that survived the winter. We'll know better in a couple months but so far it's all new faces.

I am impressed with anyone that can ID a hummingbird

I can tell species apart and male vs female, but it stops about there. Maybe young vs old as well.

 

[ArlyA]

I am impressed with anyone that can ID a hummingbird
I can tell species apart and male vs female, but it stops about there. Maybe young vs old as well.

I'm a bit skeptical when people who say the same bird is back. Is that really the same bird?

 

[kenmbz]

I always check the name tags
The way I know it's a bird from previous years is they hand around where the feeder should be staring in the window trying to get me to put it back up.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I always check the name tags
The way I know it's a bird from previous years is they hand around where the feeder should be staring in the window trying to get me to put it back up.

Yep. They come up on the porch where the feeders hang and just hover there. Sadly very, very few birds this year. Something went terribly wrong on the return flight I suspect.

 

[PILOON]

I'm a bit skeptical when people who say the same bird is back. Is that really the same bird?

I believe, YES!

We have 2 feeders, front lakeside and back at kitchen window.
They go to the kitchen fly up/down then go to the front and repeat kind of saying 'we are back where is the food?'
How else would any bird know which window to go to unless he'd been there last year?

 

[lman]

We are seeing the oriole more than hummingbirds so far. Only a couple of hummers so far. Usually by the end of summer there are about 12-15.

 

[sixdogs]

I believe, YES!

We have 2 feeders, front lakeside and back at kitchen window.
They go to the kitchen fly up/down then go to the front and repeat kind of saying 'we are back where is the food?'
How else would any bird know which window to go to unless he'd been there last year?

Agreed. We have feeders in five places and one is stuck on the kitchen 4' from me. You get to know them that way. Plus, as noted above and as I described earlier in this thread, we have feeders tucked here and there. One is in a protective alcove that's hard to see.

One bird used to like that feeder and the next year we noticed a bird looking exactly like that bird with the same odd markings going into the alcove when no feeder was there. We put the feeder up and that bird was back. Beam me up, Mr Pavlov.

Let me suggest that others put up a suction cup window feeder. No moving when birds are near and turn off lights during the day or they can get scared away.

 

[sixdogs]

We are seeing the oriole more than hummingbirds so far. Only a couple of hummers so far. Usually by the end of summer there are about 12-15.

We've only had maybe four so far but the year always starts out slow. I believe HB's primarily eat bugs and there are plenty around this time of year. Things will pick up in maybe June and go crazy in August. Another burst in September as the travers pass through.

We've also had a few orioles this year.