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

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We have a small feeder on front porch and another opposite side of house at kitchen window. Small because we wash & new fluid every other day or so, otherwise it gets moldy.
That way they can't fight over a drink.
Wife used to make a batch keeping it in fridge in a Mason jar until one day I drank it all saying "that kool-aid was good but sure was sweet".

 

[goeduck]

We are in our summer lull right now. The travelers won't be back from Canada and Alaska for a while yet, the resident's young are out of the nest and there is plenty else to eat. It takes a few days to go through a quart of food at this time of year.

 

[JPRambo]

I have two feeders. 1 cup and two cup. I'm making a batch of juice now. It takes about 12 days for the birds to drink it all.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Our numbers have dramatically increased this past couple of weeks. We're seeing about 20 at a time on the feeders. And they're HUNGRY! Where oh where have they been?

 

[sixdogs]

I fill our small sugar water feeder every day. It's often that there are thee pairs "fighting" over access to the feeder while we are sitting out on the deck for supper.
I'm not sure if this is more or less than "normal".
Is there any place in North America that DOESN'T have hummers in summer?
I do not recall seeing them as a kid in the Dakotas, but I was young then ;-)

There are several links in this thread that show the hummingrid range, variety and arrival dates.

 

[sixdogs]

Got this at a farm shop and I've been bird buzzed and bombed over the past few days, including one harrowing drive-by that I thought would hit me. The red lettering sort-of glows so maybe that's it.

 

[John0829]

My wife puts out 4 feeders and has to fill them twice a day, sometimes more with the heat we have had lately. There are a couple birds that start buzzing the kitchen window when the feeders get low and I have seen them practically drink from the feeder before she can hang them up.

 

[Oaktree]

It's often that there are thee pairs "fighting" over access to the feeder while we are sitting out on the deck for supper.
I'm not sure if this is more or less than "normal".

We see this behavior all the time. Hummingbirds are quite territorial.

 

[CalG]

We see this behavior all the time. Hummingbirds are quite territorial.

They do not appear to be very effective at it. Momentary, as the one chases the other off into the woods. Then, less than a minute later, one is back again, takes a sip or two before the other runs them booth off again. And it's NOT always gender specific! It goes every which way.

Fun to observe! No one gets hurt.

 

[sixdogs]

We continue to be swarmed with birds and wife had to refill the feeders at noon. This is more than we can ever recall.

Anyone know any wive's tales of voracious hummingbird feeding and the approaching winter?

 

[Gem99ultra]

We continue to be swarmed with birds and wife had to refill the feeders at noon. This is more than we can ever recall.

Anyone know any wive's tales of voracious hummingbird feeding and the approaching winter?

I had not heard of hummingbirds feeding with some prior instinct of oncoming winter per se - but we're sure seeing signs of them being aware of incoming bad weather. You may well be onto something there.
We're filling two 1-qt feeders 3x per day now with as many as 15 birds on the feeders at time. Those are such beautiful little creatures; we don't mind the extra feeding. They repay us back with their just being themselves.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Our numbers have increased to where we are going through 4-5 qts a day after a late start. Be careful what you wish for.

Some thirty-thirty five years ago, I was sitting in a restaurant in a small town at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy where New Brunswick and Nova Scotia meet. I was amazed to see this swarm of ruby throated hummingbirds enjoying several feeders that far north.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I have a new problem at my house. For some reason every time I open my shop door I get at least 3 humming birds in the shop. The only way I can get them to leave is to leave the big door open and hang a feeder from it. I have no idea why they started going in there. It has not been a problem in the past.

 

[ponytug]

I have a new problem at my house. For some reason every time I open my shop door I get at least 3 humming birds in the shop. The only way I can get them to leave is to leave the big door open and hang a feeder from it. I have no idea why they started going in there. It has not been a problem in the past.

That would seem to be the hummingbirds training the human...

Anything red in view? Ours are quick to investigate any fleck of red, anything sparkling, and every spray of water. Ours love to clean out spiderwebs, especially of ants.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ArlyA]

That would seem to be the hummingbirds training the human...

Anything red in view? Ours are quick to investigate any fleck of red, anything sparkling, and every spray of water. Ours love to clean out spiderwebs, especially of ants.

All the best,

Peter

Hummers are pretty smart and will taste any bright color to see if they can eat it. This is one of the reasons they are so successful. I seen one lick a red wire once.

 

[ArlyA]

Hummers are pretty smart and will taste any bright color to see if they can eat it. This is one of the reasons they are so successful. I seen one lick a red wire once.

I'm only speaking of rubies which most folks here see. Other species i have no idea.

 

[Duds13]

Mine have been putting on quite a show the last week or so. VERY active and a lot of kamikaze attacks at the feeders, lol

 

[sixdogs]

Do HB's feed after dark and before dawn? I have seen birds at the window feeder before dawn and after dark so now wonder if that's a common thing. Anyone know?

 

[kenmbz]

We see them right before sunrise and right about sunset every day.

 

[John0829]

I have no idea as to when they start or stop feeding but if there is enough light to see the feeders there is usually a bird to be seen.