Heads-up the humming birds are headed so uth

[Gem99ultra]

Hummers have now made it to Warm Springs, Georgia. Since we're on about the same latitude as Ft. Worth, I suspect you'll be seeing them within the next day or so.

Look out though - they're coming hungry!

 

[rrelford]

Got the feeders out and ready. I do enjoy seeing those little guys.

 

[tglass]

Got the feeders out and ready. I do enjoy seeing those little guys.

Someone tell me about these little creachers. I have a feeder up, but will they bite you?, or peck? Is this something to watch or keep away from when they aproach?

 

[moored4]

I thought I heard one the other day, but the wife saw one today and it wanted to know where the feeders are! So we put one out and will see how long it stays filled! :thumbsup:

 

[rrelford]

Someone tell me about these little creachers. I have a feeder up, but will they bite you?, or peck? Is this something to watch or keep away from when they aproach?

I have had them come back for 10 years now. They don't peck but will wiz buy you within 10 feet. I have been sitting on my patio and they will stop long enough to look at you then shoot off on their way. I keep two feeders going with package feed mix
from TSC and plenty of colorful flowers. I am no expert...but I notice they like the feeders better with the perch...at least that one seems to get empty faster. I hope you have some drop by...they are amazing little birds.

 

[irvingj]

tglass-- When they get to doing their courtship ritual, it's amazing to watch: the girl bird will sit in a tree, and a boy bird will try to impress her with steep dives from a height of around 50', swooping down and then zooming back up again, in a giant "U". They'll also make a loud buzzing noise with their wings as they do this repeatedly.

I've had hummers actually tease our cat, who will sit on top of a printer next to the window where the feeder is. Drives the cat crazy!:laughing: They seem to know they're quite safe behind the glass.

Sadly, the cat did catch a couple of them last year; he'd hide under a bush with blossoms on it and wait for 'em. Bad Kitty! (Whack!)

It also seems they'll remind me if the feeder's empty. As I step outside, they'll actually buzz me! I take a look around the corner, and sure enough the feeder's empty.... Great little creatures to watch. I'm pretty sure it's the same ones --and their offspring-- who return each year, even to the same nest.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Most of my hummers have moved on! Still have a couple of brave ones, but the carpenter bees and bumble bees seem to want to chase the hummers. Not that the carpenter bees feed out of the feeders, but when the hummers come in to feed, the carpenter bees run up to them like them wanting to fight, and the hummers fly off, unfed.

The carpenter bees that I see are all male bees, i.e. white face (won't sting you either). I could spray insectacide and kill off the bees, but they're great for polinating the garden. Besides, I don't want to also kill off everything in site...

Guess I'll just leave nature to resolve the issue.

 

[Kays Supply]

We have our first two here in S Illinois. The cool weather has slowed them down, but they are still here.

 

[tglass]

interesting, like to see some or for not another reason, like to feed them and see them around. I did not know bees would keep them away though. which of the two are better polinators then?

 

[BKBrown]

We are starting to get the Hummers back now in VA. When they are all here we have had up to 3 dozen and use about 10 pounds of sugar a week.

About the Carpenter Bees - they will bore holes in your wood and eventually weaken structural framing - they can "drill" amazingly fast. If you have many of them, you need to watch where they are drilling there holes.

 

[irvingj]

They're finally here!

At least, I finally put up the feeder and a few boy-birds are hitting it... wasn't sure if I really saw them earlier or not, but finally heard one squeak in the trees yesterday so I put the feeder out this AM. Only took about an hour for one of them to find it!

Cat's having a great time sitting on the printer watching them through the window.... I swear they hover right there on the other side of the glass, watching him, just to p### him off!:laughing: