Lots of hummingbirds here this year

[Matt Marsh]

Yesterday they went through about 24 cups of 4 to 1 water/sugar nectar.


http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/Itasca_mn/Video/Hummers_zps8a059c56.mp4

[Mel Fulks]

That is a real spectacle! I thought I was doing well to see three at once.

[Jim Matthews]

If I see three in a year, it's remarkable.

I had to check the OP location,
I would have guessed it was filmed in the Amazon.

[Raymond Fries]

Very nice...

...Enjoy.

Now, we just put out flowers that attract the humming birds. When we used to use a feeder, we seemed to get more wasps than birds.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

VERY Cool! We used to have hummingbird wars at our old house. We had planted Monarda "Jacob Kline" (aka Bee Balm) flowers and the blooms are a very vivid red. Hummingbirds would come from all around and dive-bomb each other while trying to get to the 4' to 5' tall flowers. We brought some starts with us to the rental house and plan to plant them in our future home. The flowers are only about 2' tall while in pots on the porch, but just the other day I saw a hummingbird check them out.

[Larry Frank]

That looks great....we have several smaller feeders out and the hummers are constantly fighting and keeping each other off of them. It is fun to watch. We also have Impatiens, Fuchsia, and Verbena which the seem to love.

One day, I would love to actually see a nest but they are so small and well camouflaged.

[Bruce Page]

Wow! We have about a dozen that we feed. Our feeder lasts about a week. It's almost time to ween them off and send them south for the winter.

[Tony Zona]

We get a lot of them here, but not like that. That looks creepy, like something out of Hitchkock

[Matt Marsh]

VERY Cool! We used to have hummingbird wars at our old house. We had planted Monarda "Jacob Kline" (aka Bee Balm) flowers and the blooms are a very vivid red. Hummingbirds would come from all around and dive-bomb each other while trying to get to the 4' to 5' tall flowers. We brought some starts with us to the rental house and plan to plant them in our future home. The flowers are only about 2' tall while in pots on the porch, but just the other day I saw a hummingbird check them out.

I have several perennial beds that my late wife planted and cared for in the yard. Most everything that she planted in them was with hummingbirds and butterflies in mind. There is a huge patch of Monarda in one of the larger beds. This is the second summer that the beds have not been tended to, and they are getting a bit out of hand. Hopefully they will survive!

[Matt Marsh]

Wow! We have about a dozen that we feed. Our feeder lasts about a week. It's almost time to ween them off and send them south for the winter.

Yeah, they'll soon be packing their luggage! But don't ween them off, that's an old wives tale. Now until they're gone is when they need all of the help they can get. I always leave a small feeder out for at least two weeks after I see the last hummingbird for the summer, just to help the stragglers along.

[Bruce Page]

You're right! I did not know that. I have always weaned them because that's what my mom always did.

Thanks

http://wildbirdsunlimited.typepad.com/the_zen_birdfeeder/2007/09/how-long-should.html

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I have several perennial beds that my late wife planted and cared for in the yard. Most everything that she planted in them was with hummingbirds and butterflies in mind. There is a huge patch of Monarda in one of the larger beds. This is the second summer that the beds have not been tended to, and they are getting a bit out of hand. Hopefully they will survive!

When we had our old house on the market, we had already moved 2.5 hours away. We would come down every other weekend or so to mow, but we didn't do any watering. The Monarda was a bit scraggly, but it survived. The transplant we have at the rental has been doing okay too. Last year I had looked out the window one afternoon and noted the blooms had just exploded in color. The next day they were gone. ?? <grrr> Darn goat stuck it's head thru the fence when one of us forgot to turn the hot wire back on! It's doing just great this year and sprouted several more baby plants. Enough that we were able to pot up several and keep them far away from the goats!

[Wade Lippman]

Maybe that explains it. We have about 10% of what we had last year. They are all in Minnesota!

[Matt Marsh]

Maybe that explains it. We have about 10% of what we had last year. They are all in Minnesota!

It must be the aroma of Tater Tot Hotdish emanating from Minnesota that attracts them. It sure as heck can't be da Lutefisk ya know!

295290

[Steve Peterson]

The number of hummingbirds changes from season to season. One year we got quite a few and I kept putting out additional feeders. Eventually we had 4 quart size feeders and 2 gallon size feeders. The quarts got filled every day and the gallons every other day. We went through over 50 lbs of sugar that year. It was amazing to go outside and have around 100 hummingbirds buzzing around at the same time.

The next year, we barely got any. I think a breeding pair claimed the territory and chased the others away.

Steve

[Matt Marsh]

The number of hummingbirds changes from season to season. One year we got quite a few and I kept putting out additional feeders. Eventually we had 4 quart size feeders and 2 gallon size feeders. The quarts got filled every day and the gallons every other day. We went through over 50 lbs of sugar that year. It was amazing to go outside and have around 100 hummingbirds buzzing around at the same time.

The next year, we barely got any. I think a breeding pair claimed the territory and chased the others away.

Steve

They've been relatively consistent at my feeders. We moved into this place in 1992, and the numbers have been high since then. After the babies fledge, they've always gone through at least 20 cups a day.

[Mark Bolton]

Its so amazing to see them just sit there with all the others around. Ive always had feeders out, usually at least one but often two or three, and its just stressful to watch them defend the feeder. A pair or two will work endlessly to run any other birds off the feeder and it seems they use every ounce of energy they consume chasing off other birds (and bugs to boot).

To see so many of them just sitting there and even the few times when a second flies in and drinks from the same receptacle a perched bird is at is just wild.

Its really cool, and Im not a cheapskate, but the cost of sugar can sure get away from you feeding these guys.

[Matt Marsh]

Its so amazing to see them just sit there with all the others around. Ive always had feeders out, usually at least one but often two or three, and its just stressful to watch them defend the feeder. A pair or two will work endlessly to run any other birds off the feeder and it seems they use every ounce of energy they consume chasing off other birds (and bugs to boot).

To see so many of them just sitting there and even the few times when a second flies in and drinks from the same receptacle a perched bird is at is just wild.

Its really cool, and Im not a cheapskate, but the cost of sugar can sure get away from you feeding these guys.

Just after they return in the spring, a few of the males will get a bit bully, but after the bulk of them arrive, the bullies either give up or die of exhaustion. Yeah, sugar does get expensive, but I enjoy them so much. I don't go to the bars, so I consider feeding the critters justified. I also feed hulled sunflower chips, whole black oil seeds, thistle seed, raw suet, I make my own suet cakes, grape jelly for the orioles, and I feed the deer in the winter. There are months where I'm sure my feed bill is well over $200. Call me crazy!

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Yeah, sugar does get expensive, but I enjoy them so much. I don't go to the bars, so I consider feeding the critters justified. I also feed hulled sunflower chips, whole black oil seeds, thistle seed, raw suet, I make my own suet cakes, grape jelly for the orioles, and I feed the deer in the winter. There are months where I'm sure my feed bill is well over $200. Call me crazy!

Nothing crazy with that at all! While you have your birds and deer, we have our farm animals. At least you don't have vet bills or need to go out and trim hooves!

[Tim Offutt]

It has been a down year for us also this year. The wife has 11 feeders this year, she has had as many as 20 in a busy year. She goes through 3-4 gallons of sugar water a day and fills the feeders in the morning and again at night. I am not sure how much sugar so far this year but she buys 25 pound bags at Sam's Club every week or two. They are fun to watch but I hate to think how much it costs me to feed all those little guys!