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Anyone Else Have Hummingbird Feeders?

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LostLassie

LostLassie

Am I Allowed To Say That?
'17 BPCFFB II Champ
Just wondering, in the general Columbus area, if anyone else has feeders, and if so, have you seen any birds recently?

For the second day this week, I sat outside for a good while, and never saw a single visit to my feeder.

Last year, it was at least the second week of October* before the little guys took off for parts south. Wonder if I'm just not paying attention, or if they made an early departure. (We do have the damned construction going on beside us, so I don't know if that might have driven them off to more serene locales.)

It also occurs to me that if they have in fact migrated earlier this year, if that is some kind of hint about the weather we can expect for autumn.

*After writing this, I ran across my calendar notes from last year. Faulty memory. They actually left in early September last year, too. Labor Day seems to be packing day for them.
 
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Thanks, guys.

Found a pretty thorough article about the ruby-throats, which is mostly what I seem to have, and their migration habits.

http://www.hummingbirds.net/migration.html

Apparently, it's not unusual for them to head south by mid-September. According to the article, if I keep seeing birds between now and October, it's probably tourists traveling down from farther north, instead of my usual summer residents.

As I'm typing this, I just remembered something anomalous that happened recently, and not just this summer, but last year, too. And come to think of it, it may be about the last time I noticed a bird both summers. Both times, one of the little guys had been at my feeder when I was on the patio, and then, instead of blasting away as usual, he dropped down almost to eye level facing me, hovering, and darted side to side several times before flying away. Darn if I don't think he was saying good-bye. (And thanks for all the fish sugar water.)
 
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My wife got one for a Mother's Day gift several years ago. Total waste. No hummingbirds and the red sugar water kept dripping out. It was a cheap feeder with one tube coming out the bottom though. We've lived in the house over 40 years and I think I saw one hummingbird once.
 
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We had at least a dozen fly around the house this summer. My wife has four feeders out and makes her own sugar water. We saw a couple earlier this week but none for the past two days. Looks like summer is officially over here in Charlotte.
 
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ScriptOhio said:
My wife got one for a Mother's Day gift several years ago. Total waste. No hummingbirds and the red sugar water kept dripping out. It was a cheap feeder with one tube coming out the bottom though. We've lived in the house over 40 years and I think I saw one hummingbird once.
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Actually, you're not supposed to use the products with red dye as it is potentially toxic to them. No reason for it. Feeders normally are colored red anyway, so they definitely don't need dye in the feeding solution as well in order to attract them (pretty sure they'd find it no matter what--they don't exclusively go to red flowers). Hummingbird's bodies aren't designed to process anything but clean water and white granulated sugar--no honey, maple syrup, synthetic sweeteners, confectioner's/brown sugar, or raw sugar (too much iron--you can literally poison them). It's easy to make the solution yourself.

Hummingbirds aren't health nuts. The basic 4:1 spring water:granulated white sugar mix is very similar to the sugar in flower nectar. All studies indicate they can metabolize it well without developing diabeetuz. No Wilfred Brimley required. They still hit the flowers, too. They especially liked my zinnias this summer. So, even with the sugar water right there, they didn't start relying on it exclusively--they have the sense to maintain a balanced diet.

My feeders came from Dollar Tree--$1 each. Sometimes they drip, but it seems to make a difference if I tilt the feeder or slosh the liquid around too much when I'm hanging them.

The biggest thing, besides getting the ingredients right, is that the feeders MUST be regularly cleaned and the solution replaced. Based on the majority of expert opinions, the feeding solution should be boiled for 1-2 minutes. I have a glass-lined carafe that I keep in the 'frig, so I can make enough solution for a week or two at a time. I only need about 1/2 to 3/4 cup in the small feeder. I only use one feeder, so 2 gallon jugs of spring water lasts all summer. Depending on temperatures, the feeder should be washed and changed about every 3 days if in the 60's-70's. When you get into the upper 80's-90's, it's safest to change it daily. Bacteria and mold can quickly grow in the solution, making it toxic.

I put a spoonful or so of bleach in the feeder wash about once a month and let it sit a bit. I always wash it with Dawn dish soap and hot water. I rinse them with a white vinegar solution to cut any odor residue from the cleaners, and rinse with plain water a LOT. Some people online disagree about bleach, and a few don't even think you should use soap, but I'm pretty fanatical about washing and rinsing afterwards. So far, my visitors haven't complained.

Wingate1217 said:
We had at least a dozen fly around the house this summer. My wife has four feeders out and makes her own sugar water. We saw a couple earlier this week but none for the past two days. Looks like summer is officially over here in Charlotte.
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That makes sense. They've been gone from Ohio since about the week after Labor Day, and given that they migrate south, you would have them longer. Might have even had one of mine passing thru.

HUMMINGBIRD AND CHIME 2.jpg

HUMMINGBIRD and CHIME.jpg
 
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Saw one last weekend. Filled the feeder (it was empty, I assumed they were gone.). Just walked out, feeder is almost empty. Sometimes the juveniles and females hang out for a while and we seemed to have a number of little ones this year. Or it could be migrants and they may be all gone too. Just mentioning that I saw one recently. (My feeder is in a spot where I'd have to be sitting outside watching it to notice them. So mostly I notice that they've been eating)
 
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AKAK said:
Saw one last weekend. Filled the feeder (it was empty, I assumed they were gone.). Just walked out, feeder is almost empty. Sometimes the juveniles and females hang out for a while and we seemed to have a number of little ones this year. Or it could be migrants and they may be all gone too. Just mentioning that I saw one recently. (My feeder is in a spot where I'd have to be sitting outside watching it to notice them. So mostly I notice that they've been eating)
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My feeders are ready to be packed away. I still have quite a few flowers blooming, though, so if any stop by they can still find a snack.

Edit today: And, doncha know, took my coffee out to the patio and caught a blur out of the side of my eye--there was a very pudgy hummer darting away from one of my pink stalk flowers (new this year--don't recall the correct name). Note to self to keep the feeders up until early October, at least, next year. Anyway, as I said, there are still lots of flowers here and in my neighbor's yards, so stragglers won't starve.
 
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There is a calliope hummingbird hanging out in someone's backyard in Delaware County right now.....2nd ever sighting in the state. Here is their usual range. :lol:
calliope_hummingbird.jpg
 
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