Got your hummingbird feeders up yet?

[Pearl]

I think I’ll put mine up next week. I’m in the Tulsa, OK area.

They are heading your way with full bellies! They are really enjoying the wildflowers here!!

 

[winds-of-change]

By

They are heading your way with full bellies! They are really enjoying the wildflowers here!!

Are you in Texas?

 

[Pearl]

By

Are you in Texas?

Yes, west of DFW area!

 

[winds-of-change]

Okay. Tell them I’m putting my feeders up this weekend.

 

[TexasCharm]

I put 2 of mine up last week.. have only seen one or two at a time. Last fall we had literally HUNDREDS. I was filling 5 feeders twice a day.. it's was crazy. I hope they stop back by on the way north, but not so far... (pic from last fall)

 

[Patchouli]

@TexasCharm can you identify them? That looks so neat!!

 

[TexasCharm]

@Patchouli . As far as I know they are all Ruby Throated Hummers.. it's all i've ever seen here. Last fall we had a TON of juveniles with them, I do hope they come back.

 

[Pearl]

Mine are ignoring the feeders right now, too many wildflowers!

 

[Homesteader33]

I need to get ours out, we are late getting them out in east TN.

 

[forcast]

I wait till they tap on my kitchen window. I guess its learned behavior cause im not sure that one individual bird comes back each year. But it started when i had surgery. My helper didnt think about the outside wild birds. But kept telling me a bird is knocking on the window. It still happens now when the feeders are empty.

 

[winds-of-change]

@Patchouli . As far as I know they are all Ruby Throated Hummers.. it's all i've ever seen here. Last fall we had a TON of juveniles with them, I do hope they come back.View attachment 128028

I’ll bet they will all come back. I put three feeders out and we get hummingbirds but they don’t share very well. It seems like they chase each other off and I don’t get as many around the feeder as you do in your picture.

 

[ABR]

I put one out at the new place. Going to see how many show up before I invest in more. So far I've only seen one but it's still early especially with all the wildflowers that we still have blooming. Named the one Tink.

 

[TexasCharm]

I’ll bet they will all come back. I put three feeders out and we get hummingbirds but they don’t share very well. It seems like they chase each other off and I don’t get as many around the feeder as you do in your picture.

Yep, until there are just so many that they overwhelm the "Richards". We call it Hummingbird Wars.. and we love to watch them.

 

[Snowman]

Saw where a pic was posted with a Praying Mantis had a Hummingbird so I just went looking and found this,

Bee Aware : https://www.forestwildlife.org/what-are-hummingbirds-predators/

and some Pics : https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hummingbirds+enemies+predators&t=ftsa&atb=v404-1&iax=images&ia=images

Keep Your Eyes Open Please...

 

[winds-of-change]

Though praying Mantis CAN attack and kill hummingbirds, I think it’s pretty rare. More like to hunt hummingbirds are cats and other natural predators.

 

[Snowman]

"

• Larger birds such as hawks, owls, crows, blue jays, and orioles. Some of these larger birds like to snack on adult hummingbirds, while others will attack the nest and steal hummingbird eggs or chicks.

• Snakes and lizards are common hummingbird predators in tropical regions as well as drier areas. They will sometimes catch and eat adult hummingbirds but pose the greatest threat to eggs and chicks.

• Frogs and even some fish may attack hummingbirds feeding on water lilies or other plants near ponds and streams. While frogs and fish don’t typically hunt hummingbirds, they can sometimes mistake them for insects and will attack and catch them before they know the difference.

• Spiders, particularly orb-weaving species, will eat hummingbirds like insects. Many hummingbirds will steal spider web threads for building their nests, and sometimes they will become entangled in the sticky web in the process.

• Insects of various species will prey on and kill hummingbirds. Bees or wasps may occasionally sting hummingbirds in a fight over nectar, while praying mantises have been observed stalking hummingbird feeders and feasting on hummingbirds."

There are 2 links in My Earlier Post, they are there for a Reason...!!! I didn't want to post pics of the little critters in trouble, Please don't make Me post any...!!

 

[winds-of-change]

I know what you said is true. I don’t need any visuals.

 

[old tex]

We tried feeding hummingbirds but honestly it was to much trouble because of ants. I do know that a lot of people in our neighborhood feed them though. On the other hand we put out seed feeders all winter long, lot's of them. We generally go through about 20 pounds of seeds a day. A couple of winters ago the weather was really cold & that jumped to about 35 pounds a day. I figure that's enough because it gets expensive after a while.

 

[Snowman]

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pest-control/22907911/best-ant-killer

 

[angie_nrs]

The hummingbirds are going nuts at our feeder! You might get dive bombed if you stand out next to the feeder lately. LOL! I took the feeder down this morning to refill it and when I went to put it back up, a female flew towards me before I got the screen door open and got her beak stuck in the screen. She was able to get it out herself, but I thought I was going to have to poke her beak back out. Hopefully there is enough in there now to last them a day or two and maybe they can quit frighting over it. Nah.....

I have a window feeder and ants have been a problem this year. My feeder fell from the window when I first put it up and now it leaks a small bit. Well, the ants just love that. So, I sprinkle DE on the porch under the feeder and also on the window below the feeder. It won't harm the hummers but helps to keep the ants at bay. They are not nearly as bad now as when I first put up the feeder. I have also used vasoline around the feeder and then sprinkled with DE. That helped greatly, but it doesn't look all the great from inside the window. Still....it works. I always get comments from people when they see it.......what's that? A conversation ensues....... I'm a bit surprised that many people haven't even heard of DE.

 

[lonewolf]

our feeders have been up for 15 years, not the same ones of course they do get regularly replaced.

 

[Morgan101]

Ours are up, but I haven't seen much activity. Just a few.

 

[lonewolf]

we get Wood Pigeons, Doves and anything down to Finches, Blackbirds and Robins, no Humming Birds I'm afraid.
they are all over the feeders all day.

 

[PopPopT]

Ours are up, but I haven't seen much activity. Just a few.

Same here.

We had them by the dozens previous years. This year, I think it's only one time all year we saw two at one time. I keep changing the feed but it's as though they're just not here this year. No idea why.

 

[Pearl]

Same here.

We had them by the dozens previous years. This year, I think it's only one time all year we saw two at one time. I keep changing the feed but it's as though they're just not here this year. No idea why.

I think it's manufactured clouds/climate!!

 

[Pearl]

Pretty sure the Hummers are here! Thought I heard two yesterday and thought I saw one briefly today! Feeders are up! A lady in town said she has had them for three days! I'm watching hard for them!!

 

[LadyLocust]

Pretty sure the Hummers are here! Thought I heard two yesterday and thought I saw one briefly today! Feeders are up! A lady in town said she has had them for three days! I'm watching hard for them!!

I usually hear them before I see them. Feeders won't go up until April 1.

 

[PopPopT]

Pretty sure the Hummers are here! Thought I heard two yesterday and thought I saw one briefly today! Feeders are up! A lady in town said she has had them for three days! I'm watching hard for them!!

Thanks for the reminder! I think I could probably expect to see them here in a few more weeks, probably not before about the beginning of April but... it's time to get the feeders ready.

 

[Pearl]

One feeder up.... didn't see any! We'll see what tomorrow brings!!

 

[Snowman]

Maybe the Strong Winds have played games with their GPS's...?!? We're supposed to get Strong Winds Thursday and Saturday this week, I am ready to load them up and hang them, may just wait til the weekend comes and goes away...?!