Humming Birds!

[Nemo]

Not Bike related, but some of you may be interested. My wife bought a Humming Bird feeder last month. I hung it on a wire from a tree limb, close to the house, and never seen a bird around it. A friend told me that it has to be hung away from tree limbs. So, Saturday, I moved it and hung it on a wire from the soffit, under the rain gutter, in front of the large bay window. And this morning there was two humming birds feeding. Really an interesting sight. I didn't know we even had these birds in the neighborhood. It sure attracts them. The feeder is first filled with water, then add sugar and some red food coloring. Works like a charm. Now I've got a new unique hobby!

[Squidley]

We've had Hummingbird feeders up for years, they are neat little critters and we enjoy sitting and watching them

[Trader]

just be sure to change the feed at least once per week in hot weather...my folks tell me that if it starts to ferment you can kill em!

 

You can hang it almost anywhere. I've had them in front of windows, above the porch rail and from the eaves and yes....from branches of trees too

[Scooter Bob]

Splattered something a few years back, it left a red stain about an inch in diameter on the windshield. I think it may have been a hummingbird a moment earlier.

 

We do have a feeder hanging from the rain gutter in front of the kitchen window. We don't get many visitors, but they are fun to watch.

 

Later, Scooter Bob

[retc403]

We usually have them from early spring to late Aug/early Sept but they didn't show up this year as normal. We've only seen a couple. ALSO, keep in mind, Mo, IA (upper mid-west) you need to stop feeding them by early Sept or they'll not migrate South soon enough and they die from the cold. Enjoy them, we usually do.

[Moped]

Nemo, make food up and store. I usually make 16 oz. at a time. Ratio is 4 parts water to one part sugar.(no honey etc. toxic) It's claimed they like cane over beet sugar but I've used both. I heat water to dissolve sugar. Store in refrigerator.(last at least 2 weeks) No food coloring is necessary. Feeder will attract. Mixture will ferment over time,(will get cloudy) that is why you should choose a small reservoir feeder. Feeder in shade will increase ferment time. Clean feeder every week or two, I use white vinegar. Good luck.

[Yammer Dan]

We have several feeders. Anywhere from two to thirty birds. Fun to watch. They will come right up to me now. Hover in the air and look me over.

[jfoster]

I use the red liquid esp for h.birds from wal-mart...they seem to like it and it last alot longer compared to sugar water. ? - does this need to be drained frequently? We've had what looks like the same birds all summer and I've never seen a dead one.

[Hummingbird]

if we don't get the feeder out on the porch soon enough in the spring, we catch them hovering and seemingly staring in the kitchen window.

Our formula for the feeder is 1 cup of hot tap water and stir until dissolved 1/4 cup of table sugar. When that is gone I rinse the container, scrub the beak openings and start over.

 

Long story about the tat

[Nemo]

Nice tatoo - good job! I like it!

[Snarley Bill]

i was told and read that sugar and water is a no no for humming birds cuz it lacks the nutrients that they need, and get from flowers, and can actually harm them. the store bought feed contains these needed nutrients. i put feeders out every year but this year only had one humming bird. i think it got hot here to early and they flew farther north.

[midnightventure]

This was at a campground near Estes Park,CO. You could stand there and they would be flying all around your head.

[hillrider]

Two feeders 20 feet apart will attract 4 times a many birds as one. There's always a bully, but he can't guard two feeders at once.

[Oldslow]

One neat thing about technology is high speed cameras that capture the motion of fast movers like the Hummingbird.

It gives a whole new dimension to the little guys.

We never see them here in my neck of the woods.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJf-AQhDTz4]YouTube- Slow Motion Hummingbirds 2 HD 720p[/ame]

[jfoster]

i was told and read that sugar and water is a no no for humming birds cuz it lacks the nutrients that they need, and get from flowers, and can actually harm them. the store bought feed contains these needed nutrients. i put feeders out every year but this year only had one humming bird. i think it got hot here to early and they flew farther north.

 

Here in W. La. we didn't get any till bout a month ago...had one or two pass thru. We're up to maybe 4-5 with two feeders going. I'm like you, I thought we had more last year or maybe there was more in the fall.

[Sailor]

We have lots of them here. I put up a feeder once and they got very aggressive. One would feed then hide on the deck and when another one came along he would attack. The others soon worked out a team play, one would attract his attention while the other one fed, then they would switch places. It was neat to watch. A friend has over 200 nesting on his property.

[cb1313]

I have been feeding H/B for about 20 years. I love to watch them buzz each other when one is feeding. Try to purchase feeders that have a place/bar for them to sit on. They stay around the feeder longer.

I make my own sugar water 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water.

NOTE change water every week, if you see black spots that is mold and may make the birds sick or kill them.

Simple washing will not kill/remove the mold. VERY LITTLE bleach and a brush will remove the mold AND then wash the feeder with dish soap. If you love the birds you will need to get a humming bird feeder cleaning brush for cleanning the inside of the feeder.

I feed about 6 birds and so far there has been 3 different spices.

 

Cb

[Yama Mama]

We have Hummers all the time! To take photos you have to be very patient. I usually put our camera on a tripod and wait. Here are a few of the photos I got.

Yama Mama

 

 

 

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

We now have a humming bird infestasion.

We started with one feeder this spring and had no activity. Added a second and started seeing birds. Added a third feeder and I have never seen so many humming birds. We have to fill all the feeders every 2 to three days. It's real hard to get an accurate count, but I bet we have 15-20 birds. There a real hoot to watch.

[Yammer Dan]

We now have a humming bird infestasion.

We started with one feeder this spring and had no activity. Added a second and started seeing birds. Added a third feeder and I have never seen so many humming birds. We have to fill all the feeders every 2 to three days. It's real hard to get an accurate count, but I bet we have 15-20 birds. There a real hoot to watch.

 

 

We have at least that many now. Have one that is a lot braver than the others. Warden talks to and has petted it on the back once. It does not run at all if you walk up to it while it is feeding.

[Aussie Annie]

We don't have hummingbirds here......but I got a dirty big black crow that comes and has a bath in the bird bath out front!

He will wash his food in there as well I'm sure he could cart off a small dog