calling all wild bird feeders!!

[duluthralphie]

It is 50 degrees here today, windy and cloud covered.

I have not seen a hummer in a couple days.

I have a feeling they have left for the winter already, about 2 weeks too early.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It is 50 degrees here today, windy and cloud covered.

I have not seen a hummer in a couple days.

I have a feeling they have left for the winter already, about 2 weeks too early.

Our Anna's don't migrate but the Rufous do. I don't have any Rufous but my MIL does.

I don't start feeding my hummingbirds anything but flower blooms until September when the blooms start going away.

Then I feed all winter until spring when we have some blooms for them (and mosquitoes). Our Anna's Hummingbirds appreciate the food during the winter as many often die with no food but they won't leave.

They are very curious little birds, and come up to me all summer when I am out watering the plants- they come up to the place on the porch where the feeder is supposed to be in fall to let me know they want some dinner! They are obviously the same ones who were fed the previous winter.

I love hummingbirds. My mother has a feeder up and saw two baby hummingbirds this year at the feeder. My stepdad thought they were bumblebees at first, they were so tiny.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It is 50 degrees here today, windy and cloud covered.

I have not seen a hummer in a couple days.

I have a feeling they have left for the winter already, about 2 weeks too early.

There was a news article about how the Almanac is predicting a cold winter this year- maybe they are trying to get a head start, eh?

 

[bantiesrule]

It is 50 degrees here today, windy and cloud covered.

I have not seen a hummer in a couple days.

I have a feeling they have left for the winter already, about 2 weeks too early.

When the wind died down toward evening, they came back out. I still have a few feeding every day.

 

[duluthralphie]

When the wind died down toward evening, they came back out. I still have a few feeding every day.

I have not had many this year. I am stopping feeding them now, No sense mixing a new batch of nectar for them to just up and leave in a few days if they are not gone now.

Could be a bad sign, but I had a Junco at the feeder yesterday, I thought they were all up in Canada somewhere this time of the year.

 

[Blooie]

Mine are still here. I have Rufous, Blackchinned, Calliope, and Broadtailed. Love 'em all! I spend entirely too much time in the summer sitting on the deck with my camera on the tripod and the remote shutter in my hand. But you know, when you get just that one shot - that one in a million that make you say, "Holy cow! I took that???" then the sunburn and skeeter bites are so worth it! I always put a feeder out in mid-March for any scouts that might be in the area. I also hang a red tablecloth over a couple of wires on the clothesline and some artificial red flowers or ribbons on the feeder to give them the idea that the diner is open. But even so, our first hummer usually appears in June. Two years ago we had one that was still hitting the feeder so it stayed up until early November! I was floored! It was a little Blackchinned. Sure missed him when he left.

I also have one of those fake pine Christmas swags that I hang between two brackets on either side of the kitchen window. Pine Siskins, Common RedPolls, Goldfinches, and House Finches keep me company while I do my dishes or holiday baking. They are no more than a foot away from my face. I hang niger feeders above the pine swag. I love to see them bury into the snow on th swag, looking in at me without any fear at all. My camera is never far from the sink!




My yard is certified as a National Wildlife Habitat - and these little characters KNOW it!




Love the wild-eyed look he had...."What are you lookin' at, lady?"

 

[duluthralphie]

I was wrong, maybe. (but I doubt it)..

I had a hummer this morning! It was a female and she sat and drank, drank and drank some more. I was sure they had all left, but I gave in and made half a feeder full of new nectar last week.

I am wondering if this is a local one or a "northern" bird that is passing through.

She is back as I write this. We really do not have much time with the hummingbirds left this year. They leave here by the second week of September, BUT this weather we have could stretch that out,. It is like an Early August day in south Florida.

 

[Blooie]

I'm in Northern Wyoming and we are still getting Rufous, Broadtailed and one little Calliope hitting the feeders regularly. A couple of years ago we had a Black Chinned who stuck around until the last day in October. He was probably there for a few days after that but we didn't see him - just heard him once. Aren't they amazing little creatures?

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm in Northern Wyoming and we are still getting Rufous, Broadtailed and one little Calliope hitting the feeders regularly. A couple of years ago we had a Black Chinned who stuck around until the last day in October. He was probably there for a few days after that but we didn't see him - just heard him once. Aren't they amazing little creatures?

I think all the wild birds are. To be able to withstand 40 below blizzards and still thrive. It is amazing.

We only have ruby throated hummers here. They are kind of cold fragile and will be gone soon. I just had either the same or another female at the feeder. I am only seeing one at a time, but who knows how many might be here.



The birds that really amaze me are the gold finches, they survive without ever eating a bug or worm during the cold winters and are so small.

 

[Alexandra33]

So I saw a few hummingbirds the other day, and a Cedar Waxwing pair in the cornfield. It's amazing just how much the avian visitors vary throughout the year.

-Alexandra33