The Hummingbird Haven

[Blooie]

I don‘t forget, I usually just start way to early, then get discouraged. It’s especially hard when my feeders and flowers have no visitors, but the feeders at the still-snow-dusted visitor center at the top of the Big Horn Mountains are overrun with them! Grrrrrr

 

[HomesteaderWife]

It's odd how they spread out and visit- @Blooie I hope they surprise you and visit in droves!

 

[Blooie]

That’s what I’m hoping for, too. Last year was a bust - we had very few compared to numbers in the past. It didn’t help any that from August 12, 2017 until August 12, 2019 we were gone most of the time. During 2018-2019, were home a total of 163 days out of the entire year. When I say gone, I mean gone…there were times we’d get home, unpack our clothes, wash, dry, fold, repack and head out for a different destination the next morning. It was brutal. As a result, I could have had millions of them here and I’d have missed the whole show anyway. But hubby’s year as Grand Master is over, and this year I plan to get back to sitting outside with my camera and enjoying!

 

[chickens really]

My grandmother loved humming birds. She past away a few years ago and I made her funeral cards with humming birds on them. Now when I see a humming bird I say hello Grandma..
growing up she had feeders out and flowers in her gardens to attract humming birds too..

 

[chickens really]

The picture..

 

[Yowza Wowza]

Some of my pics

 

[rosemarythyme]

Loved checking out all the photos on this thread! Wish I could take some but our hummies (we also call them little bastards, because they're so pushy about getting fed) aren't cooperating and my camera doesn't zoom well enough. Not 100% sure what kind we have but I assume they're mostly/all are rufous. I've seen a few nests around before too, with hummies coming close to the house to pick up spider webs to weave into the nests.

We occasionally get some lost souls in the garage, since we leave the door open when working outside. Hubby rescued the last wayward bird, cupping it in his hand until he got past the garage door, then it took off.

I keep feeders up year round as I have at least one bird overwintering in the willow tree above my chicken run. To deal with the freeze I swap feeders out during the day.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

The Hummer Hat
Ready for visitors!
(made with some dollar store supplies last year, I know it may be silly but I wear it when I fill feeders so they'll know a fresh drink is on the way)

@Blooie - I hope the hummers come visit and you will get lots of time taking photos and just watching them! I'll be cheering you on to get lots of hungry visitors!

@chickens really - What a wonderful story; my Grandmother was a huge hummingbird lover too! She had probably 5 feeders on the front porch and 3 on the back- they'd fly up to her and say hello always. When I'm really missing her, they have a knack for showing up and hovering in front of me. It's so nice to hear someone else has fond memories stirred by the visit of these precious little hummingbirds!

@LittleBrownie - LOVE those photos!

@rosemarythyme - So nice to hear you keep a feeder for the little stray visitor you have in Winter. Hope you can catch some good photos this year?

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

That's a pretty hat, HomesteaderWife. It looks like something I wouldn't mind wearing out and about -- well, if it only had the flowers on the brim. The one on the top, maybe not.
Either way, it's pretty, and easily recognizable as a "food is coming" hat. I like it!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Sapphire Sebright - Great idea! I may have to make another with flowers just on the brim (and maybe a hummingbird pin somewhere on it?)