My Hummingbirds are really.... Rescue update

**kokopup** · 08-04-2009, 11:17 AM

last year by late August I had at least 40 Hummingbirds fighting over three small feeders. Each of the small feeder had 3 flowers for feeding. It ran me ragged keeping up with the little suckers appetie. I had to fill the three feeders at least 3 times a day. If I was sitting on the porch and the feeders ran low they would come right up to me and hover a few feet in from of me as if to get my attention.

This year I decided to buy 4 Large feeders that had 4 flowers on each so they would have more places to feed from and maybe cut down on my refill ritual. Up until today I only had three of the feeders out because my hummer population hadn't reached last years peak yet. They were fighting over the 3 so I decided to hang another but in a different location so maybe they would not fight as much. With the new feeder they are all over at it fighting, and only a few are still at the old feeders. This morning while watching them fight over the new feeder, they would swarm in 3's and 4's and then come up and hover in front of me. I don't know what they were trying to tell me but between fighting over the feeder and hovering in front of me no one was actually getting any of the feed. It was very puzzling because they were trying to tell me something but I'm at a loss what it was. All of the feeders were full.

**aTailOf2Kitties** · 08-04-2009, 12:44 PM

maybe they wanted a different flavor

**kokopup** · 08-04-2009, 02:32 PM

I only have one flavor, Domino. They are getting the same 3 to 1 mix
I have been using for years. Maybe they want it souped up some.

t

**gini** · 08-04-2009, 05:46 PM

I have had the same kind of feeder for years and was on my third one.
They just wear out!

My most recent one came crashing to the ground because the plastic base cracked and loosened the grip on the glass jar.

My local pet shops don't have the same kind so I had to order it online.
It will take several days for it to get here.

In the meantime I am using another type that has a glass jar for the liquid, but the base is metal rather than plastic - and holes rather than
"flowers" around the holes. They figured out how to use it soon enough, but it is really clear that they don't like it. They have hovered in front of me too - and I just tell them to be patient a few more days.

It is also hot - and I think the liquid gets hot - too hot for them to drink.

Maybe that is the message they are sending to you????

Do you have any pictures of the type of hummingbirds you have in your area?

**Twisterdog** · 08-04-2009, 09:45 PM

I haven't had one single hummer at my feeders this year, that I have seen.

We never have hundreds or anything, we aren't in the right climate for that, but we usually have half a dozen or so consistently feeding. This year, nothing. Hope it's not a calamity for hummingbirds overall!

**kokopup** · 08-04-2009, 10:39 PM

quote by gini

It is also hot - and I think the liquid gets hot - too hot for them to drink.

Maybe that is the message they are sending to you????

Do you have any pictures of the type of hummingbirds you have in your area?

I had just put the new feeder out so I know the liquid was not hot. I don't know what the problem is. I hang my feeders in the shade and change the contents every day or so. It just started getting hot here a day or two ago so I don't think heat is their problem.

This afternoon I had let Koko out to do her business and she got sidetracked so I was calling for her real loud. All of a sudden 3 hummers came zooming on to the porch as if to say here WE are. I have had my hummers coming close before but not like this year. It seem like everytime I go out on the porch I will have some zooming me.

I plan to take some pictures of them as soon as possible and post them. I hope that I can Identify the various species if I can get some close ups. The only species I know for sure is Ruby Throated. I have some other types also but can't see them well enough to identify them. I'm hoping still shots will be easier to compare to pictures available online.

The new feeders I have are all plastic with a built in ant guard. If you don't have an ant guard in my area the feeder gets full of ants in a very shot time. i'm amazed that they can find their way up a tree to the feeder.