Such Fascinating Little Birds!

We are totally amazed at the feeding activity we are blessed to witness each and every day while these guys are here. The season is MUCH too short!

Traplining in My Yard

Hummers feed by sight and will generally check out anything to see if it is a source of food. Many birds follow a regular route through their territory checking out the food sources. This behavior is called traplining. But judging from the activity on my porch all day every day, the only traplining these birds are doing is in my yard! This gaggle of eating machines has consumed 12 pounds of sugar in two weeks! This feeding is going on with rain coming down, so you have to listen carefully to hear them chittering at each other.

Hummingbird fact for today: Hummingbird nests are raided for eggs and chicks by snakes, large birds, and some mammals but adult hummingbirds are not regular prey. The most common danger is the family pet that gets lucky enough to ambush one.

Feeding Frenzy

There is a feeding frenzy happening on our front porch. Apparently the juveniles are now flying to the feeders. We've seen two adult males and five juveniles and/or females at the same time, so we know we have at least seven hummers close by. Juveniles don't develop the red gorget until the second season, so it's difficult to distinguish them from the females right now. Since we see 3 and sometimes 4 birds sharing the same feeder, we assume they are juveniles and have not yet learned that they are supposed to be territorial and chasing the other hummers away from the food. There are 3 hummers at the tubes in this picture. We have a total of 11 tubes and one vacuum feeder out. We're currently refilling everything every day.

We're often asked if the hummers prefer one type of feeder over another. With this picture you can see that the answer is obviously, "No". These two little guys have no preferance. As long as it is food, they really don't care about the nectar container.

The frenzy seems to be widespread. We heard this week from a customer in the Kansas City area who was absolutely delighted with the activity at his two feeders. "Our feeling is that everyone who walks into your craft display should buy one of your feeders. The entertainment is phenomenal. With the activity tonight I was able to stand right by the window and watch them feed. They were oblivious to my presence." He got a great close up of a hummer feeding. Thanks to Cam Schutte for sharing with us. We've said for years that the entertainment far surpasses anything you can find on television!

The feeding frenzy isn't limited to hummers. We also have orioles sharing the grape jelly and it, too, is going faster. We're refilling the jelly every day as well. Utilizing my bird handbook, I believe this is a male orchard oriole and a female sharing.

Early morning and late evening provide the most activity and entertainment at the feeders.

Hummingbird fact for today: A hummingbird’s daily nectar requirements depends on a variety of factors, including activity level, air temperature, quality of available resources, and time of year.

Where Are My Hummers?

It's the time of year that we hear this often, "My hummers were here but now they are gone." They are not gone, but there is less activity at the feeders. Mom is now on the nest and she's eating mostly a protein diet. When the eggs hatch, she will feed the babies a protein diet. When the young are ready to leave the nest, they will be in search of nectar. So this time of year, about all you will see at the feeder are the males in the area. And since females generally outnumber males in an area, you might feel that your feeder has been abandoned. Do not dispair. Keep the nectar in your feeder fresh. About 3-4 days in the heat of the summer is the maximum time limit for nectar to be out. It's just sugar water. Dump it out and fill it again. Be patient. You will again see lots of activity at your feeder.

We are also hearing about more and more oriole sightings. I have read that oriole behavior is similar to hummer behavior in that females will not visit the feeders as much while they are on the nest. I know that is true at our house. Other birds, however, are enjoying the grape jelly and oranges that we have out. It seems that the fruit eating birds are the colorful ones. We have some gorgeous red-headed woodpeckers that visit daily.

Hummingbird fact for today: Not all hummingbirds pollinate the flowers from which they feed. Some short-billed species routinely bypass the pollination mechanism by inserting their bills between the bases of the petals or through holes created by insects or other birds.