It won't be long now! They are on the move. Time to start tracking the Hummingbirds. Who will be the first in our MA group to report? I know I'll be one of the last but hey it's so much fun. Here's your map.
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html
Note: picture was from 2 years ago.
I guess I'll get the feeder up and start looking for them.
I think they'd better hang out in - it looks like Atlanta to me -
for awhile. Really rainy here today. Probably won't get to
South Jersey until mid April.
But I'll get the feeders dusted off & washed for them :)
I'm thinking I want to put my feeder out last week in Mar first week in April.
so, Holly, what's the story behind your little friend?
Last summer it flew into my big windows. Luckily Jamie was here when it happened and watched over the little guy till it got over being stunned. When it could sit up he picked it up and moved it to perch on the feeder. It stayed there a little while and then flew off.
And then the feeder.
Those window can be a bad thing for birds. I usually get a few thumps during the summer, and my windows are not always that sparkling clean.
We get several, too. Though hardly anything more than a stunned bird. I've only found a few dead ones in all the years we've had the windows. Mine aren't sparking either.
Sparkling windows, no way, not after being closed up tight as a drum all winter. Today was the first time I opened the window to let a little fresh air in. I also got a snoot full of dust from the screen. Can it possibly be humming bird season already? I have to check my journal to see when they came last year. It was later than the previous year. We were concerned, but the faithful little guys finally arrived in even greater numbers.
Fly quickly little birds. We need your bright colors here!
Check out the migration map in the first post, they are moving north!!!
yes yes.. I am putting my feeders out after the rain this weekend
I put ONE of my feeders out tonight-----hung it on a chain sort of, semi under my Patio roof.....partially covered--but, partially visible....On the chain--I wired some red silk flowers----just in case that would help.......
I have nothing else to report---until I see some of them feeding. I think I will jump with joy!!!!
Then--I might just put up the second feeder.....I bought 2 of the same....and I have oodles of all kinds of silk flower heads from all the years i worked at Franks--and kept picking them up off the floor.......I have a HUGE amount of these!
Gita
pretty smart to attract them with those
We have a great deal of glass in our home. Birds colliding with the glass made me feel so awfull (imagine the poor little birds). I have found a product - clear/semi-transparent exterior window stick ons. They come in various shapes. I use mostly leaf shape placed in the spots they had hit the windows. They really work. I've seen many birds turn abruptly from the window. :)
Mine will go out April 1st.
I'm going to make a batch of nectar now...
I guess there are scouts that come first looking for good spots before the rest migrate. I mix up just a small batch of food so I can change it often.
I saw that my Flowering Quince is in bud and this is the first boom I see the hummers at. I think they are after the tiny bugs that hang around the flowers and not the nectar. They eat tiny bugs for protein.
Flowering Quince
Thanks for the tip on the Quince. I will keep my eye on that.
DH swears he saw a hummer do a fly-by yesterday where we hang our feeder!
Bec, way to go! Did you put your feeder up???
Mine has now been hanging out for almost a week.....I have not seen anythjing--but then, it is partially under my patio roof.....I did wire some red silk flowers nearby--just to, maybe, catch their attention.....
Boooo---Hoooo---- Gita
I checked the map, and looks like they are about to cross the PA line.LOL
Normally I have another 2 to 3 week wait, but with this very warm weather they might be early. I'm thinking about getting some food ready and hang out just a small amount just encase.
Nope, haven't done the feeders yet - I need sugar! Don't think they'd enjoy sugar water made out of splenda or brown sugar :-)
someone put a sighting in Hackettstown.. 20 mins from here!!!
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/humm_ruby_spring.html
I have a quick question-----
No Hummers around here yet--but I looked at my H-Feeder and it was full of ants! Just wanting their share of the sweet--i am sure...
How do you all keep ants from crawling down the chain, or whatever, and going into the syrup????
I imagine there must be something sticky to trap them--but I wouldn't like to "trap" a Hummer!
What if I sprayed a rag full with "Home Defense" (works for 3 months!) and stuck it into the links of the chain?
HELP! Before I re-fill the feeder and put it out again.
Thanks, Gita
Gita, there are devices that you put between the chain and the feeder. It has a reservoir that holds water. The ants will not cross water. They will come down the chain and then turn back, eventually giving up. They are not that $ and they work. Look in the hummering bird feeder section.
Edited to add link: here is a picture of the one I use. http://www.bird-house-bath.com/d/Ant-Baffle-Red.html
This message was edited Apr 2, 2010 3:26 PM
I have water ones... and ones with repellent in them.. the water ones are easier to deal with.. I know when that needs a refill
repellent
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/%28sfmgkp45frlxxjuvevab0o45%29/productdetails.aspx?sku=8132920&source=GoogleBase
moats
http://www.google.com/products?q=ant+moat+hummingbird+feeders&aq=f
I have some of the ones with built in moats... the add ons can be a pain if it's real windy... the liquid can spill all over and then attract ants galore...
if you are good you can make one... piece of plastic bottle... and seal a hanger in the middle
My grandson, James (3 1/2 yrs old) got rid of the old crummy looking beads on this one and he chose new ones from the craft store.
This is hanging near where the salvia, nicotiana and other hummingbird favorites will grow. I wonder which they will prefer.
lady--
Ahhh--Soooo! Thanks a lot! Of course--my resourceful brain was already thinking of things that resemble the moat you showed--like the tops to hair-spray cans? Empty tuna cans? Just would have to attach a hook, somehow, that will serve the top and the bottom AND not leak!
Actually--I never knew they made things like this as I have NEVER fed Hummerss before.
I may never even see one--
Is there a height requirement for these feeders? Like--what is too high or too low?
Where I have mine is a bit high--maybe 7' or so.
Thanks to all for the links. Gita
Gita, Hubby made one out of a tuna can by putting a hole in the middle and running a wire through and making a hook on each end. He had some sort of sealer that bonded to the metal and is waterproof. He is not home right now to ask.
I have one hanging of my deck roof that is approx 13 feet off the ground and also one that is next to the water garden approx 5 feet off ground so height is not a issue. If they are looking for a source of food they will find it.
Wear a red hat outside when you garden sometime the little bugger will come to check you out.
Something to consider for anyone that has a garage door opener, the little red knob you pull when you want to disengage the auto opener, can attract hummers into the garage. If they get trapped inside they can perish without a food source.
Gita, I have seen homemade ant catchers made from spray can caps. But now you can find manufactured moats pretty cheap so I don't know if I would mess around trying to make one. My favorite Hummer feeder is called a Hummzinger you can find them online just search the name and you will find them. It is the very easiest feeder to clean and has held up longer and works better than any other feeder I have had. It has a built in ant catcher also. I have seen some with a similar design cheaper but I don't know how long they will hold up. Well I put my feeder up today. The Grans were here and we took it out and hung it up. All clean and filled. I'll be watching.
I like the humzinger the best too
Here is the feeder I bought at HD. It was clearance for $7.34 from $20-somerthing...I bought 2 of them.
The bottom of the dish is plastic--the lid is glass. Might be one reason it is clearance---also--that it is NOT red????
IF I use an Ant water moat--it will gave to be higher up, as this feeder hangs with 3 chains hooked to the sides of the dish---just like a HB.
G.
pretty.. the red flowers should work
I like that Gita.
Still waiting, but it got cold and we had snow flurries this morning.
In the meantime I found a live webcam of a humming bird nest. http://phoebeallens.com/
First Hummer today !!!
still haven't seen any... but yeah for you!!!
I haven't seen any either but I know they will come. For some reason it seems that mine show up late even though I put out the feeder every year in the beginning of April. I just saw a Pileated Woodpecker land on one of the trees, no pic as it just flew off before I could even get up.
