Florida humming birds

I have them in summer up in NJ (pretty slow this year) but still have not seen one in FL. I am on Longboat Key -- and am waiting. Do any FLDGers have them around?

Flyboy,

I saw some at Butterfly world, other than that, they don't even know I exist.

Molly
:^)))

Never seen one here either.

I have them all the time. They love the aloe flowers and some of the hibiscus. I think the aloe is what draws them.

Anybody got a clue? Several months ago I tried to contact a web site pertaining to Humming Birds in Florida -- but still no response. I got one butterfly on the Key -- a Gulf Fritillary -- so I planted a couple of Passion Flowers (passiflora) and I did get some caterpillars before I returned North. But I'll be checking on the Key again, next week.

My neighbor has them that come to his humming bird feeder, much to the viewing pleasure of the cats, but I've never seen any on flowers. My biggest butterefly attraction is a Mexican Flame vine.
Pati

I don't know why, but it seems to be a light year for hummers. Last year, I had several that visited my yard daily. (I've been growing to attract them and flutterbys for years.) This year, I've seen my resident Hummer just once. That doesn't mean it hasn't been around -- I just haven't seen it much. It likes my Black and Blue salvia (guranitica) but will also visit some of the other plants around the yard.

It also seems like the caterpillars came late this year and there seems to be fewer than usual. Last year I was concerned that I didn't have enough fennel and parsley out and this year, I think I'm going to have to cut most of it back.

Also, keep in mind that my ignorant Bubba neighbor sprayed a bunch of sevin dust and malathion around because he thought the backyard had a lot of fleas. Because of that, I've been reaching over the fence to steal his tomatoes. ;>)




I'm just kidding. He gave me some tomatoes. I wouldn't steal 'em. I don't like raw tomatoes that much... Now if he had peppers...

I had one visit me about three months ago. It liked the Hamelia patens and Pavonia bahamensis.

I guess we are fortunate up here in the panhandle.. I have lots that come to feed in either the butterfly garden or the feeders that I set up.

The picture below was taken last year right after Ivan,,, I was swarmed with them looking for food.

MzM, that's an amazing picture! I've never even seen ONE here.
Pati

That's fascinating MzMunchken! I've never seen so many hummingbirds in one place before.

We see them every morning and nite here and they go to the hamelia patens, lantana, aloe and bottlebrushes.

Wonder if it's a regional thing?!

MzM~

First I thought it was a fake photo, but then I looked closer and saw that each of them had shadows -- so it MUST be real.

WOW. I've never seen so many at one time!

You ARE lucky !

Hummingbirds love MzM 'cuz she's soooo sweet!!

We usually spot one around our yard about once or twice a year.

LoL.. is that it Norma??? Thanks all. I usually have about 6 throughout the spring through fall.

My question is... where are all the butterflies. Last year I had loads of them.. this year I can count on one hand the swallowtails, both hands the skippers.. pretty sad showing this year. Wonder if all our storms of last year have anything to do with that.

This message was edited Jul 8, 2005 6:02 PM

MzM,

I found them! All the butterflies are here at my house and the Monarchs and Swallowtails haven't even shown up yet.

I have a lot of the yellow and black striped ones flitting here and there never resting for a photo. I have a butterfly garden and my son says where are the butterflies? Hey! Look over by the fence near the neighbors ficus bushes! Go figure.

And I haven't see a hummingbird not being held captive since 1975 in Killeen Texas.

Molly
:^)))

It MUST be the hurricanes !

MzMunchken:

I have a lot of butterflies also, particularly the Zebra longwing. I don't know the names of the others.

Delecie... I'll trade you some of my hummers for your butterflies :-)

Now that would be a trade that I would enjoy! :-)

Delecie,

That's the butterfly I was talking about. Thanks for posting the photo and giving it a name!!!!!

Molly
:^)))

Wouldn't that be great Delecie...

The Zebra Longwing became Florida's "official state butterfly" in 1996. Although most common in S. Florida we do get occasional strays in the panhandle. The host plant for this butterfly is passiflora (passion vine aka maypop) and the caterpillar is a beautiful white body with black hairs. The zebra longwing prefers laying its eggs in the shade so if you are planning to have some cats and increase your local population make sure that some of the vine is in the shade. (sorry, I get carried away at times)

MzM,

That would explain why the Zebras fly over by the ficus bushes. The ficus are planted on the OTHER side of the chain link fence (I hate ficus bushes) and the passie vines are on this side of the fence.

:^)))

My p. incense was loaded with longwing cats last year. Hopefully they will be back this year. I've seen a couple so far.
Have lots of new types I've never had before. Possibly because I've planted a larger variety of attractors this year.
Jan...

We haven't put out our feeder yet this year, but usually get them in Maitland (outside Orlando) starting in May. MzM, your pic looks like there may be two kinds present but we have only ever had the ruby throated. Do you know what that yellow backed oned is?

Chops

We have several hummingbirds visiting our Cigar Plants. Lot's of Zebras, pipevine swallowtails.giant swallowtails, fritillaries, cloudless sulphers. Very few queens and monarchs in spite of a huge patch of milkweed

Our friend (?) Dennis is going to be relocated a lot of them.

flyboy.. you are correct there and the loss of their food due to the storm will certainly have them in the hunt for more food. That is one thing I did do yesterday.. made a big batch of food. I brought all my feeders in, have them cleaned and ready to fill up and put out once the storm passes.

MzM~

I'm down (?) in Florida, now, and we haven't had them, and probably won't -- but I did change the food in my feeders in NJ. It's still been slow up there, but I'm hoping.

I had hummers in Ft. myers. Not here tho. The cat birds, cardinals etc. keep them at bay. They need a thicket of bushes to make nests to. Marilynne. I had them in Alabama to as I lived in the woods so they were nesting. They would eat out of my hands to. Boo Hoo I miss them

Longboat Key is just a hop and a skip from where I live (out Beeridge road near Cattleman's Road). We see hummingbirds in the Spring for several days and then again in the Fall for several days. I get the impression that they are just passing through. They probably winter in South Florida and migrate up the state in the Spring and then return home as the temperatures drop and the flowers they prefer disappear. They like my Firebush, Red Pentas, Salvia Guaranitica, Porterweed, and maybe, Orange blossoms. I have lots of other plants that they are supposed to like but these are the only ones that I have seen them nectaring on.

ed~

I think you're exactly right ! That's what I figured, too. We get them not at all. You must be on their flight plan.

I saw one yesterday, hitting my cigar flowers, in between bands of hurricane Dennis rain. It was actually kind of cool. As each band would pass and things would clear up a bit, you'd see all manner of critter come out from their hidey holes, grab a nibble or drink and disappear again, presumably back to their hidey holes.

There have been two of them hanging around for 5 weeks now. They sure like the Salvias. There next favorites are butterfly bushes. I put a feeder up on a sheperds hook by the Salvias (5 of them right next to the patio screen). One of them jumped right in, sat on the feeder perch and started feeding. The other one can't quite figure out how to use it yet. She sits on the perch, but just sucks around the yellow plastic flower instead of sticking her beak in the hole. If I am out there, two feet away from her on the other side of the screen, she just chirps away. I don't think I've ever heard one do that before.

I've seen pictures of a feeder that is just a red ball type with indentations in it with the holes in the indentations. I'd like to find one like that for the little girl that can't figure out the ones I have now. Any suggestions? Ed

saw my first hummer of the year today! i was standing on my front porch and it whizzed past my head and straight to the red porterweed that i just put in a couple of days ago. it checked out an orange cosmo then went to the russelia sarmentosa, but i cut that back awhile back so it only has a few little blooms, then it went back to the red porterweed for awhile. what a treat to see. my first hummer since moving from the keys in nov.04. i got the porterweed at home depot. my first time trying the red. i had the regular blue trained into a standard in the keys. it got about 6' tall, but the winds will snap them (and did eventually). of course, you never lose them. i had a carpet of babies come up every year. debi

Have a hummingbird vine about 6" tall, waiting to go into the ground...any of you growing THAT for hummingbirds? Haven't seen one yet. Am just starting to plan for plants that will attract hummers...so thanks for great suggestions.
Sue

Hey, what's a hummingbird vine?

Someone gave me one at a round up. I've done all kinds of PF and Google searches and cannot find a plant that's actually called that. So when y'all are talking about hummingbird vines, is it really a coral vine or something? Do you know the Latin name of the plant you are calling a hummingbird vine?

Suddenly wondering where I put that thing... (A sign that you've acquired too many new plants recently!)

Dogzilla -

Here ya go, fresh from PlantFiles...Cypress Vine, Star Glory, Hummingbird Vine,
Ipomoea quamoclit.

It has a nice wispy-like foliage. It is so young yet...wonder how long it will be until a blossom appears :)

Sue

Ah-HA!

Thank you!

:D

Sue,

I received 2 seedlings at the Jacksonville round up in May. They are growing fine and have blooms on them already.

Just wish the hummingbirds would find them.

Molly
:^)))