return of the hummies

We had about 15 flying around 2 feeders right before the sun went all the way down. They are really hungry. I'm filling both feeders every day. I'm going to have to buy more sugar.

More and more every day. Every year, I'm amazed at the swarms of the little birds we have here. I've never lived anywhere with so many hummingbirds. I wonder if it's the trees we have around the house or if we're just in exactly the right place.

My cousin and his wife have hummingbird feeders. I only saw one, still it was neat though.

I'm still seeing only a few....I envy you your swarms Becky. I think it's 'location, location, location' at work for you.

We do have kind of a bird haven. Lots of trees. Very quiet area. Water all over. Lots of natural flowers. Hummingbirds must think it's a great place to summer.

I got dive-bombed this morning. I went out to grab the feeder to refill, and one just swooped right over my head. He was chattering the whole time. "Hurry up! Hungry!"

What does a hummie chatter sound like?

They have a high pitched twitter. They are very talkative at our house. I will try to post a video I took last weekend. I'm not sure if you can hear them twittering, but you can definitely hear the SNEEZE from my husband at the end.   

If you send it to my mom's email I can most likely see AND hear it.

No hummie sounds, but there is a sneeze at the end. The video doesn't post here, so here's the link.

https://s1168.photobucket.com/user/bpaquet/media/VID_20140731_062604437_zps9fd37437.mp4.html

Cute

Blocked: personal storage
Tried the video on youtube but mom's buildings' computers are not cooperating. We did learn off another site though that the males 'sing' using their tail feathers, not throats.

Fall is coming. We're not going through quite as much syrup. The females are still fighting over the feeders and are drinking one bottle a day. But, a week ago, we were going through two. I've retired the BIG feeder, and am using the two smaller ones. I will miss my little friends when they leave. The feeders will stay out until October so the migrating birds can have a snack, but the residents are getting ready to go.

I told my mom our feeders will stay up until the middle of October....when it freezes. That way migrators from up north have a snack on their way down to you. Going through quite a bit here but I don't see them very often. But I did spot a baby hummie just yesterday....so tiny and cute. Hungry too!

Very slow juice drinking today. I filled one of the bottles last night, and it's only 1/3 gone today. Maybe the ugly weather slowed down the birds. They finished a bottle yesterday.

bpaquet wrote:No hummie sounds, but there is a sneeze at the end. The video doesn't post here, so here's the link.

https://s1168.photobucket.com/user/bpaquet/media/VID_20140731_062604437_zps9fd37437.mp4.html

I finally got to see this last night......LOVED IT!

We have two baby hummies who do an aerial ballet in the yard every time they come to the feeder. So much fun to watch them!

The feeders have been suspiciously quiet. I don't know if everyone's gone, but most definitely are. I will keep the feeders out and fresh for a few more weeks for the little guys passing through. It's getting cooler here, so it's time for them to head south.

Keep 'em out a bit longer than that please Becky...we still have hummers here that will be going south.  We're seeing strangers at our feeders now (a few had white tails on them!); they stay a couple days, then are gone.  Our summer hummies are still here and don't appear to be going anywhere quite yet.  We plan on keeping our hummie feeders out until they start freezing at night, just in case of stragglers coming down from Canada.  The honeybees come to the hummie feeders too, fattening up for winter.  No problems as they share with the hummies so no real battles over it.

We got a higher hook for Brads feeder so it's above the sill now but couldn't put it in the same place in the yard as the old one (damned rocks are everywhere and too deep--the pole wouldn't go in). Hummies came Saturday night during our movie....hovered above the empty hook....went for a drink at the new hook....then hovered at the old hook again and stared at us through the window. Kinda like "WHY did you move my feeder? It's supposed to be over here."

I saw one girl flying around this morning. No more though.

You'll get more when the ones up here start heading down there. At least you got to see one...the lady down the block hasn't seen any in a week yet I know they're still all over the place here.

Since we have the windows open, I can really tell the difference in chirps at the feeders. I don't hear many hummingbird squeaks at all. I do hear a lot of goldfinch and chickadee chatter. The wrens are searching for places for fall/winter nests, and the bluebirds are really active. The cardinals are also talking quite a bit at the feeders.

I have yet to hear a hummie squeak......and our seed feeders look like rush hour at any fast food restaurant. Picture something out of Hitchcock's The Birds.....at least 30 either on, near, or flying around the feeder looking for a place to land. They can get quite loud out there during rush hour.....
I've had birds checking out my birdhouse the past few days, probably thinking of renting for the winter, huh?

Our birds go to the feeders, grab some seeds, yak with their friends, and then fly into the trees. We have a huge sycamore next to the house that hangs over the feeder. They fly down and up all day. On the other side of the house, there's a row of cedar trees. The birds perch there and fly back and forth to the other feeders. The hummingbirds like to go to the crepe myrtles. Those are quickly losing their blooms and leaves, so that's probably why the feeders are just not emptying.

My mom was debating bringing in our feeders yesterday, but I convinced her to keep them out a while longer. We had barely a tsp of solution in it and I know the bees aren't drinking it all. We may not see them every time we look out, but they're still here.

I've taken my feeders down, but my brother still has hummers regularly at his feeders. They're so fun to watch.

We have had 1/2 full bottles all week. I've cleaned/refilled, and they aren't emptying. I think our crowd is gone. We do have a few morning glory blooms and Virginia creeper flowers, so they might be snacking at the flowers.