return of the hummies

I thought I saw one the other morning as I was getting in my car, so I put out some sugar water. This morning, I saw a male and female chasing each other from the feeder holes. Tonight a male was hogging the feeder. I think it looks like another summer of hummingbird fun. I'll need to hang out the second feeder tomorrow just to make sure everyone can get something to eat.

I was going to dig out the thread we had from previous years. I saw one early in
the week here.

Wes thought he saw one a few days ago, so I put out my feeder today as well.

I've seen the goldfinches back but no hummies yet. Should we hang our feeder out anyway Bobcat?

I saw a map saying that the hummies were in northern IL, Fif, so I took a chance. I didn't fill it very full though, since you can't let it sit for a long time between cleanings.

No hummers here, but the bird feeder is very popular right now. We've got goldfinches, just coming into color, purple finches, a couple of different types of sparrows, mourning doves, juncos, Asian ringneck doves, a nuthatch, and a downey woodpecker. Last year a whitewinged dove was hanging out with the ring necks, but I haven't seen that one. Of course we also have grackles and starlings, but they mainly go for the catfood we put out for the neighborhood cat who comes by here. Squirrel Nutkin also likes to make an appearance. He enjoys scattering seed all over the place.

Our three seed feeders are emptied every other day. The sugar water is about half gone. Fortunately, the weather's cool, so the sugar water lasts a bit longer. I'll have to make more tomorrow or tuesday. It's supposed to rain, so who knows if the birds will be as active.

The hummies are here! I spotted one Saturday night, as it hovered for a few moments in front of mom's window, then Brads'. Obviously looking for the feeders that were there last summer. We hurried up and put out mom's new hummie feeder, the seed feeder, and a sack of nesting material too. Bij should have plenty of action to watch today.

More must be showing up. They're eating more and more quickly. I got buzzed by a male today on my way into the barn. He was telling me that the feeder was empty. Fortunately, I had made some sugar water last night.

I've only spotted a hummer once since that night......outside the library. I hope they didn't move on because the feeder wasn't out fast enough.

My brother put out a couple of cut oranges, and he's getting Baltimore Orioles! Of course, I'm trying it now too.

I'm finally getting cardinals at the feeder and the jay just showed up on my
porch rail.

OOO! I'll have to try the orange trick. I've never seen a real, live oriole (except the baseball player kind).

Haven't seen any hummies in about two weeks but the jay has been hassling
Antonio through the back door.

Wesley saw an oriole the other day, but I haven't yet. Someone has been eating those oranges though! Hopefully I'll see one soon. The rose breasted grosbeak was at the feeders yesterday. I was glad to see him back in town.

I still haven't spotted a hummie since the one at the library. Hopefully with the warmer weather we're getting now I'll spot one soon?

Really cool video from YouTube. (Fiff, I'm not sure how to get this to you. I'll check around for a while. Let me know if you can somehow see it.)

Wesley picked up a couple of fuschias yesterday to hopefully invite hummies to the yard.

We saw the hummie go from Brads' feeder to ours Saturday afternoon. Then I spotted the little hummie again at our feeder. Just the one so far but I'm sure there are others I haven't seen yet who've come. The one I see is a female.

Somehow I clicked the wrong topic for this post yesterday.

We went through a week with not many visits to the feeder. I don't know where they were. But, they're back in force now. Maybe they were hatching eggs and now they're feeding babies? Hmm... I counted 5 swarming the feeder this afternoon. I could hear more in the trees.

I'm jealous, other than the one I saw earlier in the spring
nothing.

I see our hummies now and then, I think they're hatching out eggs too. And a chickadee was trying out the feeder. Never saw a bird try so hard to get a drink when the feeder wasn't made for it's beak.

One of our hummies is coming to the kitchen window to look in. I've seen him just staring at me while I get a drink. I guess he's wondering how he can find the sugar water supply.

Did you show him where it was? The hummies here peek in the window too....sometimes to let us know the feeder needs cleaning or refilling. That reminds me: I have to clean and refill the hummie feeder today. Mom reports she saw what she thought was a baby hummie at the feeder yesterday.

Becky, if you email the link to my mom we can both see the video.

Ok... The hummies are swarming. Here are a few pix I snapped with the phone.