Hummingbirds - Bird Talk.

[WelshBloke]

Yesterday there were NO HBs that came by so I moved one of the feeders back on the right. One little SOB tried to take it over today. It is the little guy in the video below. @WelshBloke took these for you so you can see what they are like in person. You might need to open up the first video in person to see the flashes of red. These guys look all gray, but then the light hits them just right their face flashes red. The other day it was just right and the entire face was all red. This one not so much, but you get the idea.

https://imgur.com/a/vw0lI8I

Here is the little SOB in action. I might move the feeder back with the others, I don't like bullies. If the feeders are close enough and there are enough other HBs the bully gets tired and chase everyone away. Then he learns to share.

https://imgur.com/a/OL77n5N

Thank you! I could watch those all day!

 

[Stopsignhank]

The ONLY time I have ever had a problem with bees was when I used this type of feeder. Amazon link. The opening is too big and the sugar water spills out on the feeder. The bees were literally packed against the bee guard sucking up the sugar water.

The feeders I use now are This The thing about this style of feeder is that the opening is very narrow and far away from the level of the sugar water. So only HBs can get to the sugar water. The thing I like about these also is that the top is glass and the bottom is plastic. I have had ones where the bottom is metal and it rusts. I also like feeders that have the little rail around the bottom of the feeder so they can sit and eat. Sure they can hover and eat, but might as well make it easy on the little guys.

https://imgur.com/a/QYyvF6r

I messed this up, there are two pictures here. It shows the bottom part of the feeder and you can see how small the holes are. This

 

[Stopsignhank]

Have any of you ever had one come up to you in the yard and hover in front of you ... like ... ' hey dumbass, the feeder's empty!!! ' ??

I love when they do that.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Though it isn't really necessary, I add a bit of food color to help me see the level.

Store bought goop has some other enzymes that are supposed to help them nutrition-wise. There is some debate on that though.

 

[Muse]

I love when they do that.

I've had HB's come, hover and cavort when I'm watering in my yard with a hose. They're either thirsty or wanting a shower, not sure which. It's a fun time.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Me again. I was walking in from the backyard and saw the birds eating and the light was great to see the iridescent feathers on them. The sun was going down so the background light is a little yellow.

https://imgur.com/a/iH2Q3H5

https://imgur.com/a/cwd5KF2

 

[Muse]

I'm thinking of hanging one of these outside my kitchen window. Servicing it might be something. Maybe a pole with a hook...

 

[Crotulus]

Nice job taking care of those feeders. I used to be a part of a hummingbird banding project. Between banding sessions I was in charge of keeping feeders filled. Cooked up gallons of sugar water. One site had four feeders that had to be refilled pretty much daily. We'd band between 1500 and 2000 birds a season at that site.

I'm seeing what looks like Anna's hummingbird (red headed male), Costa's hummingbird (purple headed male) and either Rufous sided or Allen's hummingbird (brown sided bird in the last clip) at your feeders. I'm guessing you'll get some Black chinned hummingbird coming through and maybe even Calliope hummingbird. Fun!

 

[BoomerD]

I saw this article.

An Overripe Banana Is The Secret To Attracting More Hummingbirds To Your Yard - House Digest

If you’ve been saving your overripe bananas, use one of them to attract hummingbirds. The single ingredient will bring them to your yard in no time. Here’s why.

www.housedigest.com

I think I'm gonna try it after it stops raining so damned much.

 

[Muse]

Been wanting to have a HB feeder. This thread's given me traction. I ordered a couple, both Kingsyard, the one stopsignhank uses (ordered the red one because people say that red is the best color to attract HBs), the other a window mounted model that I figure should work out attached to one of my kitchen windows (the model with a clear reservoir, which has a red base, so I can easily see the level of nectar). I got the idea for the window model from a site that seems a few cuts above the others I checked out in terms of recommending HBF's:

Our 10 Favorite Feeders For Attracting Hummingbirds, According To Months Of Testing

We tested the best hummingbird feeders for every outdoor space. Plus, hummingbird experts share tips and best practices for choosing the best feeder this spring.

www.southernliving.com

Both have ant moats.

The window model should give me good close-up views of the little marvels.

 

[Muse]

I saw this article.

An Overripe Banana Is The Secret To Attracting More Hummingbirds To Your Yard - House Digest

If you’ve been saving your overripe bananas, use one of them to attract hummingbirds. The single ingredient will bring them to your yard in no time. Here’s why.

www.housedigest.com

I think I'm gonna try it after it stops raining so damned much.

I may not have to do that, at least for the bigger HBF I just ordered. I am going to put it right in front of my backyard compost pile, which has rotting banana peels (and all kinds of other kitchen scraps) right on top. The pile is under a giant plum tree and I will hang the HBF from one of it's horizontal branches. Plenty of tiny insects flitting around.

 

[BoomerD]

Insects and the nectar from flowers is a helluva lot better for the little hummers than the sugar water we feed them.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I call 'em Nature's Stunt Pilots.

It's just nuts to watch two of them hovering in front of each other rising and falling an inch or two at a time, like some kind of old west standoff. One will make a move and they're both gone like a shot.

Sometimes you can hear them bump into each other.

 

[BoomerD]

I call 'em Nature's Stunt Pilots.

It's just nuts to watch two of them hovering in front of each other rising and falling an inch or two at a time, like some kind of old west standoff. One will make a move and they're both gone like a shot.

Sometimes you can hear them bump into each other.

It's hilarious to hear them "chirp" at one another with their tiny "voices."

 

[Pohemi]

Though it isn't really necessary, I add a bit of food color to help me see the level.

'Red food coloring can be harmful to hummingbirds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society both recommend avoiding red food coloring in hummingbird feeders.'

My grandparents did that as well. I considered making some coloring with beet or berry juice, but it seemed more hassle than it was worth. I just got a red feeder, heh. I get what you mean by helping to see levels from further away tho.

 

[BoomerD]

'Red food coloring can be harmful to hummingbirds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society both recommend avoiding red food coloring in hummingbird feeders.'

My grandparents did that as well. I considered making some coloring with beet or berry juice, but it seemed more hassle than it was worth. I just got a red feeder, heh. I get what you mean by helping to see levels from further away tho.

Yep. The red food dye (most common is #40) is bad enough for humans...it can be toxic for hummers.

 

[Muse]

My favorite birds is a standoff between hummingbirds and parrots.

 

[BoomerD]

My favorite birds is a standoff between hummingbirds and parrots.

I love the Great Blue Herons we have here.

 

[Muse]

I was wondering... birds are reptiles, right? I thought reptiles were cold blooded. Hmm. Just looked it up:

All mammals and birds are capable of generating this internal heat and are classed as homoiotherms (ho-MOY-ah-therms), or warm-blooded animals. Normal temperatures for mammals range from 97° F to 104° F. Most birds have a normal temperature between 106° F and 109° F.

Edit: Reptiles are cold-blooded, so most of these animals live where it's warm. Cold-blooded animals don't necessarily have cold blood. It just means that the temperature of their blood changes with the temperature where they live.

Are birds reptiles?

Dang, this DOES get confusing:

Birds are Reptiles

You read that correctly, birds are reptiles. Now, I can hear you saying “but we learned that they are a different group of organisms, and that reptiles are just those scaly animals that have …

ecologyforthemasses.com

 

[Stopsignhank]

Nice job taking care of those feeders. I used to be a part of a hummingbird banding project. Between banding sessions I was in charge of keeping feeders filled. Cooked up gallons of sugar water. One site had four feeders that had to be refilled pretty much daily. We'd band between 1500 and 2000 birds a season at that site.

I'm seeing what looks like Anna's hummingbird (red headed male), Costa's hummingbird (purple headed male) and either Rufous sided or Allen's hummingbird (brown sided bird in the last clip) at your feeders. I'm guessing you'll get some Black chinned hummingbird coming through and maybe even Calliope hummingbird. Fun!

Thanks. That is great that you could identify them for me. I know it is usually the brown sided birds that are the ones that take over the feeders. Although this year with all of these HBs around they can't take them over. That must have been a cool project, at least for the first month or so. Hopefully you did not get tired of them.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Been wanting to have a HB feeder. This thread's given me traction. I ordered a couple, both Kingsyard, the one stopsignhank uses (ordered the red one because people say that red is the best color to attract HBs), the other a window mounted model that I figure should work out attached to one of my kitchen windows (the model with a clear reservoir, which has a red base, so I can easily see the level of nectar). I got the idea for the window model from a site that seems a few cuts above the others I checked out in terms of recommending HBF's:

Our 10 Favorite Feeders For Attracting Hummingbirds, According To Months Of Testing

We tested the best hummingbird feeders for every outdoor space. Plus, hummingbird experts share tips and best practices for choosing the best feeder this spring.

www.southernliving.com

Both have ant moats.

The window model should give me good close-up views of the little marvels.

That is great Muse. Just know that what I have posted is not normal, at least for my area. At least for me, one HB will take over a feeder and then chase off all the other birds, or at least try. One thing that people say to do is to put the feeders close together so the number of HBs overwhelm the SOB that tries to guard the feeder. Enjoy though, they are fun. Especially the sounds that they make.

 

[Stopsignhank]

It's hilarious to hear them "chirp" at one another with their tiny "voices."

Last night we were enjoying the sunset.

https://imgur.com/a/NN6bkfk

We heard chirping behind us and the feeders were crowded. At some times both feeders were full and there was a waiting line. I was thinking, He it is not standing room only, it is hover room only.

https://imgur.com/a/cWi0toQ

 

[Pohemi]

We have them around here in the summer but I've never seen nearly that many in one spot. The ones here migrate every winter, it's too cold for them to stick around.

 

[Muse]

That is great Muse. Just know that what I have posted is not normal, at least for my area. At least for me, one HB will take over a feeder and then chase off all the other birds, or at least try. One thing that people say to do is to put the feeders close together so the number of HBs overwhelm the SOB that tries to guard the feeder. Enjoy though, they are fun. Especially the sounds that they make.

I have some challenges...

My hearing is so so at best. Haven't been tested in maybe 10 years but my hearing in the high ranges was maybe 50% attenuated last times tested. I may pick up on HB chatter anyway, but it wouldn't be what a 12 YO human will hear.

On top of that, I am colorblind in some degree - total lack of green cones in my eyes, i.e. total green blind. That will make it harder for me to ID the HB subspecies. I'm thinking I might post some pictures here.

Yeah, I was thinking. 2 feeders, but I'm planning for them to be far apart and around the corner from one another. The non-window one under the plum tree and over the compost pile, that could have a domination minded bird issue that I'd want to counter somehow. I figure I could put a 3rd feeder close by, even a cheapie (I see some for ~$5, some suggested at that site I linked, Southernliving).

 

[Pohemi]

I love the Great Blue Herons we have here.

A friend of mine took this shot in one of their backyard trees. Not the first one I've seen in the wild, but the first time I saw one perched in a tree. I usually see them either airborne or standing in fields like the Sandhill cranes do.

Sorry, didn't mean to derail the thread. Back to the hummers!