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General observations on hummingbirds....

Get above 8,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains of Southeast New Mexico in July, hold out a feeder at arm's length, and you'll be surrounded by 10 or 20 predominantly male hummingbirds of three different species which will feed while you watch. Turns out the high mountain meadows at that season are on the return route of rufous, broad-tailed and calliope hummingbirds.

You'll see sparrow-sized blue-throated hummingbirds too, but I have never seen them be that tame. OTOH, they ain't migrating just then either and maybe ain't quite so rabidly hungry.

Here in San Antonio in June, the same two female black-chinned hummers hitting my one feeder (black-chinned are closely related to ruby -throated hummingbirds and resemble them in most respects, except to me the males never look as colorful).

Around here black-chins get back surprisingly late, mid April.

OK, the females to all the work.... A week to build the nest (7 days), a week to lay two eggs (14 days), two weeks to hatch 'em (28 days), three weeks in the nest (50 days), another week to feed 'em after leaving the nest (total 50-60 days).

Sixty days from mid April is about right now. Allowing for those that lost a nest at some point and had to start over, local hummingbird numbers oughtta start doubling pretty quick around here as first broods get out. Hummingbird males are smaller than females and have a tough time competing for flowers, plus they wear themselves ragged displaying to attract females. Once mating season is done they head out early. Our local males will head south in a couple of weeks, be gone by mid-July.

Some of our local females will have gotten knocked up a second time before the males left, starting over, sixty days from July 1 will keep 'em occupied with a second brood through August. Net result in my back yard oughtta be a somewhat increase in black-chins as the summer progresses, despite the departure of the males, but if I get as many as four hitting the feeder every day I'll be happy.

The wild card is what the summer does here. There ain't enough feeders in the world as significant as natural nectar sources to the whole hummingbird population. I don't think anyone really understands local shifts in hummingbird numbers in response to drought in the summer. This is also very true for ruby-throats in the east.

Our black-chins don't have to fly south very far; overland to Mexico, and we are at the eastern edge of their range. We don't get big migratory pushes of black chins and those we do have are mostly gone by the end of August. However, late August through September, almost every hummingbird in the eastern two-thirds of Texas is a southward-bound Ruby-throat coming down from up north. Some years there are hordes, some years there ain't. Again it probably has everything to do with the natural nectar supplies, here and en-route.

Birdwatcher

I use 1/2 cup sugar to 2 cups boiled water.

Thanks for the info. I've been using the store bought stuff and while I have a few hummingbirds I'd like to have more.

Double the sugar and you'll have more birds.

I have four feeders out and at certain times of the day there'll be a half dozen or more birds on all of em.



This one's their favorite. It holds about a quart and I fill it twice a day. The others get filled at least once a day.
It has eight holes but sometimes there'll be a dozen fighting for position. Sounds like a motor running.

We had 9 at once last summer. They haven't showed up yet here.

I'll give it a try, It's cool when they don't want you around and they trim the props up and "buzz" like a giant bumble bee!

When in HOT environments like Arizona, Nevada, Utah etc... You need to change out the water/sugar mixture often. Here in the summer, I change out the water daily. It SPOILS rather quickly in the 115' heat.

Also, I use only CANE sugar. Seems that when I use sugar made from Sugar Beets that I have far fewer birds visiting my feeder.

Report on the hummingbirds here. Refilled the feeders with maximum solution of sugar/water and they came flocking back in force.

It's been an interesting learning experience this season, from having one of two fly by and then their nose up at the old commercial stuff to having a regulars parade every day.

Mostly Ruby Throated here. Had one last week that would feed then perch on a rise bush and chase others away when they'd fly in. Always thought they were communal.
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They can be tough little bastids and chase far bigger birds away from the bird baths and fountain.

We had an adult pair most of the summer, but they seem to have moved on.

There were two tiny offspring here several weeks ago, but I'm seeing only one of the little guys now. How soon do they migrate?? They're sure a wonderful addition to the flower garden.

You've learned. That commercial stuff is horrible.

You have nothing but ruby-throats there in Georgia - unless some other kind has gotten terribly lost.

Mine are black-chinned and the occasional rufous. They're all preparing to leave now. The youngsters are as big as their parents, and all of them are draining my feeders as they bulk up for the long trip south. Year after year, they leave right around the first full moon in September, which means about two weeks from now.

I'll miss them terribly.

BTW, there is what I think a hummingbird sanctuary in California with several live webcams. I check it daily. There's a female on a nest there, but she's been sitting on the same two eggs for weeks now. I'm almost sure they must be infertile or they'd have hatched long ago. She hasn't given up, though. LINK

Great site, thanks! We do get other breeds here in Georgia, but Ruby Throats are the only ones that nest here. Dunno why that is, and I admit I have only seen ONE other breed exactly one time. I think it was one of the two you mentioned. Same size as a Ruby Throat but less distinct markings.

This spring and summer has been crazy at our house. Hatari can attest, we didn't have much of a springtime this year. Normally my feeders will get an occasional passer-by type visit starting in late March. But no residents until about June. This year early April standing drinking a cup looking out the patio doors, feeders not up yet, suddenly there's a hummer hovering about a foot away from the glass. The wife said maybe you should put up a feeder?

Did so and it was on right away. More birds this year than ever. Hatari, the hot humid conditions we have makes it easy for mold/mildew to start forming inside the little recesses in some feeders. Birds won't go near a feeder the instant that starts. I use feeders by HummZinger...the design makes them easy to keep clean inside.

And speaking of the little critters, wonder if the eclipse will do anything weird to 'em? Will they roost and go into that stupor they do at night?

Thanks for the tip. I'm new to attracting them so welcome the info. Nasty hot and humid the past 3 weeks here.

I think they stay here until mid October and then go south. That only leaves about 8-9 weeks here.

The best feeders I've found - and the easiest to clean - are the eponymously named Best-1. Here's a LINK to their 32-ounce size. They also have an 8-ounce size. The bases are interchangeable, and you can buy spare parts.

The Best-1 feeders eliminate one bad thing about other brands - there are no yellow "flower" parts on the Best-1. Yellow attracts bees and wasps, the last thing you want on a hummie feeder.

Mine usually stick around until early/mid Sept. but they're leaving early this year.
I've gone from seeing several dozen at a time to just a handful the last two weeks.
I wonder if that's an omen for an early winter.

I'm going through about a gallon of sugar water a day right now.

Bright red feeders helps too.