Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Saw the First Hummingbird of the Year

Not a Humming Bird, but this morning I took this picture of the first Robin I have seen this year, he was singing his pecker off to attract a little lady to raise a family with.

For this far up north, it's very rare to see a Robin during the first week of April, and always the true, first sign of spring.

We have some non-migrating robins. I've seen a flock of more than 50 of them this winter. But I also know the migrating ones are back. Saw two yesterday. Can't tell if they were a mated pair or just bachelor buds. But they were keeping company.

No hummies within 300 miles of me reported yet. Two weeks, I'm guessing.

I witnessed a real humdinger of an aerial combat show yesterday by the feeder. The males seem like they are really trying to impale each other with their beaks.

I saw my first ones a few minutes ago. Looked at the feeder in the back and there were 2 using it, so I go look at the one in the front and there was 1 bird there. I thought my feeders were dropping a little, but this was the first birds spotted. I am glad to see them back. I alway think of Micky Coleman when they return. miles

I know why

Headed your way Mr Rocky

Three or four, now, all fighting over the feeder. Pretty entertaining. They live in the trees on my property.

These guys....

Mountain Blue jays

Are so annoying...in groups of 50+

Beautiful picture man, what camera are you using?

me...

IPhone 12...........(:

This guy was attacking his reflection in my office window this morning, took a couple of pictures of him.

If he knew how many geese I have killed in my lifetime, I think he would stay away from my house lol



4 feet away from him on my patio, he was so absorbed with his own reflection, he didn't even care I was there lol

Well I just got my Hummingbird Feeder, no experience with them so I am not sure where to hang it, so I hung it under my top deck. I made a solution of 1 cup of refined sugar and 4 cups of water.

Not sure when they arrive in Alberta, but I hope to get some cool pictures.

KillerBee,

I hope that feeder works better for you than it does for me. The hummingbirds will approach it, hover over it, and then go to one of the other feeders. I don't think I have seen a hummer actually feeding from it.

My longtime favorite is the feeder from Best-1 LINK

They come in 8-oz, 32-oz and a monster 72-oz. I have two 8s and a 32. I'd only recommend the 32 if you get a lot of simultaneous feeders. Since my blak-chins won't tolerate any other bird at a feeder, the 8s work best for me.

The best (that word again) thing about this kind is the they completely disassemble for cleaning. No hidden passages for mold to hide and taint the new feed mix.

Here's how I make up my mix: To one cup of cane sugar, stir in one cup of heavily boiling water. This not only dissolves the sugar completely but disinfects it as well. When clear, add three cups of cold water. This gives you the correct dilution and cools the mix enough to use it immediately. Store any extra in the fridge, but not over one week - if it lasts that long. Double or triple the amounts if needed.

I usually put mine up on April 15, but since the weather is great today, I plan to do it now.

Wow that sucks hey? Was promoted as the best which is why I bought it.

Thanks for the great tips RockyRaab, if I see any coming near it and hovering without using it, I will immediately order the one you recommended above and I like the amount of syrup it holds.

I will also use your formula for the syrup as well~

I boiled up six cups of hummingbird food, and put up my feeder yesterday.

Looks like I guessed right. The tracking map says a black-chin was sighted in my city yesterday. Welcome back, my little friends!

On a related note, my wife went out on the deck this morning at 4:15 and a bird flew into the house while the sliding door was open. Poor little thing was clinging to drapes, probably frightened to death. She was so immobile that I crept up and got a bucket over her, then slid a cover in. Took her outside and she flew off unharmed. Looked to be a female warbler. The first thing I did was to turn off all the lights so the only source would be from the open sliding door. Figured that if she did fly around in the room, she'd see that and fly out on her own. But she was far too scared for that, thank goodness. Getting her into the bucket risked no injury.

I learned that light trick dealing with baby chicks over the years. When you first let them loose, they have a tendency to get confused at night and not know how to get through obstacles between them and the hen house hatch, which is where chickens want to go after sundown. For example, they can be just feet away from the gap in the fence that lets them in, but they will just continually try to go through the chain link fence like they could when they were smaller. Easy solution is that they go where there's light, so you shine a bright flashlight at the gap in the fence, and that's where they go. Then you shine the light on the hen house hatch, and that's where they go, right on in, then you shut it up for the night.

I was giving a VIP tour of Kennedy Space Center one day when some king of beetle flew right into a lady's ear, and burrowed right down the canal. Naturally, the lady went nearly hysterical. Got her to an emergency room in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where a med tech started to get forceps and such out. I asked him to please loan me his pocket flashlight, and turn out the room lights. He looked at me quizzically but did so. I shined the light on the lady's ear and out came the beetle, on its own.

The tech said that's a trick he'd remember.

They're feathered chihuahuas. They think they're a lot bigger than they are. Bantam roosters are the same way.

Just saw my first hummingbird. Blue Ridge Mtns. North Carolina.
Just put up the feeder 2 days ago. I wonder if he will stick around, or is just passing through.

I would go out and try to get a photo but I'm watching The Masters. Scheffler just got a birdie.