topic Re: Hummingbirds Still Here in Community Chat

Hummingbirds Still Here

NickNack — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:27:21 GMT

I have at least two hummingbirds that I see visit my two feeders frequently. I've never had them stay past Sept. 29th, so they're a week late leaving. It's at least 10 degrees warmer than it usually is here this time of year. I'm worried they won't leave soon enough.

I know never to take their nectar away until you're sure they've left, so I will keep it out. Has anyone else had their hummingbirds stay longer than usual?

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

OutofMadison — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:39:51 GMT

I'm not sure where you live but I'm in Washington state and we have Annas all year long. They tough it out in our infrequent snow storms and the wind and cold rain we have. I do have to bring the feeders in overnight if we have freezing weather.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Icegoddess — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:44:45 GMT

I think I keep mine out until the end of October. I have read that they won't stay just because feeders are up

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

PINKdogWOOD — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:45:35 GMT

It's always sad to not see the hummers in our yards isn't it. Our kitchen window looks out to the backyard, in fact the sink is right at the window. We watch the birds all the time, we plant flowers for the humming birds and have the same few, two types every year now. They've been here for some years. I haven't seen them in the last few days, DH says he still does. We've not much left for them in the plantings although the shrimp plant is loving the cooler weather and has taken on a huge spirt. I know it's getting very close for the birds to be heading south.

I don't blame them!

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

RedTop — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 18:38:44 GMT

While cleaning my front windows just now, a male hummer flew up to the feeder. My husband hasn’t seen the females for weeks, just this male. I am in southern West Virginia.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Drythe — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 20:28:49 GMT

They are building up for that long flight.

When it’s time they will leave, feeders up or not.

I like to leave mine up late for any stragglers.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

NickNack — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 21:38:55 GMT

Thanks @Drythe @RedTop @PINKdogWOOD @Icegoddess @OutofMadison We only have ruby throated hummingbirds here. They come in the summer and leave by the end of September usually. I kept a log for a while of when I saw the first and last one. I've never seen one past September 29th, so this is unusual.

I would never take my feeders down until I was sure they were gone. I'm just so surprised they're still here.

littlesmokie, I wish we had Anna's here, too. I think they're beautiful. I love having the hummingbirds here in the summer. I love how they come back to the same spots each year. This year I knew it was about time for them to come back, and I was standing outside on my porch and one flew up to where the feeder usually is. I went inside and immediately made the nectar for it.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Dragonflyveb — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 22:28:36 GMT

Hello from central Indiana!

My feeders are still out, even though I haven’t seen a hummer in several days. The last one I saw was a hungry female. I will keep the feeders out for a couple more weeks, just in case there are stragglers, usually late-hatchling juvvies.

Dragonfly

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

happycat — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 02:49:05 GMT

We still have them too, and I honestly can't say for sure we have had them longer than normal, but it sure seems like it.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

misspammie — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 14:26:04 GMT

Silly me (stupid maybe) just learned this year to keep the feeders out till you no longer see the hummers,,,,so I still see them here (Chesapeake, Va). I'm so glad I learned to leave the feeder out! I used to take it down in September, even had it marked on my calendar. Lo and behold...I've seen the darlings guzzling at the feeder, getting ready for their trip. I'm so glad to see them here yet. I miss them when they leave. It's been poopy hot here too. we're cooling down to the 80s. hoorah. I'm a Yankee and sure do miss the cooler weather.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

wagirl — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 14:39:47 GMT

The hummers here in western WA are year round--I have 2 of them still fighting and zooming around everyday. Have to fill the feeder at least weekly now but it was every few days when it was summer---I call them humming pigs!!! and they buzz around the patio door when the food is low/gone--little piggies

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

ozarkgirl — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 20:45:02 GMT

I live in southern Missouri and we still have the hummers.Thought they were gone but 2 are till hanging around The feeder is still up. It has been unusually warm the past few weeks so guess they don't want to leave.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

MoJoV — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 15:14:33 GMT

I'm in the Chicago burbs and haven't seen a hummingbird for a week. I will probably take my feeders down in a week. Although I love Autumn, it makes me sad when my little flying jewels leave.😟

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Icegoddess — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 17:04:57 GMT

Just saw one feeding here in AL, so I still have at least one.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

NickNack — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:08:54 GMT

I'm the OP and haven't seen a hummingbird since Saturday in East TN. I usually leave the feeders up for a couple of weeks after I see my last one just in case there are any coming through.

Edited to say: I spoke too soon. I saw one yesterday (Monday).

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Susan Louise — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:06:33 GMT

We document our Hummingbird visitors here during the Spring & Fall migrations. The latest we had a migrator pass through in the Fall was 10/17/2010.

Since then, the latest so far this year is today 10/14/2018 and we have 3!!! We have one female and 2 juvie males. So it is a new record for us to have more than one this late in the migration period. If just one stays beyond the 17th, that will be another new record.

However, we would rather see them all continue on their journey, which is more important than any of our documenting any records. In the meantime we are enjoying their company.

Here's a pic taken today of one of the juvie males during our snowstorm in eastern Nebraska...bless his heart

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

NickNack — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:05:13 GMT

@Susan Louise That's so interesting to see the hummingbird on the snow covered feeder! I've never seen that. I haven't seen a hummingbird in about a week now. I'm in East TN.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

Susan Louise — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 03:19:08 GMT

@NickNack wrote:
@Susan Louise That's so interesting to see the hummingbird on the snow covered feeder! I've never seen that. I haven't seen a hummingbird in about a week now. I'm in East TN.

@NickNack If you 'google' Hummingbirds in snow, there are lots of videos/stories. This is our 1st experience of having such an early snowstorm and Hummingbirds here at the same time!

Being here in Lincoln, Nebraska, we pray there are still some folks south of us within about 60 miles or less that still have feeders out. Our temps will be in the mid 20's tonight so there will be nothing surviving in our gardens. The temps will be this low tonight down through half of Kansas too, so I worry about once these cuties leave they won't survive because they won't find others with feeders still up between here and northern Kansas. If they can make it that far I'm sure they will be fine with more southern folks with feeders still out and gardens that had no frost/freeze yet.

We live about 60 miles too far west to have them here during the breeding period in the summer, so we get excited during the migration periods and it makes documenting them fun.

Re: Hummingbirds Still Here

arrabella — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:33:59 GMT

@OutofMadison

I live in the uppper desert in Ca. near the Joshua Tree National Monument and we also have some hummers that are here all year long. If we expect a freeze, we take our feeders in also. During the summer months, we keep 5 large feeders in the front of the house and 1 on the so. side. I'm filling one of them almost every day. The hummers that leave for warmer weather have left so I'll just keep a small amount of feed in them as I have no idea which ones they are using. Don't want one to find his/her feeder gone. LOL!!