topic Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds in Garden

Not Seeing Hummingbirds

NickNack — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:52:16 GMT

I am in East TN and haven't seen a hummingbird in about three days. It makes me sad when they leave. It's still in the 90's here (supposed to be 96 today) but is supposed to be in the 70's next week. I'll leave my feeders up for a while though for the stragglers.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

suzykee — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:22:42 GMT

Same here in northeren Ohio. I still have a feeder up too - for the straglers!

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Kachina624 — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:36:21 GMT

@NickNack. Maybe there's hope that we will actually have winter this year. The birds know......

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

BlueFinch — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:38:14 GMT

I, atypically, had low hummingbird traffic all summer. Just two, to three. Even so, it's a lot of work to keep feeders clean and refilled in the heat (I'm in central TX). Plus, I had to waste a lot of content.

Two weeks ago, I suddently had too many to count. I had never seen anything like it. They were almost draining three feeders per day. It was magical watching them, often feeding until it was almost dark. They were so intent on feeding that they didn't mind me being in the yard with my 90lb dog. Their little tweets could be heard everywhere and I almost had one fly into my face.

I gathered that they were migrating birds that just happened to locate my HB friendly yard. With drought conditions in large areas of TX, they were hungry. It was a special gift, a joy to watch.

Then they began to taper off, when fueled up. I'm now down to seeing just one little female visiting feeders. By temps and appearances, it's still very much summer weather here, but they know better.

It always saddens me when another cycle is complete and feeders are stored away, but I'll be glad to see the close of this unbearably uncomfortable summer.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:09:11 GMT

I've seen one in the past week .... in SoCal. Anyone know where they migrate back to?

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Susan Louise — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:14:21 GMT

We currently have 5 Ruby-throated here in eastern Nebraska at our place right now...4 juvie males and a female. The weather with all the rain has them hunkering down here which makes us happy to enjoy their company for awhile

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Venezia — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:15:26 GMT

@BlueFinch- What a wonderful experience, having all those hummingbirds in your yard.

I'm in New England and my DH and I were saying the same thing about atypical low numbers of hummers this summer.

Like other posters here, I'm leaving my feeder up for a while, just in case some straggler needs to make a pit stop. We're having unseasonably cold weather at the moment, but you never know.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Susan Louise — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:17:51 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
I've seen one in the past week .... in SoCal. Anyone know where they migrate back to?

@Tinkrbl44 It depends on the species of the hummingbird. The west coast has many species. The midwest through to the east coast mainly only has one...the Ruby-throated. Since we are in the midwest, we have been lucky to have an occasional Rufus stop by our place while migrating

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Susan Louise — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:19:49 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
@BlueFinch- What a wonderful experience, having all those hummingbirds in your yard.

I'm in New England and my DH and I were saying the same thing about atypical low numbers of hummers this summer.

Like other posters here, I'm leaving my feeder up for a while, just in case some straggler needs to make a pit stop. We're having unseasonably cold weather at the moment, but you never know.

@Venezia We will still get hummers through about the 10th-12th of October on average. The latest we had a hummer was on Oct 17th one year...so we usually keep our feeders out for 3 weeks in October

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Venezia — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:21:07 GMT

@Susan Louise- I do the same. I usually wait till the end of October and then figure there won't be any more coming through.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

NickNack — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:21:14 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
I've seen one in the past week .... in SoCal. Anyone know where they migrate back to?

@Tinkrbl44 They usually migrate to Central America or Mexico.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

queendiva — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 18:25:41 GMT

I was surprised to see one feeding at a flower on my deck yesterday. (NJ)

Have not seen any at my feeder in a couple of weeks. Did not refill because the bees were having a field day..

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

RedTop — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 02:29:32 GMT

I am on the southern end of WV, near the VA border, and our hummingbirds have been gone for a week already.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Icegoddess — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 02:37:09 GMT

It got up to 100 here today, so obviously I'm not outside to see them. But, the food is disappearing from the feeder, so I assume they're still out there. I only put a little in since they need to be changed out daily in this heat.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

NickNack — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:31:53 GMT

I'm the OP who said I hadn't seen hummingbirds in a few days. There's one at my feeder right now. I'll probably leave my feeders up until the end of October.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

BlueFinch — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 14:59:16 GMT

@Venezia Yes, all the work maintaining feeders throughout the summer, for so few, was rewarded in the end. I felt like I was in a tropical forest.

I still have my one straggler. She's a return visitor that arrived early in March, peering in my slider, not pleased that her special feeder wasn't up yet. She'd go where it was supposed to be hanging, then back to look in at me. That tiny little thing had me going from 0-60 preparing her bottle. She pretty much dominated that feeder all summer.

I'll also leave my feeders up through October, or as long as she remains. I have to trust she'll know when to leave.

Don't know if anyone else has had unusual visitors on their feeders, but my garden Anoles have found them and it's crazy watching them lick up the sugar. I thought I was seeing something extremely rare, but I Googled it, and found great photos. The hummingbirds weren't afraid of them either. They shared. Just goes to show, everything enjoys a sugar treat -- even lizards. Who knew.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

CatsyCline — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:56:48 GMT

One little guy was at my feeder last Tuesday. since then they haven't been touched. guessing that little bird was the straggler. they tend to leave on or about the first day of Fall.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Venezia — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 23:33:04 GMT

@BlueFinch- I'm enjoying hearing about your experiences with hummingbirds. It so parallels ours.

We've also had hummingbirds come right up to our sliding door and hover, as if to say "What time do you call this? Is this diner open or isn't it?"

I'm like you. When the first one showed up, catching me off-guard, I raced to make the syrup and get the feeder out there. The hummingbird just hung in the air until I put it up and immediately started to drink. They're not afraid of us at all and, if we stand near the feeders, will come over to drink. I've even had them divebomb my head, when I wasn't as quick as they'd like at getting the feeder cleaned and refilled.

I seldom have my camera at the ready, but have managed to get a few photos over the past few years. They're beautiful creatures.

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

FastDogWalker2 — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 16:11:00 GMT

I took the feeders down before Dorian came through and have not put them back up. It has been SO hot here and the nectar spoils so quickly. Hopefully next year will be another great hummer year!

Re: Not Seeing Hummingbirds

Mary Bailey — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 23:34:27 GMT

35 miles sw of Chicago

no hummingbirds yesterday and today

I'll take my feeders down soon