It seems like every year someone wonders where are the hummingbirds are. In
the spring there is plenty of food for them, so they don't need to come to
the feeders, and they are all nesting and defending territories. The numbers
will build thru out the summer as the babies fledge and migration begins.
Males are very territorial and don't like to share their feeders. I have
read that putting out a large number of feeders make them give up trying to
defend their territory and allows more hummingbirds to feed. One feeder is
about all it can handle though.
Karen, you may want to change the feeder twice a week, especially once it
gets hot. Also, you can get an "ant moat" to keep the ants out of the
feeder. It is a plastic dish like container that you hang the feeder from.
It has water in it and quite effective keeping the ants out. Also, the
Chickadees and Gold Finch like to drink out of it.
The last couple of days I have heard a number of Swainson's Thrush singing,
in additional to a Wood Thrush and a Veery. The Bluebirds have fledged their
first broods of the summer, and Song Sparrow was feeding a baby Song Sparrow
yesterday. Which was a nice change from them continually feeding baby cow
birds.
Phil
Phil Kenny
1731 Killarney Court
Vienna VA 22182-2133
703-255-5423 home
571-226-6690 cell
philkenny@xxxxxxxxxxx
From: Craig Zalk [mailto:craig.zalk@xxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 9:37 AM
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Hummingbirds? (Karen)
Karen writes: "I've had a feeder out for 5-6 weeks. I change the food
every week but still, nothing (except ants!). I have never waited more than
24 hrs
for sunbirds or hummingbirds to appear. Is it still to early in the
season? Any comments?"
Response: Not too early in the season, but for what it is worth, I had two
hummers for a few days and then they disappeared. Yesterday, I saw one
hummer in my back yard (where I have one feeder) and zero in the front yard
(where I have 7 feeders). I sat out front yesterday reading the paper, but
no luck at all. Nothing! The hummers could be in the Poplar trees around
me, but I did not see any Poplar flowers blooming. They could also be
sitting on nests, but they still need to feed when they are doing so.
Long story short, I do not know where the hummers are. Anyone have any
suggestions as to where the hummers are this year?
Footnote: The reason I put out so many feeders is that while at a
hummingbird banders' conference, it was suggested to me that if I put out a
lot of feeders and kept them close together, I was much more likely to
attract a lot more hummers (if you build it, they will come). This, I was
told, is how the hummingbird "mega-sites" have all gotten started. I
followed the advice, but it has not worked, at least not this year.
If anyone has any insights, please share them. Thank you.
Craig Zalk (Reston VA, Fairfax County)
