I recently installed a couple humminbird feeders. Each feeder has one humminbird visiting. My question is that it seems that the two birds just sit on the same tow nearby limbs all day and go back and forth to the feeders. Is this what they do they normally or do they go about other things. I cannot watch all day of course but they are doing this it seems any time I go outside to watch. Did they get too lazy now to do anything else since the feeders are available. I have never put feeders up before and am just learning.
I quit using feeders years ago and then I saw a hummingbird one day November last year and it snowed the next day and I thought Oh Oh! and borrowed a feeder from son.
Hummingbirds have often visited in the winter here, Annas, to feed on the winter blooming Jasmine Nudiflorum and Abelia blooms well into November until 1st hard freezes and they love that too, along with the long blooming Magellan fuchsia.
So, for years I had no feeders as the blooming shrubs grew in to provide natural food.
I have now kept a feeder up since last November and found that when flowers are blooming profusely the feeders are used less. Last winter had 3 Annas visit daily, taking snaps with a webcam I set up for closer viewing and I could see by their gorget marking that they were different from each other, the male being most obvious by his red head. Then in early March the Annas were joined by the Rufous who fed the same way, using flowers and syrup in addition.
For the past year I have had humminbgbirds visit every month! XMas, New Year, snow/no snow. Cool!
They do tend to hang out near the food source and guard it. I have had a juvenile male Annas for 2 yrs in a row now hangout in my flower filled yard, stationed nearby for the most part guarding when not feeding. Bathing too, in the fountain in cool weather.
Having the feeders up supplements natural feed and makes for no skinny birds. They do bug hunt when the bugs are out, morning and evening usually, much like fish. Small flies of whatever tiny sort. You just have to be out there at the right time to see it. I wonder if they eat mosquitoes???
