-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Are the hummers leaving? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Vik
- Start date
shelley810
Well-known member
jeepee said:
I am just south of you and I have 3 juv males here. Which is way, way down what I usually have at this time of year. In years past I would have hummers hang around well into the first week in October. Others in my area have reported the same. I didn't have the influx in the early spring this year, either. |=(|
Shelley
There didn't seem to be nearly as many hummers around my yard this summer either....but there ARE still some females about. Saw two buzzing each other over one feeder this afternoon. Last year they stayed actively feeding at my feeders until the very end of September.
I cleaned out and refilled all three hummingbird feeders on Tuesday (21st), and within 24 hours had a female ruby-throated hummingbird. Have seen one (always female) each day since, including this morning. I think these are migrants, as two different ones have approached the colored perches on a large tube thistle feeder before finding the 'real' hummer feeder close by.
So, officially, there is still a hummingbird at my feeders Sept. 24, 2004! ( I KNOW someone else will have a later visitor! Ha!)
So, officially, there is still a hummingbird at my feeders Sept. 24, 2004! ( I KNOW someone else will have a later visitor! Ha!)
Katy Penland
Well-known member
LOL! Still have two female rufous (this year's young that fledged here) at our lone remaining feeder. Everybody else has skedaddled. Did have one broad-tailed male visit on the 19th, but only made one stop and haven't seen him since.marianna said:
We also had frost two days ago for the first time this season, and it was down to 34 last night. Won't be long before these two holdouts will be gone.
Hey, Marianna, wanna bet a 10# bag of sugar whose hummers are here the latest? :bounce:
Katy Penland
Well-known member
LOL, now that's what I call optimism!KCFoggin said:I've still got 3 juvie males and one female so tonight I said what the heck and hung one more feeder.
Nah, I seriously doubt it since I live at 7,000 ft. ele. in northeast AZ, not the warmer, hummer-rich southeast part of the state.Marianna said:
It will be interesting to see how long these two hang around, though. Last year we had hummers 'til mid-October, but we also had three feeders up and needing to be filled twice a day EACH almost until they all just disappeared within a few days' time.Hey, had a common ground dove in the yard this afternoon!!! Wow, that's a species that just isn't seen much above the Mexican border areas. We had one this past spring, too. Wonder if it's the same one checking in on its way south (where it belongs)?
prairiemerlin
registered guy
I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my yard this afternoon! First one ever for my yard. I was very glad to see it, but I hope it doesn't stay too long - we don't have that much hummer food around!
Dave B Smith
Well-known member
Well I know where y'all's hummers are! In Texas! I saw several hundred two weeks ago in Rockport and then last weekend in Smith's Point saw a house with three feeders with easily 150 birds in the yard trying to feed. What an impressive sight. They say about 10,000 Ruby-throats migrate through the area each year.
Steve Gross
Well-known member
Dave, et al.:
The numbers have dropped here in TX as well. Ten days ago, I had at least seven birds coming to my single feeder in NW Houston. I haven't seen any in the last four days. While birding in Corpus Christi last weekend, there were a few birds coming to feeders located near the hawk watch area, but only a few.
The peak of the migration matches the dates of the Hummer Festival in Rockport (which Dave and his wife attended), but, as you can see, the numbers dwindle at that point.
Houston has played host to good numbers (relatively speaking) of wintering hummers, but ironically those birds have been members of more westerly species. Very few Ruby-throats are seen in this area during the winter.
Steve in Houston
The numbers have dropped here in TX as well. Ten days ago, I had at least seven birds coming to my single feeder in NW Houston. I haven't seen any in the last four days. While birding in Corpus Christi last weekend, there were a few birds coming to feeders located near the hawk watch area, but only a few.
The peak of the migration matches the dates of the Hummer Festival in Rockport (which Dave and his wife attended), but, as you can see, the numbers dwindle at that point.
Houston has played host to good numbers (relatively speaking) of wintering hummers, but ironically those birds have been members of more westerly species. Very few Ruby-throats are seen in this area during the winter.
Steve in Houston
Curtis Croulet
Well-known member
Katy Penland said:
Sorry if I've missed an earlier post. What species do you get? We own a piece of property between Show Low & Concho, and I often wonder what species we might see if we can ever get back to visit our 1.18 acre "ranch"! The habitat is pinyon-juniper woodland. I'd expect Broad-tails, but do Black-chins get up there? Magificents supposedly occur up to the Mogollon Rim, and I often wonder if any of them ever get beyond the Rim and onto the plateau.
