Got your hummingbird feeders up yet?

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I put 2 of mine up last week.. have only seen one or two at a time. Last fall we had literally HUNDREDS. I was filling 5 feeders twice a day.. it's was crazy. I hope they stop back by on the way north, but not so far... (pic from last fall)
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I wait till they tap on my kitchen window. I guess its learned behavior cause im not sure that one individual bird comes back each year. But it started when i had surgery. My helper didnt think about the outside wild birds. But kept telling me a bird is knocking on the window. It still happens now when the feeders are empty.
 
TexasCharm said:
@Patchouli . As far as I know they are all Ruby Throated Hummers.. it's all i've ever seen here. Last fall we had a TON of juveniles with them, I do hope they come back.View attachment 128028
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I’ll bet they will all come back. I put three feeders out and we get hummingbirds but they don’t share very well. It seems like they chase each other off and I don’t get as many around the feeder as you do in your picture.
 
winds-of-change said:
I’ll bet they will all come back. I put three feeders out and we get hummingbirds but they don’t share very well. It seems like they chase each other off and I don’t get as many around the feeder as you do in your picture.
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Yep, until there are just so many that they overwhelm the "Richards". We call it Hummingbird Wars.. and we love to watch them.
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Though praying Mantis CAN attack and kill hummingbirds, I think it’s pretty rare. More like to hunt hummingbirds are cats and other natural predators.
 
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"
  • Larger birds such as hawks, owls, crows, blue jays, and orioles. Some of these larger birds like to snack on adult hummingbirds, while others will attack the nest and steal hummingbird eggs or chicks.

  • Snakes and lizards are common hummingbird predators in tropical regions as well as drier areas. They will sometimes catch and eat adult hummingbirds but pose the greatest threat to eggs and chicks.

  • Frogs and even some fish may attack hummingbirds feeding on water lilies or other plants near ponds and streams. While frogs and fish don’t typically hunt hummingbirds, they can sometimes mistake them for insects and will attack and catch them before they know the difference.

  • Spiders, particularly orb-weaving species, will eat hummingbirds like insects. Many hummingbirds will steal spider web threads for building their nests, and sometimes they will become entangled in the sticky web in the process.

  • Insects of various species will prey on and kill hummingbirds. Bees or wasps may occasionally sting hummingbirds in a fight over nectar, while praying mantises have been observed stalking hummingbird feeders and feasting on hummingbirds."
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There are 2 links in My Earlier Post, they are there for a Reason...!!! I didn't want to post pics of the little critters in trouble, Please don't make Me post any...!! :confused2:
 
We tried feeding hummingbirds but honestly it was to much trouble because of ants. I do know that a lot of people in our neighborhood feed them though. On the other hand we put out seed feeders all winter long, lot's of them. We generally go through about 20 pounds of seeds a day. A couple of winters ago the weather was really cold & that jumped to about 35 pounds a day. I figure that's enough because it gets expensive after a while.
 
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