Got your hummingbird feeders up yet?

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80 and sunny, put my feeder up today, and fired up the hummingbird cam.
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Our hummers are here year round so we keep the feeders up. If one of our feeders is down for some reason they let us know for sure. 1/3 cup sugar to 1 cup of water is the mix we’ve used for many years. Common mix around here. Don’t know anyone who buys hummer food.
Little hummer nests are absolutely adorable. Love finding them and watching the families in action.
 
Double R said:
Don’t know anyone who buys hummer food.
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Yeah, I don't know what happened. Used to be it was dirt cheap and it was just easy to buy it premade. And then a couple of years ago, it just got to be stupid priced. Seeing it for $5 - $7 for a half gallon, that's just nuts. Can't justify that kind of price for convenience, especially since it's not any harder than mixing a batch of Koolaid.

There are reports of them being in a couple of areas not far south of us. But still, I haven't seen a hummer at our feeders. I remain hopeful. :)

I've seen several recipes, one that said 4 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar, one that said 3 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar, and one that said 3.5 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar. So I went with the last one. Don't know what's actually "best" but that's the one that we've kinda stuck to for the last year or so.

I kinda remember reading an article some time back about how the migration patterns of the hummingbirds have actually been altered by people feeding them. Interesting that something like that happens. We love our birdies. :)
 
Ours are up and we have had them (Hummers) here for about a week, only 2-3 but they are here! Tonight our temps are supposed to be in the low 30's, I have my burn barrels out by the fruit trees just in case. Apple trees are in full bloom, most of the peach blossoms didn't make it, some pears made it....when I say 'made it' I mean through the high 20's we got that PopPop talked about earlier about 10-14 days ago!
 
Overwintered a tender tropical plant in the garage because hummers enjoyed it last year. It is blooming again. Today there was a hummer sitting in the crepe myrtle, also blooming, and when a chickadee went to the bird feeder (with sunflower seeds in it) the hummer flew out to shoo chickadee away. Have never seen that. They're like chihuahuas. Anyway, from what I've read the hummingbirds have been around since March. I haven't put a feeder out yet.
How often do you guys change your feeder nectar? Daily? Every other day whether it needs it or not?
 
Patchouli said:
How often do you guys change your feeder nectar? Daily? Every other day whether it needs it or not?
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I generally try to give the feeders a little attention about twice a week. I make my own solution so it's not terribly expensive but I still don't like to waste it so I try to put enough in them for a few days but not too much that it'll just get thrown away. I kinda get a feel for it as the season rolls along. Weather can play a factor in it, whether it's cool, hot, rainy, what have you.

Honestly, I haven't had a lot of the black crud kind of problems with their feeders this year but I do wash out the feeders pretty much every time I fill them, nothing dramatic, usually just hot water and a little scrub brush.
 

Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds​

Flowers Some of the best flowers for attracting hummingbirds to the garden include those that are orange or red in color and tube shaped. Some native American wildflowers that naturally attract hummingbirds include: Bee-balm Columbine Cardinal flower Jewelweed Hummingbirds also visit many other flowers in the garden, such as various types of lilies. Many perennial plants and trees make the best flowers for attracting hummingbirds and include:

Read more at Gardening Know How: Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds Attracting Hummingbirds To The Garden - Creating A Perennial Garden For Hummingbirds
Scarlet sage Daylilies Honeysuckle Cannas Bouncing bet Silk tree Spider flower Morning glories Petunias Fuchsias

Read more at Gardening Know How: Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds Attracting Hummingbirds To The Garden - Creating A Perennial Garden For Hummingbirds
 
joel said:

Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds​

Flowers Some of the best flowers for attracting hummingbirds to the garden include those that are orange or red in color and tube shaped. Some native American wildflowers that naturally attract hummingbirds include: Bee-balm Columbine Cardinal flower Jewelweed Hummingbirds also visit many other flowers in the garden, such as various types of lilies. Many perennial plants and trees make the best flowers for attracting hummingbirds and include:

Read more at Gardening Know How: Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds Attracting Hummingbirds To The Garden - Creating A Perennial Garden For Hummingbirds
Scarlet sage Daylilies Honeysuckle Cannas Bouncing bet Silk tree Spider flower Morning glories Petunias Fuchsias

Read more at Gardening Know How: Hummingbird Garden Ideas: Best Flowers For Attracting Hummingbirds Attracting Hummingbirds To The Garden - Creating A Perennial Garden For Hummingbirds
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We have had our feeder up for weeks and we have several 'customers'. :D
They greatly prefer any feeder with sugar-water in it opposed to flowers.
They can sit and 'chug'.:thumbs:
 
Supervisor42 said:
We have had our feeder up for weeks and we have several 'customers'. :D
They greatly prefer any feeder with sugar-water in it opposed to flowers.
They can sit and 'chug'.:thumbs:
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Ours have been up over a month, but the sage and indian paintbrushes draw their attention first. I have a lot this year, some people reporting no hummers yet!🤔🦃🦋🐝
 
Thank you all for the reminder. I went and looked at a migration map and they're getting close. Closest sighting to me is about an hour's drive and also 700' or so lower in elevation. It's getting close to time. I must dig them out and wash them up for a new season.

We love our hummers. :)
 
PopPopT said:
Thank you all for the reminder. I went and looked at a migration map and they're getting close. Closest sighting to me is about an hour's drive and also 700' or so lower in elevation. It's getting close to time. I must dig them out and wash them up for a new season.

We love our hummers. :)
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I'll tell them you are getting dinner ready for them!!😃😉
 
Pearl said:
Just saw my first hummer!!🦆(Couldn't find a hummingbird emoji)! I'm out mowing, saw it visiting my sage bush! Feeders going out shortly!!😃
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mid April or may here, so shortly I will put out the feeder :). The camera is already up and running, it covers the front door also.
 
Pearl said:
I'll tell them you are getting dinner ready for them!!😃😉
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LOL!! You know we put out a feast. Just can't help ourselves. One feeder won't do, we'll have at least 7 or 8 of 'em if I remember.

Last year was an off year for them, for whatever reason. We had some, never saw more than maybe a half dozen at a time. The year before, we counted close to 30 at our cluster of 5 feeders on the front porch, at one time, and we can't see the ones at the back porch at the same time. About an hour before dark, it typically got very busy.

Oh, and trying to count them, good luck. They'll be mostly sitting feeding, and I start to count, and a few seconds later, another one comes buzzin' in from off the side, and they're a big jumbled up mess of hummers. I have to start counting all over again. Fun, fun!

:)
 
PopPopT said:
LOL!! You know we put out a feast. Just can't help ourselves. One feeder won't do, we'll have at least 7 or 8 of 'em if I remember.

Last year was an off year for them, for whatever reason. We had some, never saw more than maybe a half dozen at a time. The year before, we counted close to 30 at our cluster of 5 feeders on the front porch, at one time, and we can't see the ones at the back porch at the same time. About an hour before dark, it typically got very busy.

Oh, and trying to count them, good luck. They'll be mostly sitting feeding, and I start to count, and a few seconds later, another one comes buzzin' in from off the side, and they're a big jumbled up mess of hummers. I have to start counting all over again. Fun, fun!

:)
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We get a lot too! I have 6 feeders, some sit and wait for their spot! There are always some bullies that push the others around! I love watching them and how beautiful their colors are!!
 
Do you know which types you’re getting to visit? @PopPopT @Pearl
We’ve had black chinned and ruby throat. I forget the other.
Today I bought some perennials in hopes of attracting them to the salad bar. They have stopped by each summer, looking for the feeder, but I had stopped feeding them. Hoping to get them back along with butterflies and bees.
Have been working on cleaning up the yard this afternoon.
Some sunflower plants are growing where the seed feeder stands.
 
Up the mountain I had many! I referred to them as the buzzards because they would buzz me especially if I needed to refill a feeder! Funny this post came up as I just told Hubby I needed to put one up tomorrow. We’ve had 3 for the past couple years. We only have one full sized tree. I am working on more but they take time 😍
 
Just saw one at one of the feeders I have on the Front Porch... Bushie was on Her desk just below it and to it's Left an it wasn't fazed at all with Her there... Must bee one from last year and knows Her already... LMOL...!!! Got 2 feeders out there, one on each end, cleaned and refilled just this past week knowing that soon they would bee near...!! Have pics on another laptop where there were 5 out here one day last year just a buzzing back and forth and Yes, One Bully so this year We will have a couple more feeders out...!! Love those Little Ones Flying by...! Cool knowing They "Trust" US to provide Nourishment for Them...!
 
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