Hummingbird deaths

[mexi cali]

I read somewhere once that hanging a feeder is a commitment to the birds too always have it there and too always have it clean and filled. What does that mean do you ask? It means that these little winged marvels are dependant on "feeding stations" be they natural or human provided and they know how far they can fly (their wings beat anywhere form 12 to 80 beats per second) which is important because they use up so much energy that the nectar they ingest keeps them alive for the next leg. If you remove the feeder, this can cause distress in the birds and they may not be able to make it to the next stop.

So the moral is, if you're gonna do it, do it all the way. Not like you did as a kid with the hamster you promised you'd take care of.

[Urban Cowboy]

I have a mix of hanging baskets, flower planters, and the feeders, so the little guys always have food. They seem to quite like red geraniums.

My experience has also been that the first hummingbirds often arrive much sooner than many people expect, as in April, so I actually begin loading the feeders since there aren't that many flowers around yet for them to feed on.

[ferri]

I've noticed that when they show up, if the feeders aren't up yet, they go look where they were the year before. Then they come to window to let me know that I had better get it together. I love watching those little guys. Yesterday one of the feeders was empty, I brought it in, cleaned it, filled it, took it out and even though there was a full feeder just a little ways away a little hummer had to perch and start eating while I was still trying to hang the feeder.

[Urban Cowboy]

I've noticed that when they show up, if the feeders aren't up yet, they go look where they were the year before. Then they come to window to let me know that I had better get it together. I love watching those little guys. Yesterday one of the feeders was empty, I brought it in, cleaned it, filled it, took it out and even though there was a full feeder just a little ways away a little hummer had to perch and start eating while I was still trying to hang the feeder.

A few years back I stumbled across a decent quality feeder on sale, so since I have a large deck I figured I'd just add another one.

Well this is a nice summer day, and I get home checking out the deck to see where I could hang it. Now remember I have four other feeders all loaded with food. So I sit down, take the feeder out of the box, then I grab it by the hanger and walk over to the area I wanted to put it, so I could mark the beam for the pilot hole.

As I'm walking toward the beam this hummingbird flies right up to me holding the feeder, it tries all four flowers on it, obviously there's nothing in it yet, so the bird hovers about two feet from my nose and stares at me. It was as if he was saying "hey dude, where's the food?"

[Catsumi]

After many years of watching closely, April 18 is the day of arrival for hummers in N. Okanagan. So cold here this year I didn't spot the first one until April 22.

[LTD]

going through about 5 cups a day right now

[Catsumi]

A beer consumption braggart? Here?



Pics of bird or you slurping would be welcomed.

[LTD]

cant afford beer spending to much on sugar for birds

[Jlabute]

My lorikeet eats nectar. A complicated diet of specially made wet nectar, fruits, and veges. No seeds. Plants do not naturally give only sugar water, but probably sucrose. Hummers’ get protein from soft insects. Avoid pest sprays, etc.

If you really must feed the hummers.
https://www.thespruce.com/top-hummingbird-nectar-mistakes-385961

[Catsumi]

Good advice ^^^

One other thing, keep your cats away from the feeding area. They can strike a hummer with their paw just like a bolt of lightening. Sadly, it was my cat, many years ago, that did this nasty trick.