attracting hummingbirds

[patricia510]

I have lived in Titusville for 5 years and made tremendous efforts to be sure my yard, back and front, was planted with flowers and shrubs to attract birds or all kinds, as well as hummers.
Last year around Oct. a solitary hummer was at my front yard near the entry way enjoying a sip from my hisbiscus and firebush...then he flew directly toward me as I stared out my window, hovered (he seemed to be saying to me, "where's the feeder for me?") then he flew off. It looked like a vagabond rufus, but I'm new at this game so I can't be sure.
Since his (or her) visit, I have planted additional flowers I read would attract hummers including pink foxglove. I now have my feeder in the midst of the foxglove, firebush,and hibiscus...to no avail! My neighbor across the street has a lonely coral honeysuckle bush...and he gets hummers!!!
I've seen one hummer so far this year, about two weeks ago on a neighbor's orange tree, but he flew off quickly.
I have even added hibiscus (both red and orange) and foxglove to my backyard, which is abundant with flowers shrubs, birdbaths, feeders for wildbirds (I get quite a variety, ie: red bellied woodpeckers, cardinals, titmice, waxwings, brown thrushes, Eurasian collared doves, mourning doves, painted buntings, indigo buntings, and even a Pileated woodpecker! )You could call it a wildbird habitat.
Alas, no hummers!
My new plan is to find more shrubs to attract them, as I understand feeders are not a nourishing as real nectar from flowers.
Any suggestions? Maybe some of the bushes or palms I have planted in my yard are not inviting. Thanks, Patricia

[Steve Backes]

Patricia,

I don't believe that the 4:1 solution offered in feeders is really inferior to the natural nectar. In many cases, it is preferred once the birds learn that it is food. There are many advantages to getting ones sugar from one source as opposed to getting small amounts from many sources. Sometimes the hard part is getting the bird to recognize the feeder as a source for food.

Hibiscus are not typically "hummingbird plants". They may offer a large red flower but it's not preferred by hummingbirds. It may be that the nectar is too accessible by other critters reducing the likelihood of there being nectar or it could be that it's not as sweet. I'm not sure. Typically, hummingbird flowers are tubular which eliminates any competition from critters that can't reach the bottom of the flower.

I'm also not familiar with foxgloves in Florida. I've read a few places that they don't grow well in our heat and humidity. You may have a variety that will survive here and bloom but it may be that the stress of the conditions affects the nectar quality. Nectar volume and quality are often lost in cultivars that are created for big showy flowers. Quite often, the best nectar is in the smaller, less showy flowers.

For recommended plants that grow well in Florida, read the posts in the Landscaping board at floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=landscaping. I've got a good list in the Plant Exchange thread at floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=exchange&action=display&thread=34

Coral Honeysuckle is a great hummingbird attractant but so is the firebush. Sometimes, it depends in the hummingbird. Offer a variety of flowers along with clean feeders for the best chance of attracting hummingbirds. A variety of feeders may help as well. Not all feeders are as easily recognized as food.

I was just at my parents house in Edgewater where they usually have a couple of hummingbirds that are always present but they only had one that could not always be found. Maybe it's going to be a slow year for hummingbirds.

Steve