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Post by Joe M on Apr 22, 2011 8:12:46 GMT -5
Male is still in residence. No others seen. Joe M. Lakeland Attachments:
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Post by hummingbird231 on Apr 23, 2011 7:14:44 GMT -5
Nice shot, he's looking mighty proud.
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Post by lilyopath on Apr 24, 2011 8:10:25 GMT -5
April 24
Male and female RT hummers are still here....both in the feeders and in the plants. They are really liking orange justicia, coral honeysuckle, black and blue salvia, hot lips salvia, cuphea ignea and red shrimp plant. I've also seen them in firecracker plants (of which I have two varieties).
A good source for the cupheas is the downtown farmers market in Lakeland. I saw cuphea ignea and candycorn cuphea there yesterday.
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Post by hummingbird231 on May 1, 2011 20:26:04 GMT -5
Still seeing 1 male ruby throat.
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Post by lilyopath on May 2, 2011 12:48:13 GMT -5
May 2
We still have RT hummers here, but I'm only seeing females in the last two or three days.
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Post by moboston on May 10, 2011 18:18:24 GMT -5
Anyone still seeing Hummers in Lakeland area? I sure do miss them!
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Post by lilyopath on May 10, 2011 20:47:02 GMT -5
May 10
I am, Moboston. I had at least three RT hummingbirds today. All female, as far as I could tell.
Yesterday one of the female hummers body slammed the bedroom window. I think she saw her reflection in the window and thought it was another hummer. Then, she went back to drink at the feeder; she seemed ok.
I have seen them everyday since I started watching in early December.
Favorite Plants: red shrimp plant, black and blue salvia, and coral honeysuckle
I got cuttings of a new justicia today; I am told hummers really, really like it.
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Post by Joe M on May 11, 2011 7:27:40 GMT -5
No Hummer sightings since the 23rd of April in my yard. Joe M. Lakeland
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Post by lilyopath on May 11, 2011 10:07:48 GMT -5
Hummers sighted again this morning.
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Post by lilyopath on May 12, 2011 19:29:54 GMT -5
OK, May12
My friend, Martha L., has both male and female RT hummingbirds still at her house in southwest Lakeland.
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Post by lilyopath on May 17, 2011 8:53:29 GMT -5
May 17, 2011
RT hummers are still here. Today I've seen them in the feeders, in coral honeysuckle, cuphea ignea and red pentas
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Post by moboston on May 17, 2011 11:00:34 GMT -5
Just talked to Sue and she has been seeing a female around her yard the last few days. Yours must be nesting to be here at this time of the year, Shirley.
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Post by Joe M on May 20, 2011 17:18:37 GMT -5
Well a vagrant Female Ruby-throated at my shrimp plants today at about 2:20 PM. Last year I had one inlate May also. Put a feeder up to see if she might 'bite', but the one I had last year wasn't interested. Will see if she stays around! Joe M. Lakeland
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Post by lilyopath on May 21, 2011 10:38:57 GMT -5
I've never taken my feeders down; I did, however, reduce the number of feeders to three.
Yesterday morning I had three hummer sightings in 15 minutes; at lunch I had four hummer sightings in 20 minutes. They are in the feeders or in the plants about every five minutes.
And, I sure hope you are right, Mary, and they are nesting here. But I don't know. I'm watching to see if I see a mama and babies.
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Post by moboston on May 22, 2011 19:07:52 GMT -5
My Shrimp plants aren't blooming now but they are mostly in the sun. Have Black and Blue Salvia next to it but haven't seen any around it. Have lots of other plants for them though. Sue saw one at her house this morning. I am JEALOUS!
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Post by lilyopath on May 23, 2011 21:02:32 GMT -5
I saw a male RT hummer just before dark today.
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Post by Joe M on May 26, 2011 8:05:59 GMT -5
Still seeing a female Ruby-throated wandering about in mid PM and late. Never in the AM. Have tried two different feeders so far with no success. She obviously hasn't used them before. Joe M. Lakeland, FL
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Post by moboston on May 26, 2011 11:07:29 GMT -5
Wonder if you three - Sue, Joe and Shirley are all sharing the same ones or not. Would be wonderful to know that there are a half dozen or so still here.
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Post by lilyopath on May 26, 2011 11:27:01 GMT -5
May 26, 2011
I have at least three female RT hummers and one mature male RT hummer.
I only see the male right before dark. He visits the cuphea ignea and the red pentas.
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Post by Joe M on May 27, 2011 8:55:56 GMT -5
If 'your' hummers are visiting feeders and mine isn't, it would rule out any sharing theory. Although we are close enough, but a bit of a strech in their radius of feeding activity. Joe M.
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Post by moboston on May 27, 2011 16:33:30 GMT -5
Joe - Lilyopath l ives really close to you and of course Sue isn't that far away. Hoping that there are nesting areas around since both males and females are being seen.
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Post by Joe M on May 29, 2011 8:19:01 GMT -5
Just a comment. During the summers in MA I have the opportunity to see far more RT's then here and since its next to a small Pond (50 acres) I can occasionally spot them traveling over the water during the day. Knowing who has feeders and also many RT's around the Lake I have been able to figure out that many of the birds cut across the lake on a daily basis to visit several different feeding locations. Virtually all of them on their 'daily' rounds seem to work in a 1/4 mile to 1/3 mile radius. I think they may move further to work an another area when one area becomes 'crowded' then they establish that as the epicenter of their travels. With all the food sources available here in the summer and little overcrowding most are probably pretty happy where they are not inclined to do a lot of extended wandering. Pretty late for mating activity also. Lily is about 1.2 mi from me and MoB is about 3 mi so I tend to rule out any significant 'sharing' of birds, on a daily basis most certainly. Joe M. Lakeland out
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Post by lilyopath on May 30, 2011 20:35:41 GMT -5
May 30, 2011
I think I'm mistaken about the three females; it's probably two females, one immature male and a mature male. All ruby throated hummers.
The mature male comes between five of eight and eight ten in the evenings. I wonder if he comes any other time like near dawn.
I think one of the others is an immature male because the tail is different.
I wonder if the one that comes to the feeder is nesting. She is all business. She comes, drinks from the feeder and she is gone.
The others, the female and the immature male, go from flower to flower; they perch on the powerline, in the oak tree and in the coral honeysuckle. Usually they are not confrontational. One even seems to hide or at least just move away from the other. Could they be offspring?
Oh, and, Joe M., I enjoy your comments. Thanks!
Lily
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Post by Joe M on May 31, 2011 7:06:35 GMT -5
Try to compare the bill length of the suspect immature to that of your female if its a male it will be noticeably shorter with otherwise similar appearance in most other respects to the adult female. Would expect to have 'youngsters' appearing in our area at this time. If its a recently fledged bird it will probably be around next year at this time along with the adult male you have who obviously feels quite happy here with no need to head further north. Joe M. Lakeland
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Post by Joe M on Jun 1, 2011 17:18:16 GMT -5
Patience and improvising, might be the answer. Works for me! After seeing a Female Ruby-throated in my yard for the last 2 1/2 weeks, and trying 4 different feeders without any success in attracting her to a feeder, I was about to give up. Yesterday I took an old plastic flower from an ancient and drilled it out so I could put it on one of my little bottle feeder tubes and .....success! She finally got curious enough to try it out. She has been back about every hour on the hour this afternoon. Joe M. Lakeland Attachments:
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Post by Joe M on Jun 4, 2011 12:48:09 GMT -5
There are some around even in the summer! From mid April thru mid May I had nary a bird in the back yard and about 2 1/2 weeks ago I spotted one. Put my feeder back up but no action at the feeder. After trying different feeders and improvising I finally got a hummer to feed at the feeder. "Hope springs eternal"! After taking pictures I find I have two hummers. 1 Female and the other, I'm quite sure is a 1st year male. The female still is not visiting the feeder but the male is, so far. This equals my previous maximum bird count in June. So they are around just not as many as we have during the winter months. Joe M. Lakeland, FL Attachments:
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Post by moboston on Jun 9, 2011 18:59:44 GMT -5
I'm posting for Sue, hope she doesn't mind. She said that on Wed., she saw a female (pretty sure its the same one that has been visiting her yard the last few weeks) AND what she thinks was a baby hummer. She said they were flying together and would be facing each other . She said the one was much smaller than the other and had very little green on it. of couse she is hoping it will show up again and that she can get a picture of it. She was in such shock that by the time she realized what she was seeing it was too late to get the camera!
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Post by Joe M on Jun 12, 2011 9:36:57 GMT -5
Well, a pleasant surprise this morning! An absolutely gorgeous Adult male Ruby-throated in the back yard. Just perched in the azalea's, and without his gorget flashing me, as he looked left and right, would never have noticed him. Can't remember the last time I had an adult male during the summer, probably more than 5 years. Never know when one will make an appearance! Joe M. Lakeland
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Post by Joe M on Jun 16, 2011 8:34:06 GMT -5
Couple of comments: Have not seen the male ruby since the first post last week. Had a female ruby this morning and have an observation about the flowers she visited. I had posted a comment about aloe plant and was skeptical about how 'good' it was as a nectar source even though it was often visited by my hummers. After watching the female make the rounds it was obvious that the aloe flower was her favorite. Even with shrimp plant, fire bush and honeysuckle to visit she spent by and large the most time at the aloe. Since we know hummers don't like to waste energy she was obviously getting more 'bang for the buck' at the aloe blooms. So if it works in your landscaping scheme I would recommend the plant as an excellent plant for hummers, and don't forget it's a handy plant to have around for other purposes. Joe M. Lakeland
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 21, 2011 12:51:49 GMT -5
June 21
I got home from my trip on Sunday night, and I still have hummers!! One flew right up to me a little while ago and hovered for a while before she flew over to the hummingbird bush! They are going to the flowers and the feeder.
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