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Post by lilyopath on May 30, 2013 13:04:58 GMT -5
Just had two RT hummers at once in the firebush! One was a female...not sure about the other.
Brenda...where are you in south Lakeland?
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 1, 2013 16:47:33 GMT -5
Ok, I definately have both male and female hummers. Their favorite plants this week are firebush and coral honeysuckle.
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 2, 2013 19:57:57 GMT -5
Great day for watching hummers! This morning I saw a hummer in the firebush. It must have flown away, but I didn't see it leave. Within a few seconds I saw two hummers who seemed to be together fly leisurely to the firebush. One perched on the powerline connecting the pole to my neighbor's house while the other sampled the firebush. Then they both flew away together...still at their leisure. Then another hummer appeared shortly. She sampled the firebush and perched....sampled and perched. They continued to come to the yard sampling the coral honeysuckle, justicia, the golden dewdrop, the firebush and the cuphea all day. Late in the day I saw a mature male in the firebush, the cuphea and the honeysuckle.
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 4, 2013 12:41:19 GMT -5
I just flushed two hummers out of my hibicus. The hibiscus is loaded with pink blooms and white blooms today, and I guess the hummers like it as much as I do.
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 4, 2013 12:45:51 GMT -5
The hibicus is an Anderson Crepe.
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Post by marthaloul on Jun 4, 2013 17:15:45 GMT -5
I've had two in the justicia which is really wonderful because it is right by the french doors in the living room. I can see them up close. What a delight!
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 4, 2013 19:52:47 GMT -5
I wonder if the two hummers that seem to be together are siblings.
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Post by lilyopath on Jun 15, 2013 13:04:48 GMT -5
Still seeing RT hummers frequently...every few minutes. Not spotting any males in the last few days.
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Post by marthaloul on Jun 15, 2013 15:38:29 GMT -5
I had one twice this week. Once at the justicia and once at the feeder. The red on the throat was brilliant!
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Post by marthaloul on Jun 15, 2013 15:43:52 GMT -5
I just went over to look at the justicia and found 2 FRT in it. For me that is amazing. I seldom have 2 at a time.
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Post by lilyopath on Jul 24, 2013 11:13:16 GMT -5
I am seeing a lot of hummer activity here. Also there are mature males, females and immature males. I'm not sure how many are here, but seeing them in chases is an everyday occurrence.
They are feeding on coral honeysuckle, firebush, and cuphea. Yesterday I added two feeders and I've already had a hummer in one of them.
The reason I put out feeders was that I had a female hummer this week who appeared to be looking for a feeder.
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Post by Joe M on Jul 25, 2013 9:09:07 GMT -5
Lily, If that hummer was acting like it was looking for a feeder in the same place it was in the spring or even last year it probably was! The returning birds remember exactly where the feeders were the prior season. Here in MA I have not put a feeder up down by the lake since I have fewer birds but I observe hummers going back to the same spot and hovering, poking around the bracket that's still there but no crook or feeder. They have excellent memories for where they have fed months and months ago. Unless I have a good reason to change a feeder location I don't! Joe M.
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Post by marthaloul on Sept 2, 2013 20:32:28 GMT -5
I have had 3 different sitings of hummers today, all at feeders. There were several yesterday as well. This after seeing none for a while. I am a happy camper.
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Post by lilyopath on Jan 22, 2014 17:43:50 GMT -5
Some quick thoughts..
I think I have RTHs year round. I have only a day or two a year when I don't see them, and I've been watching for several years now.
I have four feeders out, all different. When I clean the feeders, I don't put them back in the same places. The hummers will change their usual feeding spots, and I'm thinking they are showing a preference for the type feeder.
I am seeing male and female RThummers now. Not sure how many.
I'm looking for a rufous!
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Post by Joe M on Jan 23, 2014 9:53:19 GMT -5
Some quick thoughts.. I think I have RTHs year round. I have only a day or two a year when I don't see them, and I've been watching for several years now. I have four feeders out, all different. When I clean the feeders, I don't put them back in the same places. The hummers will change their usual feeding spots, and I'm thinking they are showing a preference for the type feeder. I am seeing male and female RThummers now. Not sure how many. I'm looking for a rufous! 'Lily, I wish I knew you were around earlier in the week as Fred had some extra time. And in ref: to feeder preference, hummers do show a preference to some feeders. I have been beset with bees this winter and have only used my bottle feeders as sacrificial feeders (for the bees). The hummers are reluctantly using my dish feeders which the bees don't bother with, too much! Joe M.
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Post by lilyopath on Feb 14, 2014 21:37:24 GMT -5
I noticed a change in hummer activity today. First, I need to say that there was a whole lot of hummer activity. The change was that there was a lack of aggression. I saw a hummer on a feeder while another hummer was feeding on the pentas underneath the feeder. When the hummer in the pentas finally flew up to the feeder, he flew slowly. The two hummer almost seemed to fly off together. Later I saw two hummers perched on the fence. No aggression again.
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Post by Need some advice on May 5, 2015 17:30:57 GMT -5
Hello. I'm putting together a Birds of Florida book for my mother and was wondering if any of you can direct me to a place I could photograph one. I put a feeder out in my yard but no luck. I live in South Lakeland.
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Post by Dianne on Oct 16, 2015 13:12:32 GMT -5
I bought a hummingbird feeder and it is the middle of October. When do they start appearing here in Mulberry, Fl.
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Post by Joe M on Oct 17, 2015 17:31:31 GMT -5
I bought a hummingbird feeder and it is the middle of October. When do they start appearing here in Mulberry, Fl. Those hummingbird feeders we buy don't come with guarantees that hummers will use them! Hummers are not instinctively prone to use them but they are curious about just about everything that might be a food source. It's very much a learned sucrose source for them. Have patience and you "must" change the solution every 3-4 days in central FL and clean your feeder at least every week and a half. Any mold growing in the feeder is apparent by a cloudy coloration of the solution. Any specks of mold appearing on the inside of the feeder are another sign of a solution spoiling, that may be fatal to hummers. The premix solution sold commercially along with the bags of "sugar ?" with red coloring are a "No-No" as far as I'm concerned since it's impossible to see if the solution is sour and bad for the hummers. Make up your own with granulated sugar in a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, 1/4. It's clear in the feeder and only then can you tell when its gone bad! Natural flower nectar is clear in color so the red dye in the premix solution is not contributing to attracting the hummers! All feeders have plenty of color to attract hummers without the added red solution. I have used food coloring dye that makes the solution, yellow, red, green blue and black and guess what? It doesn't make a difference, clear solutions are clearly superior and they are much cheaper! I am just about 4-5 miles north of Mulberry and have hummers in the yard 12 months of the year. Very few in the summer months but from late Sep. through Mar. quite a few more. The winter months have always been the time of the year that I have the most hummers.
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