Escambia County/ Pensacola area

[grits]

I live in Cantonment, Fl.(Pensacola area) Approximately 3 weeks ago a ruby throated hummer flew into my garage and stayed there over night. I went and bought a feeder that night and began researching what plants attract hummers. Since the first bird arrived I have noticed at least three other birds, possibly five have taken up residence in my yard. I believe these six birds are mated pairs because I always see them in 2's.
I have obtained a list of hummingbird attracting plants from Floral Tree Gardens, a local nursery, and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine has a special interest publication for the fall of 09 that has an article titled, "plant by number hummingbird haven." I will post a list of these plants once I have had time to look around this site and make sure there isn't already a thread for discussing plants before I start another.
In addition to the hanging feeder I had also placed a window feeder in my garage window. Over the last couple of days I noticed that feeder was barely being used. I took it down to clean and refill it this evening because the rain had deluted the nectar and I discovered ants had drowned themselves in it. I moved that feeder to the window of a shed building where I hope to keep it free of rain water and ants.
If anyone has info as to how I can distinguish a hummingbird nest from other species nests please contact me.

Thanks, Ed

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[Steve Backes]

Ed,

For the most part, you're probably seeing hummingbirds migrating through. Some or all could stay the winter but there are still many hummers just passing through until late September to mid-October,

You probably not seeing "pairs". It is not believed that "pairs" spend any more time together than is necessary for breeding. If you're seeing two that are getting along, they may be siblings. If you're seeing two chasing, it's just the territorial nature of the birds.

In general, I was seeing chases involving two hummers in my yard yesterday but occasionally I would see as many as five birds in the chase. The latter probably occurred as one or more new birds entered the yard stirring the "residents" to band together to chase them off. My yard is capable of maintaining multiple territories with feeders.

Discuss plants on the "Landscaping for Hummers" board in the last category, "Attracting Hummingbirds - Tips and Questions".

Ants can be a problem. I recommend the moat type ant guard for hanging feeders but I'm not sure how you can avoid ants with the window feeders.

Here's a webpage with some hummingbird nest information: www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/humm/NestBuilding.html. I found some better pages but they were selling things that I can't recommend. I posted a photo of a nest hanging over the Hillsborough River in 1999 at: rowdy13.tripod.com/hummer.html.

This forum is fairly young having been created in May of this year. Membership has grown over the past few weeks as I was expecting it would. Most of the RFIs that I've received over the years have been during fall and winter so I expect usage of this site to pick up. We may not currently have an active member from your area but hopefully with time, we will. In the mean time, read the posts and ask any questions.

Steve

[grits]

A cool front moved into our area overnight and there is considerably less activity at my feeders this morning. It was 66 at 9:30. I have noticed the birds seem to be staying high in the treetops sunning and I have only seen one land to feed on any of my feeders. The good part is it choose the feeder I filled with my first attempt to make my own hummingbird fuel. High octane sugarwater.

[grits]

Since my last post the population of birds has increased from the three that remained after the cool front to ten positive counted and possibly more. Those ten were all hovering around the feeder at the back patio at the same time. My dad and I have both counted ten at different times around that feeder over the last couple of days.
Seems they like my home made hummingbird fuel. ;D

[grits]

Yesterday morning as I watched my feeders I never saw more than two birds. The group of ten that I had counted the evening before had diminished to just the two. Today around mid morning I noticed a third bird alternate between feeding and resting atop the bamboo hanger right above the feeder. A couple hours after that a fourth bird appeared with the other three. Those four continued returning to the feeder until sunset.
I am kind of curious if these same two birds are staying when my other visitors leave. Every time there has been a group of birds leave. I will only have two at my feeder for a day or two until the number of birds begins to increase over the following week or so when that group seems to leave together.
I am able to get within a couple of feet of my feeders while birds are hovering at them and I have noticed what is obviously urine being discharged by them. Our cat loves to roll around in the grass below the feeder. The neighbors golden retriever sniffs the ground there as she walks by. I haven't seen either the dog or cat try to cover the scent of the birds urine with their own. What I am wondering is. Does each bird do this to find it's own way back to that feeder and if so how long after would it be able to find it's scent? Will the same birds that visted my yard this fall be able to find their way back next spring using the scent they left behind?

[Steve Backes]

I don't think it's a matter of scent. I think it's just a case of what goes in must come out. For the most part, birds try to keep their nests clean but I don't believe there is too much concern for what's below them.

One way to find owls is to look for the "white wash" on the trees below their perch. Find the white wash (poop) and you stand a good chance of finding the owl. That's how we found Northern Pygmy Owls and Boreal Owls in Ontario many years ago. The last time we had a major invasion of goldfinches here, 5 or 6 years ago - 200+ birds in the yard at a time, by the end of the winter, the leaves of most of my plants were more white than green.

[grits]

I have not seen any hummingbirds at my feeders since thursday. My dad said he saw one bird on friday although it appears to have moved on after refueling and resting a bit. I will leave my feeders out until they need cleaning again then take them down for the winter.
What I would like to know is when it will be time to put them out again next spring.

[Steve Backes]

There may still be some that will pass through this year and some that will spend the winter. I've got relatives in Pace who did have a hummer winter in their yard two years ago only to leave the day before Fred Bassett visited to try to band the bird.

I understand the decision to not keep a feeder out during the winter but anything is possible. I don't have proof of the numbers but I saw a quote stating that for every home hosting a wintering hummingbird at a feeder in Baton Rouge (100+) there are three that are maintaining feeders with no hummers (300+). You won't go broke maintaining one feeder but 25% odds of attracting one can be enough to say 'why bother'. I lose interest during the summers here.

The best answer to when they will return is the first week of March. That said, it could be earlier or later. I begin seeing birds leave by mid-February and weather patterns may play into when and where birds actually pass through the state.

Steve

[grits]

Had my first hummingbird sighting of the summer approximately 15 minutes ago. Didn't see any red on the throat, more of a grey color.
My butterfly bushes are in full bloom and I believe that is what brought them back. I cleaned and made a quick solution with one cup of sugar dissolved in hot tap water to fill one feeder.

[grits]

Saw one hummer this evening at the feeder by my garage window. About the same time as my first sighting. A few minutes later I was working in my garden and stood up just in time to have my tower buzzed within about 10 inches of my ear.
I have to make another of my bamboo feeder hangers. Dad "borrowed" one to hang his topsy turvy tomato gizmo and broke it.

[Steve Backes]

I've got a brother in the Pensacola area who started seeing them in late April. It's possible that you're now seeing post breeding dispersal of recently hatched birds, which would explain the lack of a red throat.

Steve

[hummingbird231]

if I were to get a butterfly bush, which one would be best to attract hummingbirds?
Linda

[grits]

Jun 6, 2010 8:51:02 GMT -5 hummingbird231 said:

if I were to get a butterfly bush, which one would be best to attract hummingbirds?
Linda

Hello Linda,
I have two buttefly bushes. One is a lavender color and the other is a darker purple. I'm not sure that the color makes a difference to the hummingbirds. I see them flying away from that area of my yard but haven't every actually seen them at either bush. Unfortuanetly I put them in an area that is not easily viewed because it protected the bushes from winter winds. I hope to be able to transplant them to the area where I am planting a bed speciffically for the hummngbirds.
If anyone has a better answer to your question I would like to hear it. Also if anyone knows if or when would be the best time to transplant them.
Thanks,
Ed

[grits]

All summer I seemed to only had three hummers as regular visitors to my feeders. About three weeks ago I counted six. Last wednesday I walked outside early in the morning and saw more than twenty birds around the two feeders by my garage. I can't even begin to make an accurate count. Since then there is a noticible drop in nectar in the feeders daily. Both of the feeders by the garage had approximately 20 ounces in them and the have drained that. I refilled them last evening with a powder mix that made 15 ounces per package. One of the feeders is half gone already and it's been less than 24 hours since. That's not counting the amount they have consumed from the other two.

[Steve Backes]

My brother in Pace has been reporting lots of activity in his yard as well.

[grits]

The regulars at my feeders have moved on. I have sighted only one bird at my feeder at a time for the last four days.
The most I was able to count at once this summer was 23. 8 on one feeder, 6 on another and nine in a bare tree all within eyesight at once.
I will leave my feeders out until I am certain I have no visitors and wait patiently for next spring.

[Steve Backes]

My brother recently reported lots of activity at his feeders in Pace, just east of Pensacola. That was on the same day that I saw mention of 'many migrants (warblers, thrushes, etc,) passing over Pensacola' on one of the birding listservs. Things have since slowed back down at his hummingbird feeders. Hummingbirds are still being reported along with other migrating birds so new birds are still likely. Even after the fall migration ends, new hummingbirds, possibly including Rufous, Black-chinned, Calliope, Buff-bellied, Broad-tailed, or any of the other rare possibilities, will be reported in your region throughout the winter.

[grits]

Just saw the first visitor this spring to one of my feeders about five minutes ago. ;D

[grits]

I only spotted two birds at my feeders between my first sighting in March until three weeks ago when the count went up to 12. A few days ago the numbers began to increse to the point all I can do is guess. My guess for this mornings count would be between 30 and 40.
In a 36 hour span they consumed two large sized feeders of my hummingbird fuel mix.
My neighbor hung a feeder filled with the store bought nectar last weekend. It was up prior to the period they began rapidly consuming everything in my feeders. I noticed the neighbors feeder has only gone down a couple of inches from the top since she hung it. Says alot about just good ol' homemade sugar water without the coloring.

[Steve Backes]

I agree with the homemade being better than the store bought but if she hasn't changed it out in a week, I'm sure the solution is sour by now and wouldn't expect any birds to feed at it more than once.

[Jocelyn Hadfield, Cypress, Tex]

Currently living in Cypress, Texas but moving to Pensacola Florida next spring, I hope. Was glad to know that I may still get to see my favorite little beauties.

I get as many as 30 hummingbirds early spring and fall, but last year I had a hummingbird stay the entire winter. I mixed my solution 3:1 so it wouldn't freeze and changed it still every 3-4 days. This bird relied on my food to stay alive. I even hung a light near it to keep warm with a cover over feeder and could watch it feed from my kitchen window. I now will always keep a feeder out because I discovered that there may be birds in need. I also noticed that it was late February when I saw 2 or 3 more were around it. I had never put one out until mid March before. I was happy I could help out for the one that made a home here, but I worried because it was the coldest winter ever here in Cypress (Houston) Texas that I could remember. I have no idea where the little darling "lived" when it wasn't feeding. I just saw 2 today so some are still coming thru, or maybe are going to stay. It is 11/23/14 and we have already had some 30 degree nights. Today is warmest in weeks at 70. Hmmm, maybe another winter with these birdies and I will supply food for them always now as I think many may be around and I had never noticed. Looking forward to retiring to Pensacola area soon.

[Is the hummingbird time ...]

...for Pensacola still thought to be the first week of August?
Thanks your thoughts. Do you have meetings to discuss findings and observations?
Tim
Timothy Brooks, M.D.
[e-mail]

[Joe M]

Grits,
Humming bird nests are tiny when compared to other avian nests. Normally no more than 31/2 " in dia,, . very neat and pretty hard to spot unless you happen to get lucky by watching a female entering the nest.
Your lucky to have a hummer visit your feeder since many will never figure our how to use one since it's a learned behavior rather than instinctive. Most likely the bird had used a feeder before.
In selecting plants be care in choosing plants known to be nectar producers and suitable for your area (planting zone). Many sites such as the ones you mentioned suggest plants that will not survive our summer heat so I call your attention to a topic here "landscaping for hummingbirds" which may be informative.
Give consideration to native plants that bloom during the fall and winter months which may yield visits from 'western hummingbirds' that are common to the "Panhandle", Dec. - Feb."

Hope this helps.

[Jerry and Audra]

We recently moved to Pensacola from Georgia. While in Georgia we would have 10-20 hummers from early spring to late fall. We absolutely love watching them. Now that we are in Pensacola, just wondering if and when we may see them? We would like to set up our feeder but want to make sure we do it at the right time. Can anyone tell us if hummers come through Pensacola and if so, when?

Thanks
Audra