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Post by twonewfies1 on Nov 5, 2015 7:58:48 GMT -5
We're living at Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort for six months and two days ago we put out a hanging basket of Scaebola. It was advertised to attract butterflies. Lo and behold it worked. Two beautiful monarch looking butterflies with metallic or iridescent markings on the underside of their wings showed up the first day. Then just at dusk last night, a thumb size plump looking little bird showed up. No particular coloration or markings to distinguish, just brown. It was so small. Never seen one like that. Anybody know what we saw?
What a treat, after being here from Michigan for less than a week, to see those beautiful butterflies and the hummingbird.
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Post by vickiv on Nov 5, 2015 14:39:59 GMT -5
I'm an hour west of you, outside of Niceville, and I haven't seen a brown hummer before. I had a hummer with a black head (at least it appeared to be black) yesterday, that I'm still trying to identify. I'm just used to seeing Ruby-Throated Hummers here.
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Post by Joe M on Nov 6, 2015 17:55:14 GMT -5
We're living at Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort for six months and two days ago we put out a hanging basket of Scaebola. It was advertised to attract butterflies. Lo and behold it worked. Two beautiful monarch looking butterflies with metallic or iridescent markings on the underside of their wings showed up the first day. Then just at dusk last night, a thumb size plump looking little bird showed up. No particular coloration or markings to distinguish, just brown. It was so small. Never seen one like that. Anybody know what we saw? What a treat, after being here from Michigan for less than a week, to see those beautiful butterflies and the hummingbird. Unless you have very "large thumbs" your description of a thumbsize bird might not describe a hummingbird since most are 3-4" in size. A very small but not "thumb sized" description may actually describe a sphinx moth that is often mistaken for a hummingbird. BTW---- Your plant is considered an invasive plant in FL so please keep an eye on it and don't plant it in the ground! mobile.floridata.com/Plants/Goodeniacea/Scaevola%20aemula/724 |
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Post by vickiv on Nov 7, 2015 21:06:59 GMT -5
Joe, I have never heard of this type of moth, although I can see how it could be mistaken for a hummer, after seeing pictures of the moth hovering. Very interesting!
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Post by llcpcme on Sept 11, 2016 17:50:45 GMT -5
Just wanted to add a note. I live on the bay here in Panama City and I really doubted that we would have any hummingbirds show up when we hung our feeder. My parents live approx 40 miles north of here and have quite a few. Anyway, we hung it in April, the squirrels dumped it and we forgot about it. Today I was in the yard and saw a hummingbird hovering in front of the empty feeder. I quickly ran inside, told my husband, who then had to find the red syrup food we had bought, and he then filled it back up. I expected this to be an act of futility but lo and behold we have had at least two hummingbirds coming to it for most of the afternoon. So surprised and happy!!!! They are small with green and a bit of red. One isn't as well colored so I'm assuming its a female.
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Post by PCHummer on Sept 19, 2016 20:35:02 GMT -5
I live in the St. Andrews part of Panama City, FL. I've had a hummingbird feeder up for about six months in my back yard. Last weekend three hummingbirds showed up! Two are the iridescent green, one is smaller than the other. The third one is the largest with a grayish back and white chest. They've been visiting the feeder constantly, chasing each other and squeaking while they eat and chase. My neighbors and I are watching them and their antics every chance we can.
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Post by R on Sept 20, 2016 7:45:13 GMT -5
I just saw a tiny green hummingbird in my flowers and I'd say it was as small as my thumb. It's so tiny! I'm in Mary Esther... west of Panama City.
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Post by KatieS on Mar 11, 2017 7:56:31 GMT -5
We live in Milton, FL on a natural artesian spring...panhandle in Santa Rosa County. I had 4 feeders out last year 2016 and had a consistent group of about a dozen Ruby Throated Hummers, and discovered a nest in our front yard in May. Observed the 2 babies for the last week of their time in the nest. Then in July watched a female build her nest, sit on 2 eggs and raise 2 babies, right off our deck. Both were in Laurel Oak trees under Hawk's nests, in very close proximity. Hawks seem to keep a hummer's natural predators at bay. I will hang my feeders this weekend in happy anticipation of their return, March 11, 2017. I have also constructed 2 hummer baths that they may enjoy...will see!
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Post by hbspring123 on Mar 30, 2017 21:14:59 GMT -5
Monday March 27 2017 had first Ruby Throated Hummingbird male at a feeder about 11:00am-ish! Excited to see them back. No more sited, but I have have been out and about much of the week.
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Post by alice parker on May 6, 2017 14:33:49 GMT -5
please do not use the red syrup. just plain sugar water syrup will do. the red food color will cause deformity in babies sometimes. thank you
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Post by Steve on May 3, 2018 6:55:15 GMT -5
I'm an hour west of you, outside of Niceville, and I haven't seen a brown hummer before. I had a hummer with a black head (at least it appeared to be black) yesterday, that I'm still trying to identify. I'm just used to seeing Ruby-Throated Hummers here. |
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Post by Lee on Oct 5, 2019 10:23:35 GMT -5
I live in Milton, fl. just east of Pensacola. On my back porch now with 3 birds, I think 1 male, bigger than the others, green color and 2 smaller ones, maybe females. The male runs the other ones from the feeders and sometimes bumps then, is it mating season and the are courting? Have 2 feeders, enough room for 10.
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Post by Joe M on Oct 6, 2019 9:00:19 GMT -5
I live in Milton, fl. just east of Pensacola. On my back porch now with 3 birds, I think 1 male, bigger than the others, green color and 2 smaller ones, maybe females. The male runs the other ones from the feeders and sometimes bumps then, is it mating season and the are courting? Have 2 feeders, enough room for 10. Lee, We shouldn't even try to determine sex by size since female hummers of the same species are slightly larger than males. It's almost impossible for, even an expert observer, to judge comparative size of two hummers in flight. Look for gorget coloration or lack of coloration as a primary sex identifying feature. Hummers are notorious for claiming food sources as their own and will attempt to chase other birds away. Male and female hummers are equally territorial in this regard. Cheers, |
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