Pembroke Pines sighting

[Jim Burnette]

I live in Pembroke Pines, Bro ward Co. I am about 1/4 mile east of I-75 off Sheridan ave. In late Nov. a humming bird showed up in our hidden garden on the west side of the house. I think it is a young ruby throat, as there is no red on its throat and it matches a picture i found on line of a adolescent male. It loves our all red bleeding heart. It returned for about an hour each day, so we decided to get a feeder. About the same time we got the feeder there was a severe cold snap,he didn't return. We put the feeder out anyway hopping he would return or we would attract another. After about two weeks and a couple of bad cold fronts we thought we had wasted our money, but then he was back. He comes back almost every day sometimes staying the better part of the day. and the other day another, smaller one showed up. we've seen him twice but the larger bird chases him away. I'll try to post a picture.

[Gardendipity]

Hi Jim, congratulations on attracting your hummer! I live in the Tampa area and we have hummers off and on all year long. Right after a freeze is the best time to attract a hummer to your yard. We have at least three hummers in our yard right now, a black-chinned male, a Ruby Throated female, and a Rufous.

I posted to suggest that you should hang a second feeder, so that each of your hummers will have its own territory. I have read that when you see a hummer chasing off another hummer, it's time to add a new feeder. They are very territorial, and don't like to share their feeders.

We currently have eight feeders up, all very inexpensive (priced from $1 to $4). Are you making your own sugar water to keep the cost down? The formula is 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water. You can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator.

Congrats again on attracting two hummers! Hope you get many more! You're doing a good thing, to help these hummers through the Florida freezes.

[Don]

I used to live in west Pembroke Pines near I-75 and had a male ruby-throat hummingbird that would arrive around new year's and stay through late March. He returned for several years. Besides the feeder, it like to visit the coral honeysuckle vine, firebush, and red penta. Enjoy!