Okies Transplanted to Florida

[juststitchin]

Hello,
My husband and I just moved from Oklahoma to Northern Florida (Callahan Area). Back home in Oklahoma we both enjoyed our little hummer friends so much and were sad to say goodbye to our returning feathered friends to make the move, but our neighbor Mr. Lee said he would continue to keep his feeders full and hope to attract our little hummers to his house so they would stay around which that made us feel great. We lived on a 10 acre farm and attracted bee's, hummers, squirrels, and the deer and I'm sure alot more critters.
Now living here in Florida we are very unsure as to when to set out our feeders or even what plants to plant. Which this yard has no plants except boxwood hedges. So any help would be greatly appreciated in this department. I did buy a Hamlin Orange Tree for my hubby for Christmas so we hope to attract the bee's again. In hopes of having another hive.

Sincerely,
Brenda and Jerry Randell
Callahan, FL

[floridagardener]

Brenda and Jerry - Welcome to Florida. We don't get huge numbers of hummingbirds. Typically they are the Ruby-throated hummingbirds. But they do come here to Florida in Fall and stay through Spring. And we even have some summer birds that actually breed here. (Though not very many of those!)

Plants that I can suggest are Salvia - especially Salvia Coccinea:
www.floridata.com/ref/s/salv_coc.cfm

Firespike is another favorite here:
www.floridata.com/ref/o/odon_str.cfm

The website has a lot of good nectar plants for Florida listed under "hummingbirds":
Those plants listed under Perennial, Shrub, and Vines are the best for hummingbirds, IMHO!
www.floridata.com/lists/hummingbird_plants.cfm

It might take a year or so to attract them. Don't give up! Or you might be lucky and get a bird to find your garden right away. I also use feeders. Some, but not all birds recognize a red feeder. I am partial to hummzinger sauce type feeders because they are easy to clean and refill. Good luck!

[Joe M]

Brenda,
Very familiar with your area having lived in Jacksonville years ago.
In your area you can put up feeders year round.
Over wintering ruby-throats are common in coastal areas from S. Carolina south. In addition a few vagrant rarities include, black-chinned, rufous, caliope, buff-bellied among others reported in the same areas during the winter months, late Sep-Mar.
You will also have breeding ruby-throated in early summer although not hundreds of them as you will find further north in the eastern part of the country. I believe that OK. has a predominance of Ruby-throated in the east and Black-chinned in the west so you should be familiar with their habits. Same flowers that worked in OK will probably do well where you are with the caveat that one must be more concerned with 'damp feet in FL and humidity conditions.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised that it won't take long to attract them with a feeder, 2-3, but greater success is assured once you have some flowering plantings in your new location.
Good Birding,
Joe M.
Lakeland, FL